case study key questions

100 Best Case Study Questions for Your Next Customer Spotlight

Published: November 29, 2022

Case studies and testimonials are helpful to have in your arsenal. But to build an effective library, you need to ask the right case study questions. You also need to know how to write a case study .

Case studies are customers' stories that your sales team can use to share relevant content with prospects . Not only that, but case studies help you earn a prospect's trust, show them what life would be like as your customer, and validate that your product or service works for your clients.

Before you start building your library of case studies, check out our list of 100 case study questions to ask your clients. With this helpful guide, you'll have the know-how to build your narrative using the " Problem-Agitate-Solve " Method.

What makes a good case study questionnaire?

The ultimate list of case study questions, how to ask your customer for a case study, creating an effective case study.

Certain key elements make up a good case study questionnaire.

A questionnaire should never feel like an interrogation. Instead, aim to structure your case study questions like a conversation. Some of the essential things that your questionnaire should cover include:

• The problem faced by the client before choosing your organization.
• Why they chose your company.
• How your product solved the problem clients faced.
• The measurable results of the service provided.
• Data and metrics that prove the success of your service or product, if possible.

You can adapt these considerations based on how your customers use your product and the specific answers or quotes that you want to receive.

What makes a good case study question?

A good case study question delivers a powerful message to leads in the decision stage of your prospective buyer's journey.

Since your client has agreed to participate in a case study, they're likely enthusiastic about the service you provide. Thus, a good case study question hands the reins over to the client and opens a conversation.

Try asking open-ended questions to encourage your client to talk about the excellent service or product you provide.

Free Case Study Templates

Tell us about yourself to access the templates..

Categories for the Best Case Study Questions

• Case study questions about the customer's business
• Case study questions about the environment before the purchase
• Case study questions about the decision process
• Case study questions about the customer's business case
• Case study questions about the buying team and internal advocates
• Case study questions about customer success
• Case study questions about product feedback
• Case study questions about willingness to make referrals
• Case study question to prompt quote-worthy feedback
• Case study questions about the customers' future goals

Showcase your company's success using these three free case study templates.

• Data-Driven Case Study Template
• Product-Specific Case Study Template
• General Case Study Template

You're all set!

Click this link to access this resource at any time.

Case Study Interview Questions About the Customer's Business

Knowing the customer's business is an excellent way of setting the tone for a case study.

Use these questions to get some background information about the company and its business goals. This information can be used to introduce the business at the beginning of the case study — plus, future prospects might resonate with their stories and become leads for you.

• Would you give me a quick overview of [company]? This is an opportunity for the client to describe their business in their own words. You'll get useful background information and it's an easy prompt to get the client talking.
• Can you describe your role? This will give you a better idea of the responsibilities they are subject to.
• How do your role and team fit into the company and its goals? Knowing how the team functions to achieve company goals will help you formulate how your solution involves all stakeholders.
• How long has your company been in business? Getting this information will help the reader gauge if pain points are specific to a startup or new company vs. a veteran company.
• How many employees do you have? Another great descriptor for readers to have. They can compare the featured company size with their own.
• Is your company revenue available? If so, what is it? This will give your readers background information on the featured company's gross sales.
• Who is your target customer? Knowing who the target audience is will help you provide a better overview of their market for your case study readers.
• How does our product help your team or company achieve its objectives? This is one of the most important questions because it is the basis of the case study. Get specifics on how your product provided a solution for your client. You want to be able to say "X company implemented our solution and achieved Y. "
• How are our companies aligned (mission, strategy, culture, etc.)? If any attributes of your company's mission or culture appealed to the client, call it out.

How many people are on your team? What are their roles? This will help describe key players within the organization and their impact on the implementation of your solution.

Case Study Interview Questions About the Environment Before the Purchase

A good case study is designed to build trust. Ask clients to describe the tools and processes they used before your product or service. These kinds of case study questions will highlight the business' need they had to fulfill and appeal to future clients.

• What was your team's process prior to using our product? This will give the reader a baseline to compare the results for your company's product.
• Were there any costs associated with the process prior to using our product? Was it more expensive? Was it worth the cost? How did the product affect the client's bottom line? This will be a useful metric to disclose if your company saved the client money or was more cost-efficient.
• What were the major pain points of your process prior to using our product? Describe these obstacles in detail. You want the reader to get as much information on the problem as possible as it sets up the reasoning for why your company's solution was implemented.
• Did our product replace a similar tool or is this the first time your team is using a product like this? Were they using a similar product? If so, having this information may give readers a reason to choose your brand over the competition.
• What other challenges were you and your team experiencing prior to using our product? The more details you can give readers regarding the client's struggles, the better. You want to paint a full picture of the challenges the client faced and how your company resolved them.
• Were there any concerns about how your customers would be impacted by using our product? Getting answers to this question will illustrate to readers the client's concerns about switching to your service. Your readers may have similar concerns and reading how your client worked through this process will be helpful.
• Why didn't you buy our product or a similar product earlier? Have the client describe any hesitations they had using your product. Their concerns may be relatable to potential leads.
• Were there any "dealbreakers" involved in your decision to become a customer? Describing how your company was able to provide a solution that worked within those parameters demonstrates how accommodating your brand is and how you put the customer first. It's also great to illustrate any unique challenges the client had. This better explains their situation to the reader.
• Did you have to make any changes you weren't anticipating once you became a customer? Readers of your case study can learn how switching to your product came with some unexpected changes (good or bad) and how they navigated them. If you helped your client with troubleshooting, ask them to explain that here.

How has your perception of the product changed since you've become a customer? Get the interviewee to describe how your product changed how they do business. This includes how your product accomplished what they previously thought was impossible.

Case Study Interview Questions About the Decision Process

Readers of the case study will be interested in which factors influenced the decision-making process for the client. If they can relate to that process, there's a bigger chance they'll buy your product.

The answers to these questions will help potential customers through their decision-making process.

• How did you hear about our product? If the client chose to work with you based on a recommendation or another positive case study, include that. It will demonstrate that you are a trusted brand with an established reputation for delivering results.
• How long had you been looking for a solution to this problem? This will add to the reader's understanding of how these particular challenges impacted the company before choosing your product.
• Were you comparing alternative solutions? Which ones? This will demonstrate to readers that the client explored other options before choosing your company.
• Would you describe a few of the reasons you decided to buy our product? Ask the interviewee to describe why they chose your product over the competition and any benefits your company offered that made you stand out.
• What were the criteria you used when deciding to buy our product? This will give readers more background insight into the factors that impacted their decision-making process.
• Were there any high-level initiatives or goals that prompted the decision to buy? For example, was this decision motivated by a company-wide vision? Prompt your clients to discuss what lead to the decision to work with you and how you're the obvious choice.
• What was the buying process like? Did you notice anything exceptional or any points of friction? This is an opportunity for the client to comment on how seamless and easy you make the buying process. Get them to describe what went well from start to finish.
• How would you have changed the buying process, if at all? This is an opportunity for you to fine-tune your process to accommodate future buyers.
• Who on your team was involved in the buying process? This will give readers more background on the key players involved from executives to project managers. With this information, readers can see who they may potentially need to involve in the decision-making process on their teams.

Case Study Interview Questions About the Customer's Business Case

Your case study questions should ask about your product or solution's impact on the customer's employees, teams, metrics, and goals. These questions allow the client to praise the value of your service and tell others exactly what benefits they derived from it.

When readers review your product or service's impact on the client, it enforces the belief that the case study is credible.

• How long have you been using our product? This will help readers gauge how long it took to see results and your overall satisfaction with the product or service.
• How many different people at your company use our product? This will help readers gauge how they can adapt the product to their teams if similar in size.
• Are there multiple departments or teams using our product? This will demonstrate how great of an impact your product has made across departments.
• How do you and your team currently use the product? What types of goals or tasks are you using the product to accomplish? Get specifics on how the product actively helps the client achieve their goals.
• If other teams or departments are using our product, do you know how they're using it? With this information, leads can picture how they can use your product across their teams and how it may improve their workflow and metrics.
• What was the most obvious advantage you felt our product offered during the sales process? The interviewee should explain the benefits they've gained from using your product or service. This is important for convincing other leads you are better than the competition.
• Were there any other advantages you discovered after using the product more regularly? Your interviewee may have experienced some additional benefits from using your product. Have them describe in detail what these advantages are and how they've helped the company improve.
• Are there any metrics or KPIs you track with our product? What are they? The more numbers and data the client can provide, the better.
• Were you tracking any metrics prior to using our product? What were they? This will allow readers to get a clear, before-and-after comparison of using your product.
• How has our product impacted your core metrics? This is an opportunity for your clients to drive home how your product assisted them in hitting their metrics and goals.

Case Study Interview Questions About the Buying Team and Internal Advocates

See if there are any individuals at the customer's company who are advocates for your product.

• Are there any additional team members you consider to be advocates for our product? For example, does anyone stick out as a "power user" or product expert on your team? You may want to interview and include these power users in your case study as well. Consider asking them for tips on using your service or product.
• Is there anyone else on your team you think we should talk to? Again, the more people can share their experience using your product, the better.
• Are there any team members who you think might not be the biggest fans of our product or who might need more training? Providing extra support to those struggling with your product may improve their user experience and turn into an opportunity to not only learn about their obstacles but turn them into a product fan
• Would you share some details about how your team implemented our product? Get as much information as possible about the rollout. Hopefully, they'll gush about how seamless the process was.
• Who from your company was involved in implementing our product? This will give readers more insight into who needs to be involved for a successful rollout of their own.
• Were there any internal risks or additional costs involved with implementing our product? If so, how did you address them? This will give insight into the client's process and rollout and this case study question will likely provide tips on what potential leads should be on the lookout for.
• Is there a training process in place for your team's use of our product? If so, what does it look like? If your company provided support and training to the client, have them describe that experience.
• About how long does it take a new team member to get up to speed with our product? This will help leads determine how much time it will take to onboard an employee to your using your product. If a new user can quickly get started seamlessly, it bodes well for you.
• What was your main concern about rolling this product out to your company? Describing their challenges in detail will provide readers with useful insight.

Case Study Interview Questions About Customer Success

Has the customer found success with your product? Ask these questions to learn more.

• By using our product can you measure any reduced costs? If it has, you'll want to emphasize those savings in your case study.
• By using our product can you measure any improvements in productivity or time savings? Any metrics or specific stories your interviewee can provide will help demonstrate the value of your product.
• By using our product can you measure any increases in revenue or growth? Again, say it with numbers and data whenever possible.
• Are you likely to recommend our product to a friend or colleague? Recommendations from existing customers are some of the best marketing you can get.
• How has our product impacted your success? Your team's success? Getting the interviewee to describe how your product played an integral role in solving their challenges will show leads that they can also have success using your product.
• In the beginning, you had XYZ concerns; how do you feel about them now? Let them explain how working with your company eliminated those concerns.
• I noticed your team is currently doing XYZ with our product. Tell me more about how that helps your business. Illustrate to your readers how current customers are using your product to solve additional challenges. It will convey how versatile your product is.
• Have you thought about using our product for a new use case with your team or at your company? The more examples of use cases the client can provide, the better.
• How do you measure the value our product provides? Have the interviewee illustrate what metrics they use to gauge the product's success and how. Data is helpful, but you should go beyond the numbers. Maybe your product improved company morale and how teams work together.

Case Study Interview Questions About Product Feedback

Ask the customer if they'd recommend your product to others. A strong recommendation will help potential clients be more open to purchasing your product.

• How do other companies in this industry solve the problems you had before you purchased our product? This will give you insight into how other companies may be functioning without your product and how you can assist them.
• Have you ever talked about our product to any of your clients or peers? What did you say? This can provide you with more leads and a chance to get a referral.
• Why would you recommend our product to a friend or client? Be sure they pinpoint which features they would highlight in a recommendation.
• Can you think of any use cases your customers might have for our product? Similar industries may have similar issues that need solutions. Your interviewee may be able to provide a use case you haven't come up with.
• What is your advice for other teams or companies who are tackling problems similar to those you had before you purchased our product? This is another opportunity for your client to talk up your product or service.
• Do you know someone in X industry who has similar problems to the ones you had prior to using our product? The client can make an introduction so you can interview them about their experience as well.
• I noticed you work with Company Y. Do you know if they are having any pain points with these processes? This will help you learn how your product has impacted your client's customers and gain insight into what can be improved.
• Does your company participate in any partner or referral programs? Having a strong referral program will help you increase leads and improve customer retention.
• Can I send you a referral kit as a thank-you for making a referral and give you the tools to refer someone to us? This is a great strategy to request a referral while rewarding your existing customers.
• Are you interested in working with us to produce additional marketing content? The more opportunities you can showcase happy customers, the better.

Case Study Interview Questions About Willingness to Make Referrals

• How likely are you to recommend our product to a friend or client? Ideally, they would definitely refer your product to someone they know.
• Can you think of any use cases your customers might have for our product? Again, your interviewee is a great source for more leads. Similar industries may have similar issues that need solutions. They may be able to provide a use case you haven't come up with.
• I noticed you work with Company Y; do you know if they are having any pain points with these processes? This will help you learn how your product has impacted your client's customers and gain insight into what can be improved.

Case Study Interview Questions to Prompt Quote-Worthy Feedback

Enhance your case study with quotable soundbites from the customer. By asking these questions, prospects have more insight into other clients and their success with your product — which helps build trust.

• How would you describe your process in one sentence prior to using our product? Ideally, this sentence would quickly and descriptively sum up the most prominent pain point or challenge with the previous process.
• What is your advice to others who might be considering our product? Readers can learn from your customer's experience.
• What would your team's workflow or process be like without our product? This will drive home the value your product provides and how essential it is to their business.
• Do you think the investment in our product was worthwhile? Why? Have your customer make the case for the value you provide.
• What would you say if we told you our product would soon be unavailable? What would this mean to you? Again, this illustrates how integral your product is to their business.
• How would you describe our product if you were explaining it to a friend? Your customers can often distill the value of your product to their friends better than you can.
• What do you love about your job? Your company? This gives the reader more background on your customer and their industry.
• What was the worst part of your process before you started using our product? Ideally, they'd reiterate how your product helped solve this challenge.
• What do you love about our product? Another great way to get the customer's opinion about what makes your product worth it.
• Why do you do business with us? Hopefully, your interviewee will share how wonderful your business relationship is.

Case Study Interview Questions About the Customers' Future Goals

Ask the customer about their goals, challenges, and plans for the future. This will provide insight into how a business can grow with your product.

• What are the biggest challenges on the horizon for your industry? Chances are potential leads within the same industry will have similar challenges.
• What are your goals for the next three months? Knowing their short-term goals will enable your company to get some quick wins for the client.
• How would you like to use our product to meet those challenges and goals? This will help potential leads understand that your product can help their business as they scale and grow.
• Is there anything we can do to help you and your team meet your goals? If you haven't covered it already, this will allow your interviewee to express how you can better assist them.
• Do you think you will buy more, less, or about the same amount of our product next year? This can help you gauge how your product is used and why.
• What are the growth plans for your company this year? Your team? This will help you gain insight into how your product can help them achieve future goals.
• How can we help you meet your long-term goals? Getting specifics on the needs of your clients will help you create a unique solution designed for their needs.
• What is the long-term impact of using our product? Get their feedback on how your product has created a lasting impact.
• Are there any initiatives that you personally would like to achieve that our product or team can help with? Again, you want to continue to provide products that help your customers excel.
• What will you need from us in the future? This will help you anticipate the customer's business needs.
• Is there anything we can do to improve our product or process for working together in the future? The more feedback you can get about what is and isn't working, the better.

Before you can start putting together your case study, you need to ask your customer's permission.

If you have a customer who's seen success with your product, reach out to them. Use this template to get started:

Thank you & quick request

Hi [customer name],

Thanks again for your business — working with you to [solve X, launch Y, take advantage of Z opportunity] has been extremely rewarding, and I'm looking forward to more collaboration in the future.

[Name of your company] is building a library of case studies to include on our site. We're looking for successful companies using [product] to solve interesting challenges, and your team immediately came to mind. Are you open to [customer company name] being featured?

It should be a lightweight process — [I, a product marketer] will ask you roughly [10, 15, 20] questions via email or phone about your experience and results. This case study will include a blurb about your company and a link to your homepage (which hopefully will make your SEO team happy!)

In any case, thank you again for the chance to work with you, and I hope you have a great week.

[Your name]

If one of your customers has recently passed along some praise (to you, their account manager, your boss; on an online forum; to another potential customer; etc.), then send them a version of this email:

Hey [customer name],

Thanks for the great feedback — I'm really glad to hear [product] is working well for you and that [customer company name] is getting the results you're looking for.

My team is actually in the process of building out our library of case studies, and I'd love to include your story. Happy to provide more details if you're potentially interested.

Either way, thank you again, and I look forward to getting more updates on your progress.

You can also find potential case study customers by usage or product data. For instance, maybe you see a company you sold to 10 months ago just bought eight more seats or upgraded to a new tier. Clearly, they're happy with the solution. Try this template:

I saw you just [invested in our X product; added Y more users; achieved Z product milestone]. Congratulations! I'd love to share your story using [product] with the world -- I think it's a great example of how our product + a dedicated team and a good strategy can achieve awesome results.

Are you open to being featured? If so, I'll send along more details.

Case Study Benefits

• Case studies are a form of customer advocacy.
• Case studies provide a joint-promotion opportunity.
• Case studies are easily sharable.
• Case studies build rapport with your customers.
• Case studies are less opinionated than customer reviews.

1. Case studies are a form of customer advocacy.

If you haven't noticed, customers aren't always quick to trust a brand's advertisements and sales strategies.

With every other brand claiming to be the best in the business, it's hard to sort exaggeration from reality.

This is the most important reason why case studies are effective. They are testimonials from your customers of your service. If someone is considering your business, a case study is a much more convincing piece of marketing or sales material than traditional advertising.

2. Case studies provide a joint-promotion opportunity.

Your business isn't the only one that benefits from a case study. Customers participating in case studies benefit, too.

Think about it. Case studies are free advertisements for your customers, not to mention the SEO factor, too. While they're not promoting their products or services, they're still getting the word out about their business. And, the case study highlights how successful their business is — showing interested leads that they're on the up and up.

3. Case studies are easily sharable.

No matter your role on the sales team, case studies are great to have on hand. You can easily share them with leads, prospects, and clients.

Whether you embed them on your website or save them as a PDF, you can simply send a link to share your case study with others. They can share that link with their peers and colleagues, and so on.

Case studies can also be useful during a sales pitch. In sales, timing is everything. If a customer is explaining a problem that was solved and discussed in your case study, you can quickly find the document and share it with them.

4. Case studies build rapport with your customers.

While case studies are very useful, they do require some back and forth with your customers to obtain the exact feedback you're looking for.

Even though time is involved, the good news is this builds rapport with your most loyal customers. You get to know them on a personal level, and they'll become more than just your most valuable clients.

And, the better the rapport you have with them, the more likely they'll be to recommend your business, products, or services to others.

5. Case studies are less opinionated than customer reviews.

Data is the difference between a case study and a review. Customer reviews are typically based on the customer's opinion of your brand. While they might write a glowing review, it's completely subjective and there's rarely empirical evidence supporting their claim.

Case studies, on the other hand, are more data-driven. While they'll still talk about how great your brand is, they support this claim with quantitative data that's relevant to the reader. It's hard to argue with data.

An effective case study must be genuine and credible. Your case study should explain why certain customers are the right fit for your business and how your company can help meet their specific needs. That way, someone in a similar situation can use your case study as a testimonial for why they should choose your business.

Use the case study questions above to create an ideal customer case study questionnaire. By asking your customers the right questions, you can obtain valuable feedback that can be shared with potential leads and convert them into loyal customers.

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in June 2021 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

Don't forget to share this post!

Related articles.

ACV: What It Means & How to Calculate It

What Is An Account Development Manager? (And How to Become One)

Strategic Account Managers, Here's How to Amplify Your Efforts

3 Questions that Ensure Key Account Success

Account Management vs. Sales: What's the Difference? [FAQ]

Showcase your company's success using these free case study templates.

Powerful and easy-to-use sales software that drives productivity, enables customer connection, and supports growing sales orgs

47 case interview examples (from McKinsey, BCG, Bain, etc.)

One of the best ways to prepare for   case interviews  at firms like McKinsey, BCG, or Bain, is by studying case interview examples. 

There are a lot of free sample cases out there, but it's really hard to know where to start. So in this article, we have listed all the best free case examples available, in one place.

The below list of resources includes interactive case interview samples provided by consulting firms, video case interview demonstrations, case books, and materials developed by the team here at IGotAnOffer. Let's continue to the list.

• McKinsey examples
• BCG examples
• Bain examples
• Deloitte examples
• Other firms' examples
• Case books from consulting clubs
• Case interview preparation

Click here to practise 1-on-1 with MBB ex-interviewers

1. mckinsey case interview examples.

• Beautify case interview (McKinsey website)
• Diconsa case interview (McKinsey website)
• Electro-light case interview (McKinsey website)
• GlobaPharm case interview (McKinsey website)
• National Education case interview (McKinsey website)
• Talbot Trucks case interview (McKinsey website)
• Shops Corporation case interview (McKinsey website)
• Conservation Forever case interview (McKinsey website)
• McKinsey case interview guide (by IGotAnOffer)
• McKinsey live case interview extract (by IGotAnOffer) - See below

2. BCG case interview examples

• Foods Inc and GenCo case samples  (BCG website)
• Chateau Boomerang written case interview  (BCG website)
• BCG case interview guide (by IGotAnOffer)
• Written cases guide (by IGotAnOffer)
• BCG live case interview with notes (by IGotAnOffer)
• BCG mock case interview with ex-BCG associate director - Public sector case (by IGotAnOffer)
• BCG mock case interview: Revenue problem case (by IGotAnOffer) - See below

3. Bain case interview examples

• CoffeeCo practice case (Bain website)
• FashionCo practice case (Bain website)
• Associate Consultant mock interview video (Bain website)
• Consultant mock interview video (Bain website)
• Written case interview tips (Bain website)
• Bain case interview guide   (by IGotAnOffer)
• Digital transformation case with ex-Bain consultant
• Bain case mock interview with ex-Bain manager (below)

4. Deloitte case interview examples

• Engagement Strategy practice case (Deloitte website)
• Recreation Unlimited practice case (Deloitte website)
• Strategic Vision practice case (Deloitte website)
• Retail Strategy practice case  (Deloitte website)
• Finance Strategy practice case  (Deloitte website)
• Talent Management practice case (Deloitte website)
• Enterprise Resource Management practice case (Deloitte website)
• Footloose written case  (by Deloitte)
• Deloitte case interview guide (by IGotAnOffer)

5. Accenture case interview examples

• Case interview workbook (by Accenture)
• Accenture case interview guide (by IGotAnOffer)

6. OC&C case interview examples

• Leisure Club case example (by OC&C)
• Imported Spirits case example (by OC&C)

7. Oliver Wyman case interview examples

• Wumbleworld case sample (Oliver Wyman website)
• Aqualine case sample (Oliver Wyman website)
• Oliver Wyman case interview guide (by IGotAnOffer)

8. A.T. Kearney case interview examples

• Promotion planning case question (A.T. Kearney website)
• Consulting case book and examples (by A.T. Kearney)
• AT Kearney case interview guide (by IGotAnOffer)

9. Strategy& / PWC case interview examples

• Presentation overview with sample questions (by Strategy& / PWC)
• Strategy& / PWC case interview guide (by IGotAnOffer)

10. L.E.K. Consulting case interview examples

• Case interview example video walkthrough   (L.E.K. website)
• Market sizing case example video walkthrough  (L.E.K. website)

11. Roland Berger case interview examples

• Transit oriented development case webinar part 1  (Roland Berger website)
• Transit oriented development case webinar part 2   (Roland Berger website)
• 3D printed hip implants case webinar part 1   (Roland Berger website)
• 3D printed hip implants case webinar part 2   (Roland Berger website)
• Roland Berger case interview guide   (by IGotAnOffer)

12. Capital One case interview examples

• Case interview example video walkthrough  (Capital One website)
• Capital One case interview guide (by IGotAnOffer)

13. Consulting clubs case interview examples

• Berkeley case book (2006)
• Columbia case book (2006)
• Darden case book (2012)
• Darden case book (2018)
• Duke case book (2010)
• Duke case book (2014)
• ESADE case book (2011)
• Goizueta case book (2006)
• Illinois case book (2015)
• LBS case book (2006)
• MIT case book (2001)
• Notre Dame case book (2017)
• Ross case book (2010)
• Wharton case book (2010)

Practice with experts

Using case interview examples is a key part of your interview preparation, but it isn’t enough.

At some point you’ll want to practise with friends or family who can give some useful feedback. However, if you really want the best possible preparation for your case interview, you'll also want to work with ex-consultants who have experience running interviews at McKinsey, Bain, BCG, etc.

If you know anyone who fits that description, fantastic! But for most of us, it's tough to find the right connections to make this happen. And it might also be difficult to practice multiple hours with that person unless you know them really well.

Here's the good news. We've already made the connections for you. We’ve created a coaching service where you can do mock case interviews 1-on-1 with ex-interviewers from MBB firms . Start scheduling sessions today!

The IGotAnOffer team

46 case study questions to build trust with your target audience

Building trust with your target audience is essential to the success of your business and marketing strategy. One way to do this is to prove that your products work and solve their pain points. 

How can you do that? With the help of case studies. In a case study, you take an opportunity to show just how effective your product or service can be. But for a compelling case study, you need to ask the right questions and deliver valuable insights.

We'll share the most burning and needed case study questions you can ask your clients to find out what they want. These questions will also help you to tailor your products and services to meet their needs better.

What is a case study?

Businesses must comprehensively understand their potential customers' needs and behaviors when it comes to decision-making and product development. Case studies are an excellent tool for understanding the behavior of a particular individual, organization, or event.

A study seeks to investigate practically every area of the user's life, looking at the activities and motivations that make up who they are. This analysis is invaluable to businesses as it gives them the insights they need to develop products and services tailored to their customer's needs and wants.

Not only do case studies provide valuable data, but they can also be used in various fields, such as social work, education, and medicine. Companies can use the collected data to show the effectiveness of their product or service for a specific problem. 

Also, case studies can help with successful marketing. You can use them to showcase the successes of your business's strategies and tactics, giving potential customers a better understanding of how the services or products could benefit them.

Try for free

Plan, write and optimize SEO content

Sign up today for a free trial, and you'll have access to 5000 words and 300 bonus credits—completely free.

What are the benefits of case studies?

Case studies can be invaluable tools in the business world. They comprehensively understand a business's situation, allowing all stakeholders to analyze data, understand the context, and draw lessons from a real-life situation.

You can use them to build trust with your customers. These studies prove that you have solved similar problems of other clients in the past. 

Some of the significant benefits of case studies:

• Accumulates a considerable amount of data
• Assists in the development of hypotheses
• Increases brand reliability and loyalty
• Creates a case for more investigation
• Reveals fresh insights into a subject
• Uses storylines to bring in consumers

The methods of a case study

Case studies are generally qualitative and are constructed on interviews, observations, and in-depth subject analysis. They can describe an event or phenomenon by providing detailed information about its context and circumstances.

While various steps are involved in conducting a successful case study, the following points outline the general process for how a content writing business can do this.

Identify a subject

The subjects could be previous customers who have had success working with your business and are willing to provide insight into their experiences. It should be someone who can accurately represent the business and will be a positive reflection on its services.

Collect data

Listen carefully to everything the subject says. Use the collected data to illustrate your service's success in solving the subject's issues. It should include quotes from the subject, compelling statistics, and other relevant information showcasing your strategy's effectiveness.

Analyze and interpret data

After collecting the essential data, analyze and interpret the information. Flesh out the story that the data are telling and decode their implications. Doing so will help your agency create a compelling case study that accurately conveys your service's value.

Write the case study

Now you can craft a narrative that explains the project in detail, including information about the strategies and results.

For added credibility, include quotes from the client or other third parties involved in the project and visual elements such as screenshots, images, or graphs. It will help show the reader the tangible results and make the report more persuasive.

Publish the study

Finally, publish the study on your website and other digital platforms. It will showcase the expertise and results of your services and position the business as an authority in the field.

By following these steps, your content writing agency can effectively conduct a case study to promote the services and drive more business. 

Still trying to figure out how to start one? Check these wonderful examples . 

The categories of case study questions

Most of the case study questions fall into these categories.

Estimation questions

These questions allow you to make informed assumptions from data and business knowledge to determine the market size.

Business case study questions

These inquiries measure your analytical skills and ability to make judgment calls in light of the available data.

Value proposition questions

In addition to business principles, research techniques, and intuition, these questions assess the capacity to recognize client behavior and preferences.

Logic and reasoning questions

These questions are more general and primarily connected to non-business themes, measuring analytical thinking and creativity.

Of course, there are other question types, many of which cross two or more categories. These classifications are meant to help you prepare case study question lists.

The best ways to perform a business case study interview

Once you've found your subject willing to talk to you about how your service led to their company's success, you'll need to draft your interview questions. It will help your readers know your company's contribution to their success. 

Gather as much information about the client as possible. It includes their background, history, financial status, and anything relevant to the case study you're trying to write. You can even contact the sales team to learn more about customer preferences.

Once you've gathered all that data, it's time to conduct a mock interview with someone familiar with the client.

Ask open-ended questions

These encourage the interviewee to talk and expand on their answers. For example, you can ask, "What was the biggest challenge you faced when working with X?" They might respond, "Our team didn't have much experience with a writing solution." 

You could follow up with, "How did our content writing service company help your team overcome that challenge?"

Keep records

When performing a business case study interview, recording and transcribing your conversations can be very helpful. They will work as sources and references whenever you need them.

How to format questions for your case study

Creating a solid structure for your case study questions can produce better results. 

And one of the most important things you can do when creating a case study is to ask questions that give you the information you need to make a compelling case for your service.

You'll probably get stuck in a rut and ask the same old questions, but that will not help you sell anything. You want your case studies to be tailored to your interested leads as possible, so it's necessary to make your questions more specific.

For instance, you should inquire about the client's brand, other solutions they've tried in the past, and how they feel about the outcomes. And you can only ask those questions to a brand, a person, or an organization if you are familiar with them.

What defines a solid case study question?

A good case study question should initiate a dialogue and give the subject control over the narrative. Questions should be open-ended, allowing prospects to tell their story. You must know how to make these questions relevant to your product or service.

Case studies are the most effective when you present them as a solution instead of making them your company's advertisement. It shows the audience you care about your clients, whether they are big or small businesses, and want to help them grow. It lets them know your company is concerned with customer satisfaction and long-term success.

Well-crafted case study questions send a strong message to customers at the decision stage of their buyer's journey and turn them into loyal customers.

What makes a questionnaire perfect for a case study?

One of the most important things you can do when developing a case study questionnaire is to ensure that it doesn't feel like an interrogation. The last thing you want is to let your clients feel like they are being investigated.

To avoid this, create a list of questions that sound like having a friendly conversation. You just want honest answers from them to use the information in your case study report with integrity.

The following are just a few of the key topics your questionnaire has to touch on:

• The issues the client had before selecting your service.
• Reasons they chose your company.
• How did your products solve their problems?
• The measurable outcomes of the provided solution.
• Data and metrics (if available) that demonstrate the effectiveness of your products.

Need help with showing your service's worth to your potential customers? Try our expert white paper writers . They will craft compelling papers to educate your audience about your authority in your field or the effectiveness of your services. 

The most important case study interview questions

Here we'll outline the most fundamental case study questions you should ask.

Begin with the background

When drafting case study questions, the first thing is to determine why you're doing it. Outline questions based on the primary issues you want to emphasize. 

So, what questions will allow you to explain how you solved others' problems? 

Ideally, you should ask previous clients about their company's history. It's an excellent method to introduce them to the readers. Then, begin the report by introducing the initial problems.

We'll provide a list of case study interview questions below that you can ask your clients to learn about their industry. Remember to modify them depending on the client's business and your objectives.

Give a brief description of your company and its beginnings.

The customer has the chance to describe their business at this point, including information about the company size, work environment, etc. In addition to getting helpful background information, it's a simple way to start a conversation with the client.

Who are your ideal clients?

The readers of your case study will get a better insight into their industry by knowing the target audience.

Explain your position inside the organization.

The interviewee's answer will give a better understanding of the obligations they're entitled to.

What are some of the most prevalent difficulties that firms in your industry face?

Request the subject to elaborate on this topic as much as possible. For example, they might struggle to find a service for writing high-quality content or plan an effective SEO strategy . That way, the readers can get some ideas about the topics to be discussed. 

What concerns or obstacles prompted you to seek out our product or service?

Give specific examples of these challenges. Suppose your client took professional content writing services from you to solve their issues. 

The readers should learn as much as possible about the issue since this will help them understand why others took your company's service. It will also make it easier for them to make a purchase decision.

Why was this particular problem a top priority?

If your customer has a particular problem, the readers will benefit from knowing about it. They will learn about which issues to prioritize.

How did this issue affect your business?

Explain the significant impact of the issue, so the readers become curious to seek your solutions.

What other viable solutions have you attempted in the past?

This will show readers that the customer considered alternative solutions before selecting your service.

How many people work in your company?

The client’s description will help your readers to compare their company size with the highlighted firm.

How long have you been operating your business?

From this information, your readers can evaluate if the challenges are more relevant to a fresh or starting firm or an established one.

Build your connection

The most important questions you can ask clients are about their connection with your business. Answers to these queries will give you a deep understanding of why they chose to work with you and what makes them repeat customers.

When speaking with a new client, find out what made them choose your company over others. In the case of repeat customers, ask them how they found you, the reasons to pick your content marketing service, and most importantly, what made them come back.

You can include some questions like the following:

When have you signed up as a client of ours?

The readers will feel more confident about your product's performance if they attribute a timeframe to it.

How did you discover our company?

Ask the subject about how they found your service. Was it through a referral, an online search, or a case study? It'll show that you are a dependable brand with a track record of producing outcomes.

From when have you been searching for a solution to your problem?

It will give the customers an idea about how difficult (or easy) it is to find a solution to that particular problem. 

Why did you pick our business over the main competitors?

It will answer why the client chose your product over competitors. Let them explain this point in detail because it may bring in more leads.

How was the buying procedure for our service?

The readers will get the chance to know how smooth and straightforward the purchasing procedure of your service is. This is an essential point because many customers make the buying decision based on the purchasing experience. 

How did you plan to use our product to enable the solution?

Your readers will better understand how they can use your product to solve their problems.

Allow your clients to explain your solutions

Now that you've established the primary problem and explained why your client picked your service, it's time to move into specific questions. Now you'll ask about your client's experience regarding your product. These queries will elicit the most valuable information for your target audience. 

Try to ask direct questions to create a solid case study based on those answers. That way, potential leads experiencing the same problem will consider buying your service.

How did our product solve your problem?

This is one of the most critical questions since it serves as the foundation for the case study. It will educate your audience and convince them to try your service. 

The responses are a testament that your business does an excellent job for the clients. It also gives you the ground to declare, "X firm utilized our service and accomplished Y."

Which aspects of the service you found most helpful?

The elements will help the readers understand the value of your service better.

Was this service a substitute for a similar tool you previously used?

The subject could have used other services first. If so, providing this data could influence your readers' decision-making process and convince them to select your product over competitors.

What are the benefits of choosing our company over others?

The subject should highlight the unique values they received by choosing your business over your competitors. It's crucial for persuading potential customers about the worth of your service over the competitors.

Did you get in touch with the customer support team at any point during the process?

Customers may encounter various issues when utilizing your service. User experience on customer assistance will persuade the readers that you have their back when it matters the most. 

If yes, how was our customer assistance?

Readers will feel more confident if your clients perceive your customer service helpful.

How many employees in your company utilize our brand?

Readers can assess whether your solution suits their business needs with this information.

How many teams or departments in your company use our service?

This will illustrate how far your service has spread throughout departments.

How did you feel about the configuration and implementation process?

Readers can understand how accessible your service is from your clients' experiences.

Who was engaged in the execution of our product?

This will provide readers with a better understanding of who should be engaged when using your service. 

How did the rollout go?

Find out as many details as you can regarding the rollout. We can only hope that they'll praise just how easy it was.

What kind of comments have you heard from your employees regarding our service?

If the conversation has gone well, you can anticipate positive feedback from your client's staff. So, this feedback will help you stay one step ahead of your competitors.

Define the product's advantages

Here comes the most crucial part of the interview. You'll ask the client about particular outcomes and the metrics they used to monitor the performance of your service.

How did our service handle your particular problems?

When it comes to solving issues, your clients can often better explain the contribution of your service than you.

What sort of measurable results did you observe?

Any data provided by your respondent will highlight the significance of your product.

How has your business changed since you started using our service?

Your clients now have the chance to emphasize how your solution helped them achieve their measurements and objectives.

Which metrics or KPIs did you track to see if our solution effectively resolved your issue?

It'd be best for the customer to provide as many figures and data as possible. The more, the better for you.

How did your original issue affect your business? Does the problem still exist or get fixed?

Let them comprehensively answer how the problem initially hurt their business and how your services resolved those hurdles.

What's your suggestion to other customers who’ll use our services for optimum results?

Suggestions from your existing client can play a vital role. Make sure that they specifically talk about the features of your service.

Fortify your relationship with the client

Now, we'll list questions that'll fortify your relationship with the client and make it long-lasting. 

Ask them the case study questions listed below.

Do you believe our product was beneficial for your business? How so?

This is a great question to ask at the end of a case study interview. It's an excellent way to grab the attention of your potential customers. You can ask the subject how your company offers a valuable product and service and why they think that is.

How much time does a new employee need to become familiar with our product? 

Your potential leads will know the estimated time to train a new employee to use your solution. It's good for you if a newbie can easily and quickly get up and running.

What are the reasons to recommend our service to a customer or friend?

Ensure that your client describes the aspects they’d emphasize when recommending to a customer.

Have you spoken to any of your coworkers about our product?

It’s a great opportunity to get more potential leads and a referral.

What would happen if your team didn’t use our service?

The answer will focus on the value your service provides and its importance.

What else can we do to help your company gain your objectives?

This can be helpful in terms of making sure you're giving them exactly what they want and need. It will also help with building a long-term relationship with them. 

What would it take for your company to derive the biggest return from our product?

You'll be able to provide more assistance to them through this information.

What feature of our company do you admire the most?

It’ll illustrate the value of your service in detail to the readers.

What makes you choose to work with us?

The subject is likely to talk about how professional and efficient you are. It may make the readers gain confidence in your work ethic. 

Talk about the future objectives of your client

Try to get more involved with your clients by discussing their future objectives. They know what they want, but they want assistance in obtaining it. And your relationship with them will become stronger if you demonstrate that you're prepared to go above and beyond to assist them.

How can we assist you in achieving your company's goals?

You'll learn more about how you can support your clients more effectively. 

What objectives do you have for the following three months? 

Your organization can make a particular strategy to help the clients by learning their objectives.

How can we assist you in achieving long-term objectives?

If you know your customer's specific requirements, you'll be able to provide more effective solutions.

Case studies are an effective way to market your business, one that you should plan on integrating into your marketing strategy sooner rather than later. If you want your brand to stand out amongst thousands of competitors online, we urge you to set up a case study questions campaign for your business. You'll be amazed to see traffic and leads acquired through this content. 

Are you looking to build more trust with your target audience? Let our industry-leading content writing agency help you craft the perfect case study questions to get the results you desire.

How to Boost Organic Traffic with a Strategic Content Refresh

Rebecca Hey

20 May 2024

Maximize Sales and Customer Satisfaction with Ecommerce Chatbots

Top Ecommerce SEO Best Practices to Boost Your Online Store

16 May 2024

How to Summarize Articles With AI

How to make money with AI: 6 proven ways

14 May 2024

How to outsource eCommerce content creation

How to ask effective case study questions for better results

Want to learn more from your case studies? Here's how to choose effective questions to help you gain more useful information.

Get started growing your business with a B12 website.

5 Powerful Content Marketing Case Study Interview Questions

• "To unlock the most important kernels of information during a case study interview, try adding these five key case study interview questions to your list: This question can help to identify the problems the customer faced that drove them to look for a new solution."
• "Finding out why a customer was dissatisfied with their prior solution will help to build a compelling “before and after” narrative for the case study."
• "A good follow-up question is to ask about the requirements and features the customer was looking for in a new solution."
• "Asking how they found your company will also be a good indicator of how future prospects can find you and how your ideal customer prefers to look for solutions."
• "A case study writer can transform this kind of information to make the company look like the top competitor in its market."
• "This question will help you or your writer determine exactly how the solution is being used by the customer and which areas of the business it affects most."

9 Case Study Questions You Must Ask Your Client - SkeletonVideo - Medium

• "(And you can forget the yes/no questions right now.) The result will be a customer success story that’s authentic and convincing."
• "Of course, the number of questions you ask your client will depend on how long and in-depth your case study is going to be."
• "These are 9 questions you should be asking your customer (at a minimum) to create effective case studies."
• "This kind of detail (told through your customer’s own words) will be invaluable when it comes to constructing your success story, particularly in the opening section when you need to set the scene and make your audience care about the client in question."
• "Specifics, like the way your customer uses your offering and integrates it into their business, add even more credibility to your success stories."
• "All case studies rest on the quality of the questions you ask your customer."

How to analyze a case study?

Transcript: Hello everyone welcome to the video lecture series at Watson School of Business the title of the presentation is how to analyze a case study I am dr. Pradeep rajala program director and associate professor of marketing now an interesting fact about this presentation or video is that this is the first formal lecture for walks and students so it's quite interesting that the lecture is happening even before all of you have arrived at the campus and the program has begun so in that sense this lecture will always remain in the chronicles of the school's history now what exactly is the purpose of this video I have four objectives in mind one I would like to use this opportunity to welcome all of you to walks in School of Business number two I would like to give a brief introduction to the pre-programmed docket and then start off by explaining why case study analysis is an integral part of management education number three I will take you through some of the important steps of case study analysis at a 50 thousand feet level at a pretty broad level and then finally I will end the video with some... See more →

How to Write Sexy Case Studies that Engage and Drive Results

• "This is because, when executed well, case studies can be extremely effective for driving real business impact (I’ll get to this a little later)."
• "Now that we’re clear on why case studies are important to sales and marketing efforts, let’s dive into how you can turn yours into awesome, engaging resources that get you more business by telling stories."
• "But also keep in mind… You want to make your case study interesting and tell the customer’s story from a compelling angle, but you also want to make sure it applies to your target market."
• "It also helps if the client in question has solved (using your product) many of the same problems that are common to your core target market."
• "Here is a loose framework to follow: Let’s break this down a little further: Your case study is a story, a written work of art."
• "And your job as the storyteller is to craft an engaging narrative that tells the story of how your client triumphed over the evil forces using your product or service."

How to Write a Client Case Study for Your Creative Business

• "Similar to asking your clients for a testimonial, asking for a case study can sound daunting — but it’s actually a standard practice."
• "With that in mind, it’s time to start collecting the information that will form the foundation of your case study."
• "As the person who provided the work, you may feel you have all the details to write a good case study."
• "This means something different for every business and every case study, but ultimately you’re looking for take-aways, practical advice, or a sense of revealing “how they did it” to your readers."
• "With the case study finally on paper, it’s time to get the client’s approval."
• "If you have a regular stream of new clients and you plan on making case studies part of your main marketing content, you may want to consider going with the blog instead — and be sure to add on as much value as possible."

22 Case Study Questions Every Marketer Should Ask - Joe Gillespie - Medium

• "Prospects who already know they need a solution to their problems read the case study and see how your company has helped others, thus moving these leads closer to becoming customers."
• "That said, case studies are a different animal than other inbound marketing content, such as blogs and e-books."
• "Don’t stress out: Case studies aren’t difficult if you take your time, are diligent about gathering information and writing the content, and ask the right questions."
• "And we can help with the questions: Here are 22 to ask when you are conducting interviews for your case study."
• "You might already know the answers, but ask anyway: You may get a deeper explanation from your interview subject and something quotable you can use in the case study."
• "(Note: I am using product, solution, and service interchangeably throughout these questions; simply use the term that best applies to your company during the actual interviews.) If a client has agreed to be the subject of a case study, it obviously is happy with the service you provided."

strategy to atttempt case study based questions part 1

Transcript: One of the biggest concerns of the common student these days is how to attempt the case study based questions in Business Studies I have always seen the common student looking for a magic wand which would help them in this regard so I take this opportunity to guide them along as what should be the right approach to attempting the case study based questions instead of reading the case study first read the related questions first and then start reading the case study this will help you to connect with a given case study better secondly after you have finished writing and ansel read the same question again to ensure that you have answered it completely and not list on any sub part of that question before moving on to the next question to understand this let's take a few minutes whilst it try to attempt the question given below identify the following principles of management and state any one effect of the violation party in a company there are separate departments for finance marketing and production Part B the workers and management should honor their commitment without any prejudice towards one another party there should be no discrimination... See more →

What customers & experts say

“I'm proud to work for B12 and deliver the product and service we do. Too often, individuals do not have the time or industry knowledge to build, manage, or maintain a website. In today's world, your website can be your best friend. We strive to make sure your best friend is working as best it can!”

“The entire \[B12] process felt really quick and efficient. I was able to work with them and highlight certain areas that I wanted on my website. Everything that I didn’t like was changed in a matter of seconds and minutes. It was vastly different compared to the previous team that I had hired to do my website.”

“What I appreciate most about B12 is its user-friendly interface. Not only do they build websites that look modern and great, but they’re also incredibly easy to manage and update. Whenever I have information that needs changing on my website, I can do it easily on my own.”

“B12’s AI draft dramatically reduces my time traditionally spent working on content structure. As a B12 web expert, I can focus more time on creating a beautiful website and UX that fits the customer’s content and goals.”

“If you want to sit at the head of the table, use B12. It is clear they have talented designers who are genuinely motivated to see you reach your goals.”

“I like that someone is monitoring my website every month and making suggestions for how to improve it.”

“I think it's great that B12 is watching out for me. I'm reminded to update my website and I get ideas. I like that I'm not in it alone.”

“Business owners are crazy busy. What's crazier is expecting a business owner to know how to design, maintain, direct traffic to, and update their own website. Thanks to our AI, they really don't have to. B12's AI-powered websites are powerful and we can't wait to get what we've built in front of people.”

“There's absolutely no comparison between our old website and the B12 one. Our B12 website gives us the call to actions we need and better communication tools with our patients. Since our B12 launch, we started seeing more online visitors scheduling a consultation through our website.”

“Since the launch, we’ve gotten more form submissions to inquire about our catering service and menu options. On top of that, I’ve noticed more customers who found out about us through our website before coming down to dine! The traffic we’ve realized in the short time the site has been online is very impressive.”

“B12 is amazing! You get a high-quality design for the price of DIY. It's really remarkable.”

“We pride ourselves on excellent customer service. I love how customer-centric we are, and the technology we use to speed up the website creation process has helped us to deliver professional sites in a shorter span of time.”

“It was such a pleasure to work with B12. Their technology made the web design process easy and the B12 team helped us launch a website we love! We're proud to be an investor and a client.”

“B12 was able to give us the flexibility we needed to play around with website elements while guiding us in our first attempt at building a website.”

“Designing a website in just a couple of hours is actually possible. Thanks to B12's simple-to-use website editor, I'm able to create professional designs that would normally cost thousands of dollars.”

Ready to grow your business online?

Join the tens of thousands of professionals who’ve found success with a B12 website, SEO, blogging, and more!

Product Manager Case Study Questions Explained

Product management case studies are an integral part of the interview process for aspiring product managers. They evaluate analytical thinking, problem-solving abilities, and strategic decision-making skills.

Understanding the Role of Case Studies in Product Management

Case studies assess how well a candidate can understand ambiguous business situations and provide data-driven recommendations. They test competencies like:

• Market analysis
• Competitive benchmarking
• Product positioning
• Go-to-market strategy

Recruiters use case studies to gauge if a product manager can structure nebulous problems and drive product direction strategically.

Product manager case study questions typically present real-world scenarios like new product development, feature prioritization, pricing strategy, etc.

The Goals of Product Management Case Studies

The goals behind case study evaluations are:

• Evaluate analytical abilities
• Assess problem-solving approach
• Test strategic thinking
• Benchmark communications skills
• Gauge leadership principles

The case study framework is designed to simulate the responsibilities and challenges faced by product managers daily.

Overview of the Product Management Case Study Framework

The standard product management case study framework follows this structure:

• Company background
• Product background
• Business challenge or opportunity
• Market dynamics
• Competitor benchmarking
• Questions on product strategy

The questions asked aim to assess the thought process and problem-solving skills of candidates. There are no definitively right or wrong answers.

Product Manager Case Study Presentation Essentials

An effective Product Manager case study presentation should clearly communicate:

• Findings from quantitative and qualitative analyses
• Fact-based recommendations
• Data-driven strategic plan
• Proposed success metrics

Focus on showcasing the analytical approach over final recommendations. Demonstrate how you structured the problem and aligned solutions to company goals.

How do you answer a case study question for a product manager?

When answering a case study question as a product manager candidate, it's important to demonstrate both your strategic thinking and your ability to execute tactically. Here are some tips:

Focus on achieving tangible outcomes

• Clearly define the goal or objective you are trying to achieve from the case study
• Outline 2-3 key metrics that would indicate success in meeting that goal
• Provide specific examples of tangible outcomes you would aim to deliver

Describe your step-by-step process

• Product management case study framework: Outline the framework or methodology you would follow to approach the problem
• Explain the step-by-step process you would take to understand the users, analyze data, ideate solutions, prioritize, etc.
• Product manager case study templates: You may reference or adapt standard PM frameworks like Opportunity Solution Tree or PRD templates

Demonstrate your PM skills

• Explain how you would apply essential PM skills like user research, market analysis, prioritization, roadmapping, etc.
• Provide examples of qualitative or quantitative analysis you might conduct
• Describe how you would collaborate with various functions like design, engineering, etc.

Structure your response

• Organize your answer clearly around goals, process, and skills/expertise
• Product Manager case study presentation: Use a simple structure of defining the objective, outlining your approach, and stating your deliverables

Following this kind of framework can demonstrate both strategic alignment and tactical planning abilities needed in product management. Referencing PM methodologies and showing your core competencies can further strengthen your case study performance.

What questions should I ask for a case study?

When preparing a case study as a product manager , it's important to ask the right questions to fully understand the client's needs and challenges. Here are some key questions to ask:

CASE STUDY QUESTIONS TO ASK THE CLIENT

• Can you give a brief description of your company? This provides context on the client's industry, size, goals, etc.
• How did you first hear about our service? This gives insight into what piqued their interest.
• What challenges/problems necessitated a change? This reveals the pain points they aimed to solve.
• What trends in your industry drove the need to use our product? This highlights external factors influencing their decision.
• What were you looking for in a solution? This clarifies the must-have capabilities they required.

Additional questions could cover budget constraints, decision makers involved, specific features needed, and measurable goals hoped to be achieved.

Asking thoughtful questions lays the groundwork for crafting a compelling case study showcasing how your product uniquely solved the client's problems. It also enables tailoring the content to resonate with prospects in similar situations.

What does a product manager case study look like?

A product management case study typically examines a specific product and analyzes how it was developed, launched, and iterated on over time. Case studies aim to uncover key learnings that can be applied to other products.

Here are some common elements of a PM case study:

Problem Definition

• Identifies the specific user need or business goal the product aimed to address
• Provides context on the target market, competition, and other environmental factors

Solution Approach

• Explains the product's core features and functionality
• Details the technology stack and architecture
• Describes the overall product strategy and positioning

Execution and Iteration

• Traces the product development timeline and process
• Analyzes how the product changed over time based on user feedback and data
• Examines pricing, promotion, and distribution strategies

Outcomes and Metrics

• Reviews usage metrics, conversion rates, revenue, etc.
• Discusses qualitative feedback from users and customers
• Determines if business and user goals were achieved

Key Takeaways

• Summarizes the main lessons learned and best practices
• Provides advice for other PMs working on similar products

By studying these elements, product managers can better understand what works well and what doesn't for a given product category or business model. Case studies are a valuable resource for continuous PM learning and improvement.

What is the best questions to ask a product manager?

When interviewing a product manager or trying to understand their role better, asking strategic questions can provide useful insights. Here are some recommended questions:

What is the strategic vision for this product?

This open-ended question allows the product manager to explain the long-term vision and goals for the product they manage. It gives insight into the product's purpose and intended value.

How do you develop your product roadmap?

By understanding their process for building product roadmaps, you learn how they prioritize features and initiatives. This sheds light on how they balance business goals, customer needs, and technical constraints.

How does product management work with executive leadership?

Learning about the relationship between product management and company executives shows how aligned product strategy is with broader business objectives. It also demonstrates the level of executive support and autonomy product has.

Product manager case study questions like these help assess strengths in strategic thinking, customer orientation, and cross-functional collaboration. Tailor additional questions to understand the context of their role and products better. The more you can learn about their real-world experiences, the better sense you have of their competencies.

Dissecting Product Management Case Study Questions

This section delves into the types of questions that surface in product management case studies, with a focus on product design and strategy.

Probing into Product Design Questions

Product design questions aim to assess a candidate's ability to design user-centric products while considering various constraints. Some examples include:

• How would you design an app for grocery delivery that provides the best user experience? Consider factors like ease of use, personalization, and order tracking.
• Design a ride sharing app while optimizing for driver supply, customer demand prediction, pricing strategy, and minimizing wait times.
• Suggest ways to improve the user onboarding flow for a food delivery app to drive higher user retention.

These questions evaluate how well you can empathize with users, identify pain points in existing solutions, and devise elegant yet practical product enhancements. Strong answers demonstrate user-centric thinking balanced with business objectives.

Strategizing with Product Strategy Questions

Product strategy questions test your ability to make decisions from a broader business context. Some examples:

• As a PM for an e-commerce company, would you build a mobile app or focus on improving the mobile web experience? Consider factors like development costs, user engagement, and revenue goals.
• A music streaming startup is struggling with customer churn. How would you identify reasons for churn and formulate strategies to improve retention?
• A grocery delivery provider is looking to expand into a new city. Outline your market entry strategy while considering competition, operational costs, targeting customer segments etc.

These questions expect you to flex your analytical and strategic thinking muscles. Great answers weigh tradeoffs between multiple factors and craft a sound overarching strategy.

Navigating Product Roadmap Challenges

You may also encounter questions that deal with prioritizing features and planning effective roadmaps:

• As a PM for a budgeting app, outline how you would prioritize building features like transaction tagging, debt management, investing tools etc. Consider factors like customer requests, development effort, and business impact.
• A software company wants to expand from only web-based products to also building mobile apps. How would you structure the product roadmap to support this transition?
• Construct an 18 month roadmap for a media subscription service, outlining key initiatives across content licensing, personalization, payments etc. How would you sequence priorities?

Strong responses demonstrate the ability to make tough product tradeoffs, sequence priorities, and craft realistic roadmaps to achieve business goals.

Mastering Product Launch Scenario Questions

Finally, some case studies present scenarios around planning and executing a successful product launch:

• You are launching a new crypto exchange product. Outline the launch strategy and post-launch metrics you would track to measure success.
• A startup is preparing to unveil a smart assistant device for the home. Construct a pre-launch plan covering marketing campaigns, partnerships, distribution channels and launch events.
• An insurer is introducing an app to allow customers to manage policies and file claims. Design a rollout plan highlighting early access users, press outreach, and customer onboarding flows.

Expect questions probing your understanding of launch best practices across marketing, partnerships, tech readiness and adoption measurement.

Exploring Product Manager Case Study Templates

Product management case studies are an integral part of the interview process for product manager roles. They assess a candidate's ability to analyze data, prioritize features, and develop product strategies. Having a structured framework when approaching case studies can help candidates demonstrate their skills more effectively.

This section introduces templates that can guide product managers through various types of case studies.

Market Analysis and Entry Strategy Template

When entering a new market, it's critical to deeply understand customer needs, competitive landscape, market trends and dynamics. This template provides a methodical approach:

• Customer analysis: Map target customer segments and develop buyer personas. Identify their needs, pain points and jobs-to-be-done. Quantify market size of each segment.
• Competitive analysis: Identify direct and indirect competitors. Analyze their product offerings, business models and go-to-market strategies. Pinpoint competitive advantages and disadvantages.
• Market analysis: Evaluate market trends, growth drivers, industry lifecycle stage, regulations and other dynamics. Determine market accessibility and expansion potential.
• Entry strategy: Define market entry plan based on above analyses - ideal customer segment(s) to target initially, product positioning and MVP feature set, pricing models, distribution channels and partnership opportunities. Outline expansion strategy.

Following this standardized template ensures thorough evaluation of the market opportunity and development of a tailored entry approach.

Product manager case study questions around new market entry often focus on quantifying the market, analyzing the competitive landscape, identifying the beachhead segment, and formulating the initial go-to-market strategy.

Product Roadmap Prioritization Framework

Determining what initiatives and features to build next is crucial for product success. This framework helps structure the prioritization process:

• Gather inputs: Compile inputs from customer research, user interviews, support tickets, sales requests, market analysis and internal stakeholders.
• Define evaluation criteria: Identify criteria like business value, user value, level of effort, dependencies and risks. Assign weights to each.
• Score roadmap items: Tally scores for each initiative based on the defined criteria to allow comparison.
• High-level sequencing: Group scored items into broader themes and high-level releases. Order these releases based on overarching priorities.
• Granular prioritization: Prioritize individual features within each release based on scores. Consider dependencies.

This data-driven approach brings rigor to product manager case study questions around roadmap prioritization. It's more defensible than gut feel and can facilitate alignment across the organization.

Comprehensive Product Launch Plan Template

Successfully launching a new product requires coordinating many complex, interdependent activities across teams. This template can help structure an effective, detailed launch plan:

• Pre-launch: Finalize positioning and messaging, create launch assets, drive buzz through influencer campaigns, optimize conversion funnels.
• Launch: Unveil product on launch date, drive traffic to website/app through advertising and PR, activate referral programs.
• Post-launch: Closely monitor KPIs like activations, retention, engagement, satisfaction. Address issues immediately through rapid iteration. Develop customer success processes.
• Expansion: Plan for incremental feature releases to expand value proposition. Pursue additional customer segments, partnerships and geographies. Ramp up marketing and sales.

Thoughtfully outlining all launch activities makes product introduction smooth and impactful. Product Manager case study presentation questions on new product launches evaluate this level of planning rigor.

Innovation and Pivot Strategy Framework

When products fail to achieve product-market fit, product managers may need to rethink strategy. This framework can help determine next steps:

• Diagnosis: Thoroughly analyze customer segments, their engagement, feedback and market success indicators. Identify issues.
• Ideate solutions: Brainstorm innovative ideas and pivots to address problems through new technologies, business models or market approaches.
• Market analysis: Gauge market demand for proposed solutions. Evaluate technical and business feasibility.
• Decision: Determine whether to persevere with small tweaks, make minor pivots in current product or business model, or perform major reworks or re-launches.

This structure brings strategic clarity to questions on Product Strategy and innovation during Product Management Case Studies.

Following standardized frameworks and templates allows showcasing analytical abilities and structured thinking - critical skills assessed in product manager case study interviews through open-ended Sample Questions. With practice, these templates can be adapted to various case contexts.

Real-World Product Management Case Studies with Sample Questions

Product management case studies aim to simulate real-world scenarios a PM may face. Reviewing examples helps prepare for interviews and day-to-day work. Here are some common case study prompts with analysis.

Sample Question: Entering the Rideshare Market

A case study may present a scenario like:

"A startup called DriveFast wants to enter the competitive rideshare market with a differentiated offering. As the PM, put together a strategic plan, including challenges, solutions, key metrics, and a rollout timeline."

This requires developing a comprehensive go-to-market strategy. Considerations may include:

• Understanding rider and driver needs to identify gaps in existing offerings
• Brainstorming features like scheduling, vehicle types, loyalty programs
• Analyzing market data to forecast demand and growth
• Evaluating operational costs and pricing models
• Setting targets for key metrics like ride volume, customer acquisition cost
• Building marketing and incentive campaigns to attract early adopters

The response should showcase analytical thinking and strategic planning skills relevant for product leadership roles.

Sample Question: Prioritizing a Social Media Platform's Features

A sample case could be:

"A new social media site for teens is gaining traction but has limited engineering bandwidth. As the PM, prioritize these potential features: stories, events, profiles, messaging, analytics."

This tests the ability to make data-driven decisions about feature development and sequencing. The PM would likely:

• Consider metrics showing current site usage and growth trends
• Weigh differentiators compared to competitive sites teenagers use
• Map out user workflows and identify friction points
• Talk to teen users directly to validate needs
• Develop evaluation criteria like engagement, retention, and sharing
• Use techniques like weighted scoring to prioritize feature roadmap

The process demonstrates user empathy, analytical thinking, and product strategy skills.

Sample Question: Launching a Wearable Tech Product

A wearable tech case study may ask:

"Your startup is preparing to launch a new fitness wearable called FitNow. Develop a go-to-market strategy including positioning, pricing, promotion and distribution."

This evaluates bringing an early-stage hardware product to market. The strategy may cover:

• Conducting user studies to validate product-market fit
• Identifying customer segments and use cases to focus positioning
• Competitive analysis against similar wearables
• Developing pricing tiers and discounts for early buyers
• Securing retail partnerships for distribution
• Creating a targeted launch campaign with influencers

Success depends on understanding user needs, evaluating market dynamics, and planning effective commercialization.

Sample Question: Developing a Product Innovation Strategy

Some cases challenge developing new solutions, like:

"Your building products company wants to rapidly innovate and stay ahead of commoditization trends in the market. How would you maintain differentiation?"

This aims to assess strategic thinking and creativity. The PM may propose ideas like:

• Exploring adjacent spaces like IoT-connected buildings
• Launching industry or region specific product lines
• Leveraging data and analytics to offer insights as a service
• Building a modular platform for rapid customization
• Creating sustainable construction products
• Implementing an innovation lab for ongoing R&D

Top candidates can connect innovation to business impact and articulate a compelling vision.

These examples illustrate common scenarios and considerations evaluated in PM case studies, helping prepare for interviews. Tailoring responses using actual product experience can showcase leadership potential.

Preparing for the Product Manager Case Study Interview

Adopting a product management case study framework.

When preparing for a product manager case study interview, it is important to have a structured framework to approach the business case or product design challenge. A framework provides guidance on the key areas to cover and helps ensure a comprehensive analysis.

Some popular frameworks include:

• Opportunity Assessment : Evaluates market size, competition, customer needs and product positioning.
• MECE (Mutually Exclusive and Collectively Exhaustive) : Breaks down a problem into distinct components that cover all aspects.
• RICE (Reach, Impact, Confidence, Effort) : Prioritizes potential solutions based on key factors.
• AARRR (Acquisition, Activation, Retention, Referral, Revenue) : Focuses on core funnel metrics.

I would recommend developing experience with 2-3 frameworks so you have different lenses to evaluate product problems. Practice applying the frameworks to sample case studies to get comfortable. Having a reliable framework reduces anxiety and builds structure into your analysis.

Effective Communication of Your Strategic Approach

How you present your case study analysis is as important as the substance itself. Interviewers want to understand your thought process and strategic rationale.

• Verbalize your framework out loud so the interviewer follows your thinking
• Use whiteboarding to map out key factors and relationships
• Present 2-3 options with pros/cons instead of just one solution
• Tailor communication to audience - emphasize business impact
• Practice explaining analysis clearly and concisely

The goal is to showcase your structured problem-solving approach and ability to translate analysis into compelling recommendations.

Time Management Techniques for Case Study Success

With case study interviews often lasting 45 minutes or less, time management is critical. Avoid getting bogged down analyzing market research or financials.

Some strategies:

• Agree on problem framing upfront
• Set a timer on your phone to pace yourself
• Spend more time on strategy and solutions vs. data analysis
• Practice case studies with a timer to improve efficiency

If you have extra time, highlight additional analyses you would conduct given more time or propose experiments to validate assumptions. Proactively managing pace demonstrates preparedness.

Practice with Realistic Product Manager Case Study Templates

The best preparation for case study interviews is to practice with examples that resemble real PM case studies. Overly simplistic or unrealistic cases have limited training value.

Look for practice cases that provide:

• Relevant customer and market context
• Data on adoption, usage, churn
• Competitor profiles and benchmarking
• Open-ended strategic questions

Practice presenting analyses and recommendations out loud. Refine based on feedback. Quality practice with realistic templates builds muscle memory for the actual case study interview.

Conclusion: Mastering Product Management Case Studies

Recap of product manager case study essentials.

Preparing for product management case study interviews requires understanding the fundamentals. Here are some key things to keep in mind:

• Know the product manager frameworks : Frameworks like Opportunity Assessment, PRD, and others provide structure for analyzing case studies systematically. Familiarize yourself with a few core frameworks.
• Practice case studies extensively : Solving diverse case studies is the best preparation. Look for case studies online or get help building a library to practice with. Review solutions to refine your approach.
• Structure your thinking : Outline the key issues, product goals, user needs - before diving into solutions. Structured thinking clarifies the problem space.
• Show your working : Explain your step-by-step thought process while solving the case. The interviewer wants insights into your analytical abilities.
• Back up ideas with data : Use market research, user data, or financial projections to validate ideas. Concrete data lends credibility.

With practice, these core strategies will help tackle case study questions confidently.

Final Thoughts on Utilizing Product Management Case Study Frameworks

Frameworks provide the scaffolding to methodically break down and solve case study problems. They enable structured thinking about product opportunities, tradeoffs, and decisions.

While no framework fits every case, having a few committed to memory - like Opportunity Assessment, PRD, and Growth - equips you with analytical tools for common product scenarios.

Rather than relying on generic frameworks, adapt them to the case context for optimal relevance. Customize frameworks to the product stage, user needs, and goals highlighted in the case prompt.

As important as frameworks are, avoid plugging in ideas mechanically without explaining the underlying reasoning. Illustrate your thought process with the frameworks as guides, not rigid templates.

With an adaptable, customized approach, product management case study frameworks unlock strategic thinking to drive impactful solutions.

Latest Posts

This article will explore how product management side projects can catalyze professional development by allowing you to experiment with new methodologies and enhance your skillset.

This comprehensive guide promises to equip you with a structured approach to tackling product case studies. You'll gain frameworks to methodically analyze prompts and craft insightful solutions.

Through real-world application, valuable feedback, and community engagement with groups like The Product Folks, PMs can significantly accelerate their skill development and expertise in the dynamic field of product management.

Come For the Content ‍ Stay For the Community

Unkover your competitors’ Marketing Secrets

Say goodbye to wasting hours on competitor analysis by equipping your team with an AI-driven, always-on competitive intelligence platform. 

Join now to lock in an exclusive 50% lifetime discount

Stay Ahead with AI-DRIVEN Competitive Intelligence

Always-on competitive intelligence team

Unkover is your AI-driven Competitive Intelligence team delivering critical updates about your competitors the moment they happen:

• Relevant Page Changes
• New Funding Rounds
• Customer reviews
• Press mentions
• Acquisitions & Exits
• SEO gaps & opportunities

Track your competitors website changes

Keep tabs on your competitors key pages

Why spend all day stalking the competition when you don’t have to?

With Unkover, you’ll know instantly when your competitors tweak their messaging or shake up their pricing. No more endless scrolling through their sites or second-guessing your strategies.

Let us do the heavy lifting for you, ensuring you’re always in the loop by notifying you the moment a critical change happens on your competitor’s pages.

Sit back, relax, and keep winning—Unkover makes sure you’re not just in the game, you’re always a step ahead.

Read your competitors emails

Get competitor insights directly from the source

Companies love updating their customers and prospects about relevant news, product updates, and special offers.

That juicy info from your competitors? It’s yours too. Unkover will automatically capture all their emails and bring them right to your doorstep—accessible to your entire team, anytime.

[COMING SOON: Our fine-tuned AI will sift through these emails, extract key information and send them over to the best team within your org. Less noise, more signal!]

There’s no use in gathering intelligence unless it’s actionable!

We hear you! Unkover’s goal is not to flood you with tons of data points that no one in your team will ever read. We gather competitive intelligence from thousands of data sources and use AI to highlight actionable information to the right team in your company.

Say goodbye to noise. We’re 100% signal.

A sneak peek into what’s coming

We’re excited to get Unkover in your hands as soon as possible and keep building the best competitive intelligence tool with your precious feedback. The roadmap for the next few months is already exciting, so take a look!

While we build and deliver, here’s our promise to you: as an early tester and customer, you’ll lock in an exclusive bargain price we’ll never offer again in the future.

Marketing Hub

Spy on your competitors’ full marketing strategy: social, ads, content marketing, email flows, and more.

Track competitive Win/Loss analysis and build battle cards. Get alerted at every pricing change.

Product Hub

Get immediate alerts when competitors announce new features or major releases. Identify strengths and weaknesses from online reviews.

Integrations

Get the competitive intelligence you need where you need it: Slack, eMail, MS Teams, Salesforce, Hubspot, Pipedrive and more.

slack integration

Never miss a beat

Unkover’s Slack integration lets you keep your whole team up to speed with your competitors’ updates.

Choose your plan

Join now to lock in an exclusive 50% lifetime discount

For startups and small teams, it’s the essential toolkit you need to keep an eye on a select few competitors.

Up to 5 competitors

50 pages monitored

10 email workflows

3-day data refresh

50% discount

Billed annually

Professional

For growing businesses, it allows you to monitor more competitors, pages, and email workflows.

Up to 10 competitors

100 pages monitored

20 email workflows

1-day data refresh

For large companies, it is tailored to meet the needs of multiple teams needing granular insights.

Custom number of competitors

Custom number of pages monitored

Custom number of email workflows

Hourly data refresh

Custom price

Billed monthly

14 Best Case Study Questions to Ask Your Top Customers

If you want to show interested leads that you can put your money where your mouth is, case studies are a good way to go. They’re a valuable form of content that can even be used as lead magnets under the right conditions, and they have a singular purpose: To show how your clients achieved specific, significant results with your product or service. 

Knowing how to write a great case study is an important part of success, but there’s a part of the process that comes before that: Knowing which questions to ask, which you’ll determine when you’re preparing for a case study interview. 

The questions you ask can make the difference between a case study that feels like it’s been churned out by a low-quality AI machine compared to one that feels actionable, engaging, and high-stakes to your readers. 

In this post, we’re going to go over the 14 best case study questions to ask, along with discussing some tips to improve the results you’ll get. 

How to Structure Your Case Study Questions

Before we dive in, we want to talk about how to structure your questions in the interview.

In this post specifically, we’re going to look at individual questions you should ask around pointed topics, like about the client’s brand, solutions they’ve tried already, and their results. 

It’s best to stick close to the progression outlined here because it will give you the basic information you need at every level of the case study interview . You can’t ask what solutions they’ve tried before when you don’t even understand their brands’ needs. 

And keep in mind that when you’re asking users to provide specific information about a topic up front, they’ll often reference it later, strengthening the overall case study and sometimes encouraging them to share information they may not have thought to share otherwise. 

That being said, let’s go ahead and start to dive in to the best case study questions you should ask. 

Questions About Their Brand 

The best case studies will have some information about the brand they’re featuring and not just about how the brand uses their product. Information about the brand size, industry, and unique selling propositions (USPs ) can all play a valuable part in building a strong case study. 

These are a few important case study questions to consider asking about branding: 

1. Can you tell us a little bit about your brand? 

This is a great way to start the interview off strong. Ask the client to tell you about the brand, plain and simple. See what they have to say; they may share information about their product or service, how they fit into their industry, what differentiates them, and more. 

Leaving this first question relatively vague and open-ended helps them feel more comfortable while giving you some good ideas for where to go. 

If they’re stumped, ask them to provide a brief description of what their company does.

2. Can you tell me about your business’s structure, including industry, company size, or years in business? 

While this may feel technical, it can be exceptionally valuable to readers of the case study to help them relate or get a good understanding of who is using your products. 

3. An industry-relevant question 

SaaS tools that help with ad management may ask clients about their total monthly ad spend, for example. An eco-friendly company may ask clients what their “green goals” are or their previous carbon emissions. 

Think about what would benefit you to have in the case study, and ask it here if possible. 

Questions About Their Challenge & Pain Points 

We know that all great case studies will highlight the challenges that clients have before finding your product or service as their solution, exacerbated by key pain points. 

It’s so important to get enough information that these challenges feel real and significant in the case study; if you neglect to explain why a challenge was an actual obstacle, it can come across as seeming trivial. That can make your solution seem trivial, too.

These are the best case study questions to ask for this stage of the interview.   

4. What were the challenges you needed to solve before finding our product? 

This is a specific, pointed question, which helps make it effective. 

If I ask my content marketing clients this question, for example, they might say, “we didn’t know how to create content that ranked well” or “we needed help creating content at scale.” 

You can dive deeper by asking pointed questions about their key problems, which brings us to the next question. 

5. Why did this challenge have such a significant impact on your business?

This is the golden ticket right here, because it’s about pain points. 

Say you’re selling marketing services, and the client’s challenge is that they wanted help with lead generation . 

The pain points of “organic channels were too slow in driving customer acquisition, and our churn rates were eviscerating our client numbers” or “we tried to run ads ourselves but ended up losing hundreds of dollars to no avail.” 

Wasted money. Bleeding clients. Too-slow organic channels. These are pain points that make the case study feel real, and that other customers will connect to.  

6. What other solutions had you tried before and why didn’t they work? 

While it’s best to skip out on trash-talking competitors in the case study, asking this question during the interview can give you valuable context and a lot to work with. 

If, for example, I’m a weight loss coach, my clients may have tried the keto diet and Weight Watchers to no avail. Knowing that the keto diet made them feel queasy and that they found the point-tracking Weight Watchers to be too much work can be useful information for the study, even if you don’t ever name the alternatives.

These are pain points in their own right, and can be utilized like the following: 

 “The client had tried different solutions before but found that the diets either made them sick or were too much work to maintain.” It positions your solution to be the winning option. 

9 Winning Strategies for Aligning Sales and Marketing

B2B buyers want specialized attention, salespeople they can trust, and an easy buying process. Aligning…

Accessibility-Focused A/B Testing: 6 Strategies To Improve Inclusive B2B Campaigns

Did you know that 15% of the world’s population experience some form of disability in…

How To Integrate AI In Digital Marketing: 7 Tips For A Better Performance With AI

Most people have heard the buzz about artificial intelligence (AI) and the incredible feats it…

Questions About How They Discovered You 

While it may seem irrelevant, information about how customers discovered you and why they decided to work with you can actually become compelling parts of a case study— even if only mentioned in brief. 

Here’s an example of how you can use this information in the case study: 

“We found Breadcrumbs after our business partner mentioned it to us, and after reading about their easy-to-use interface and accessible lead scoring , we decided to give it a try.” 

You’ve got social proof (business partner referred them) and a promo for a unique feature that made them convert. 

Here are the case study questions you can ask to get this information:

7. How did you find out about our brand? 

It’s a simple question, and it will likely be a simple answer. Nice and easy. 

8. What made you decide to try our product over other solutions? 

This essentially gets the customer to sell your product back to you, which is phenomenal. And someone reading the case study might think, “They’re right; I’ve also looked for a lead scoring tool with a great interface, I’d try that.” 

Questions About How They Used The Product or Service 

This will likely be one of the meatier parts of the case study interview because this is where some of the actionable information comes into play. How did your clients use your product or service, what steps did they take, and how can others use this to replicate the eventual results we’ll discover? 

These are the case study questions to ask: 

9. Which specific products and product features did your team use? 

Say you’re selling invoicing software to small businesses. Not all clients will use every feature.

Graphic designers, for example, may take advantage of project estimates for upfront deposits more than a copywriter who only works for flat fees. That copywriter, however, might be more likely to use invoice templates for retainer clients or automated billing features. 

Ask about the products and services the team used. 

10. How did your team use our products and services to meet their needs? 

You know what products or services were used, but now it’s time to ask how they were used.

Project estimates, for example, allowed graphic designers to send more professional-looking invoices to clients, who could pay upfront deposits through credit card, check, or bank deposit. This helped that designer weed out clients who had no intention of paying and gave them the funds they needed to secure the supplies to begin working.

And for the copywriter who used automated billing, it saved her an exceptional amount of time and ensured she got paid on time because she sent those invoices on time. 

11. How was your experience? 

Was the SaaS tool user-friendly? Did your clients take advantage of a free demo program or the option to have an account manager get their entire account up and running?

Ask about their specific transition process using the tool and what made the experience a more positive one. 

Questions About Their Results 

Last but not least… the results. Believe it or not, some case studies skip this part of the interview, but you definitely want to include hard, quantifiable data in as many case studies as possible. 

12. What end results did you get after using our product? 

Ask for the results your clients achieved. If they’re comfortable sharing the information, ask for KPIs. 

How did using our social media marketing software increase message response rates? 

How did our marketing service improve lead generation efforts, and customer acquisition costs? 

How did our lead scoring software reduce the contact-to-close period for leads or increase the overall financial value of leads acquired? 

Be as specific as the client will allow. The more definitive the data you can share, the better. 

13. What impact did these results have on your business? 

While this may seem self-explanatory, this is a great final question that again helps the impact of your product or service really stand out.

We saw customer satisfaction increase and sales go up by about 15% by improving message response rates on social media. 

Or, by getting more leads at lower costs, our business was able to reinvest those accelerated profits into additional campaigns to scale exponentially at an unprecedented rate, and now we’re opening two new branches. 

This can be a combination of data-focused or story-driven impacts. Either (or both!) works well. 

14. Is there anything else we should know? 

Anything else you want to share? This is a short but powerful question, and while some clients will say, “nope, that’s it,” you may be surprised what some other people share with you. 

There may be something they’ve been excited to talk about that hasn’t come up in the questions yet, or something may pop into mind to elaborate on something you’d discussed earlier.

Give them the floor, and see what they have to say. 

Final Thoughts 

If you’re going to take the time needed to conduct and write up a case study (both your own time and the client’s), you want to get it right. Coming prepared with a list of strong case study questions can help you create content that will be highly effective at generating leads and converting customers for a long time to come. 

Want to speed up the lead conversion funnel with lead scoring software? Create a Breadcrumbs account for free here ! 

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Assignments

• Annotated Bibliography
• Analyzing a Scholarly Journal Article
• Group Presentations
• Dealing with Nervousness
• Using Visual Aids
• Grading Someone Else's Paper
• Types of Structured Group Activities
• Group Project Survival Skills
• Leading a Class Discussion
• Multiple Book Review Essay
• Reviewing Collected Works
• Writing a Case Analysis Paper
• Writing a Case Study
• About Informed Consent
• Writing Field Notes
• Writing a Policy Memo
• Writing a Reflective Paper
• Writing a Research Proposal
• Generative AI and Writing
• Acknowledgments

A case study research paper examines a person, place, event, condition, phenomenon, or other type of subject of analysis in order to extrapolate  key themes and results that help predict future trends, illuminate previously hidden issues that can be applied to practice, and/or provide a means for understanding an important research problem with greater clarity. A case study research paper usually examines a single subject of analysis, but case study papers can also be designed as a comparative investigation that shows relationships between two or more subjects. The methods used to study a case can rest within a quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-method investigative paradigm.

Case Studies. Writing@CSU. Colorado State University; Mills, Albert J. , Gabrielle Durepos, and Eiden Wiebe, editors. Encyclopedia of Case Study Research . Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, 2010 ; “What is a Case Study?” In Swanborn, Peter G. Case Study Research: What, Why and How? London: SAGE, 2010.

How to Approach Writing a Case Study Research Paper

General information about how to choose a topic to investigate can be found under the " Choosing a Research Problem " tab in the Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper writing guide. Review this page because it may help you identify a subject of analysis that can be investigated using a case study design.

However, identifying a case to investigate involves more than choosing the research problem . A case study encompasses a problem contextualized around the application of in-depth analysis, interpretation, and discussion, often resulting in specific recommendations for action or for improving existing conditions. As Seawright and Gerring note, practical considerations such as time and access to information can influence case selection, but these issues should not be the sole factors used in describing the methodological justification for identifying a particular case to study. Given this, selecting a case includes considering the following:

• The case represents an unusual or atypical example of a research problem that requires more in-depth analysis? Cases often represent a topic that rests on the fringes of prior investigations because the case may provide new ways of understanding the research problem. For example, if the research problem is to identify strategies to improve policies that support girl's access to secondary education in predominantly Muslim nations, you could consider using Azerbaijan as a case study rather than selecting a more obvious nation in the Middle East. Doing so may reveal important new insights into recommending how governments in other predominantly Muslim nations can formulate policies that support improved access to education for girls.
• The case provides important insight or illuminate a previously hidden problem? In-depth analysis of a case can be based on the hypothesis that the case study will reveal trends or issues that have not been exposed in prior research or will reveal new and important implications for practice. For example, anecdotal evidence may suggest drug use among homeless veterans is related to their patterns of travel throughout the day. Assuming prior studies have not looked at individual travel choices as a way to study access to illicit drug use, a case study that observes a homeless veteran could reveal how issues of personal mobility choices facilitate regular access to illicit drugs. Note that it is important to conduct a thorough literature review to ensure that your assumption about the need to reveal new insights or previously hidden problems is valid and evidence-based.
• The case challenges and offers a counter-point to prevailing assumptions? Over time, research on any given topic can fall into a trap of developing assumptions based on outdated studies that are still applied to new or changing conditions or the idea that something should simply be accepted as "common sense," even though the issue has not been thoroughly tested in current practice. A case study analysis may offer an opportunity to gather evidence that challenges prevailing assumptions about a research problem and provide a new set of recommendations applied to practice that have not been tested previously. For example, perhaps there has been a long practice among scholars to apply a particular theory in explaining the relationship between two subjects of analysis. Your case could challenge this assumption by applying an innovative theoretical framework [perhaps borrowed from another discipline] to explore whether this approach offers new ways of understanding the research problem. Taking a contrarian stance is one of the most important ways that new knowledge and understanding develops from existing literature.
• The case provides an opportunity to pursue action leading to the resolution of a problem? Another way to think about choosing a case to study is to consider how the results from investigating a particular case may result in findings that reveal ways in which to resolve an existing or emerging problem. For example, studying the case of an unforeseen incident, such as a fatal accident at a railroad crossing, can reveal hidden issues that could be applied to preventative measures that contribute to reducing the chance of accidents in the future. In this example, a case study investigating the accident could lead to a better understanding of where to strategically locate additional signals at other railroad crossings so as to better warn drivers of an approaching train, particularly when visibility is hindered by heavy rain, fog, or at night.
• The case offers a new direction in future research? A case study can be used as a tool for an exploratory investigation that highlights the need for further research about the problem. A case can be used when there are few studies that help predict an outcome or that establish a clear understanding about how best to proceed in addressing a problem. For example, after conducting a thorough literature review [very important!], you discover that little research exists showing the ways in which women contribute to promoting water conservation in rural communities of east central Africa. A case study of how women contribute to saving water in a rural village of Uganda can lay the foundation for understanding the need for more thorough research that documents how women in their roles as cooks and family caregivers think about water as a valuable resource within their community. This example of a case study could also point to the need for scholars to build new theoretical frameworks around the topic [e.g., applying feminist theories of work and family to the issue of water conservation].

Eisenhardt, Kathleen M. “Building Theories from Case Study Research.” Academy of Management Review 14 (October 1989): 532-550; Emmel, Nick. Sampling and Choosing Cases in Qualitative Research: A Realist Approach . Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, 2013; Gerring, John. “What Is a Case Study and What Is It Good for?” American Political Science Review 98 (May 2004): 341-354; Mills, Albert J. , Gabrielle Durepos, and Eiden Wiebe, editors. Encyclopedia of Case Study Research . Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, 2010; Seawright, Jason and John Gerring. "Case Selection Techniques in Case Study Research." Political Research Quarterly 61 (June 2008): 294-308.

Structure and Writing Style

The purpose of a paper in the social sciences designed around a case study is to thoroughly investigate a subject of analysis in order to reveal a new understanding about the research problem and, in so doing, contributing new knowledge to what is already known from previous studies. In applied social sciences disciplines [e.g., education, social work, public administration, etc.], case studies may also be used to reveal best practices, highlight key programs, or investigate interesting aspects of professional work.

In general, the structure of a case study research paper is not all that different from a standard college-level research paper. However, there are subtle differences you should be aware of. Here are the key elements to organizing and writing a case study research paper.

I.  Introduction

As with any research paper, your introduction should serve as a roadmap for your readers to ascertain the scope and purpose of your study . The introduction to a case study research paper, however, should not only describe the research problem and its significance, but you should also succinctly describe why the case is being used and how it relates to addressing the problem. The two elements should be linked. With this in mind, a good introduction answers these four questions:

• What is being studied? Describe the research problem and describe the subject of analysis [the case] you have chosen to address the problem. Explain how they are linked and what elements of the case will help to expand knowledge and understanding about the problem.
• Why is this topic important to investigate? Describe the significance of the research problem and state why a case study design and the subject of analysis that the paper is designed around is appropriate in addressing the problem.
• What did we know about this topic before I did this study? Provide background that helps lead the reader into the more in-depth literature review to follow. If applicable, summarize prior case study research applied to the research problem and why it fails to adequately address the problem. Describe why your case will be useful. If no prior case studies have been used to address the research problem, explain why you have selected this subject of analysis.
• How will this study advance new knowledge or new ways of understanding? Explain why your case study will be suitable in helping to expand knowledge and understanding about the research problem.

Each of these questions should be addressed in no more than a few paragraphs. Exceptions to this can be when you are addressing a complex research problem or subject of analysis that requires more in-depth background information.

II.  Literature Review

The literature review for a case study research paper is generally structured the same as it is for any college-level research paper. The difference, however, is that the literature review is focused on providing background information and  enabling historical interpretation of the subject of analysis in relation to the research problem the case is intended to address . This includes synthesizing studies that help to:

• Place relevant works in the context of their contribution to understanding the case study being investigated . This would involve summarizing studies that have used a similar subject of analysis to investigate the research problem. If there is literature using the same or a very similar case to study, you need to explain why duplicating past research is important [e.g., conditions have changed; prior studies were conducted long ago, etc.].
• Describe the relationship each work has to the others under consideration that informs the reader why this case is applicable . Your literature review should include a description of any works that support using the case to investigate the research problem and the underlying research questions.
• Identify new ways to interpret prior research using the case study . If applicable, review any research that has examined the research problem using a different research design. Explain how your use of a case study design may reveal new knowledge or a new perspective or that can redirect research in an important new direction.
• Resolve conflicts amongst seemingly contradictory previous studies . This refers to synthesizing any literature that points to unresolved issues of concern about the research problem and describing how the subject of analysis that forms the case study can help resolve these existing contradictions.
• Point the way in fulfilling a need for additional research . Your review should examine any literature that lays a foundation for understanding why your case study design and the subject of analysis around which you have designed your study may reveal a new way of approaching the research problem or offer a perspective that points to the need for additional research.
• Expose any gaps that exist in the literature that the case study could help to fill . Summarize any literature that not only shows how your subject of analysis contributes to understanding the research problem, but how your case contributes to a new way of understanding the problem that prior research has failed to do.
• Locate your own research within the context of existing literature [very important!] . Collectively, your literature review should always place your case study within the larger domain of prior research about the problem. The overarching purpose of reviewing pertinent literature in a case study paper is to demonstrate that you have thoroughly identified and synthesized prior studies in relation to explaining the relevance of the case in addressing the research problem.

III.  Method

In this section, you explain why you selected a particular case [i.e., subject of analysis] and the strategy you used to identify and ultimately decide that your case was appropriate in addressing the research problem. The way you describe the methods used varies depending on the type of subject of analysis that constitutes your case study.

If your subject of analysis is an incident or event . In the social and behavioral sciences, the event or incident that represents the case to be studied is usually bounded by time and place, with a clear beginning and end and with an identifiable location or position relative to its surroundings. The subject of analysis can be a rare or critical event or it can focus on a typical or regular event. The purpose of studying a rare event is to illuminate new ways of thinking about the broader research problem or to test a hypothesis. Critical incident case studies must describe the method by which you identified the event and explain the process by which you determined the validity of this case to inform broader perspectives about the research problem or to reveal new findings. However, the event does not have to be a rare or uniquely significant to support new thinking about the research problem or to challenge an existing hypothesis. For example, Walo, Bull, and Breen conducted a case study to identify and evaluate the direct and indirect economic benefits and costs of a local sports event in the City of Lismore, New South Wales, Australia. The purpose of their study was to provide new insights from measuring the impact of a typical local sports event that prior studies could not measure well because they focused on large "mega-events." Whether the event is rare or not, the methods section should include an explanation of the following characteristics of the event: a) when did it take place; b) what were the underlying circumstances leading to the event; and, c) what were the consequences of the event in relation to the research problem.

If your subject of analysis is a person. Explain why you selected this particular individual to be studied and describe what experiences they have had that provide an opportunity to advance new understandings about the research problem. Mention any background about this person which might help the reader understand the significance of their experiences that make them worthy of study. This includes describing the relationships this person has had with other people, institutions, and/or events that support using them as the subject for a case study research paper. It is particularly important to differentiate the person as the subject of analysis from others and to succinctly explain how the person relates to examining the research problem [e.g., why is one politician in a particular local election used to show an increase in voter turnout from any other candidate running in the election]. Note that these issues apply to a specific group of people used as a case study unit of analysis [e.g., a classroom of students].

If your subject of analysis is a place. In general, a case study that investigates a place suggests a subject of analysis that is unique or special in some way and that this uniqueness can be used to build new understanding or knowledge about the research problem. A case study of a place must not only describe its various attributes relevant to the research problem [e.g., physical, social, historical, cultural, economic, political], but you must state the method by which you determined that this place will illuminate new understandings about the research problem. It is also important to articulate why a particular place as the case for study is being used if similar places also exist [i.e., if you are studying patterns of homeless encampments of veterans in open spaces, explain why you are studying Echo Park in Los Angeles rather than Griffith Park?]. If applicable, describe what type of human activity involving this place makes it a good choice to study [e.g., prior research suggests Echo Park has more homeless veterans].

If your subject of analysis is a phenomenon. A phenomenon refers to a fact, occurrence, or circumstance that can be studied or observed but with the cause or explanation to be in question. In this sense, a phenomenon that forms your subject of analysis can encompass anything that can be observed or presumed to exist but is not fully understood. In the social and behavioral sciences, the case usually focuses on human interaction within a complex physical, social, economic, cultural, or political system. For example, the phenomenon could be the observation that many vehicles used by ISIS fighters are small trucks with English language advertisements on them. The research problem could be that ISIS fighters are difficult to combat because they are highly mobile. The research questions could be how and by what means are these vehicles used by ISIS being supplied to the militants and how might supply lines to these vehicles be cut off? How might knowing the suppliers of these trucks reveal larger networks of collaborators and financial support? A case study of a phenomenon most often encompasses an in-depth analysis of a cause and effect that is grounded in an interactive relationship between people and their environment in some way.

NOTE:   The choice of the case or set of cases to study cannot appear random. Evidence that supports the method by which you identified and chose your subject of analysis should clearly support investigation of the research problem and linked to key findings from your literature review. Be sure to cite any studies that helped you determine that the case you chose was appropriate for examining the problem.

IV.  Discussion

The main elements of your discussion section are generally the same as any research paper, but centered around interpreting and drawing conclusions about the key findings from your analysis of the case study. Note that a general social sciences research paper may contain a separate section to report findings. However, in a paper designed around a case study, it is common to combine a description of the results with the discussion about their implications. The objectives of your discussion section should include the following:

Reiterate the Research Problem/State the Major Findings Briefly reiterate the research problem you are investigating and explain why the subject of analysis around which you designed the case study were used. You should then describe the findings revealed from your study of the case using direct, declarative, and succinct proclamation of the study results. Highlight any findings that were unexpected or especially profound.

Explain the Meaning of the Findings and Why They are Important Systematically explain the meaning of your case study findings and why you believe they are important. Begin this part of the section by repeating what you consider to be your most important or surprising finding first, then systematically review each finding. Be sure to thoroughly extrapolate what your analysis of the case can tell the reader about situations or conditions beyond the actual case that was studied while, at the same time, being careful not to misconstrue or conflate a finding that undermines the external validity of your conclusions.

Relate the Findings to Similar Studies No study in the social sciences is so novel or possesses such a restricted focus that it has absolutely no relation to previously published research. The discussion section should relate your case study results to those found in other studies, particularly if questions raised from prior studies served as the motivation for choosing your subject of analysis. This is important because comparing and contrasting the findings of other studies helps support the overall importance of your results and it highlights how and in what ways your case study design and the subject of analysis differs from prior research about the topic.

Consider Alternative Explanations of the Findings Remember that the purpose of social science research is to discover and not to prove. When writing the discussion section, you should carefully consider all possible explanations revealed by the case study results, rather than just those that fit your hypothesis or prior assumptions and biases. Be alert to what the in-depth analysis of the case may reveal about the research problem, including offering a contrarian perspective to what scholars have stated in prior research if that is how the findings can be interpreted from your case.

Acknowledge the Study's Limitations You can state the study's limitations in the conclusion section of your paper but describing the limitations of your subject of analysis in the discussion section provides an opportunity to identify the limitations and explain why they are not significant. This part of the discussion section should also note any unanswered questions or issues your case study could not address. More detailed information about how to document any limitations to your research can be found here .

Suggest Areas for Further Research Although your case study may offer important insights about the research problem, there are likely additional questions related to the problem that remain unanswered or findings that unexpectedly revealed themselves as a result of your in-depth analysis of the case. Be sure that the recommendations for further research are linked to the research problem and that you explain why your recommendations are valid in other contexts and based on the original assumptions of your study.

V.  Conclusion

As with any research paper, you should summarize your conclusion in clear, simple language; emphasize how the findings from your case study differs from or supports prior research and why. Do not simply reiterate the discussion section. Provide a synthesis of key findings presented in the paper to show how these converge to address the research problem. If you haven't already done so in the discussion section, be sure to document the limitations of your case study and any need for further research.

The function of your paper's conclusion is to: 1) reiterate the main argument supported by the findings from your case study; 2) state clearly the context, background, and necessity of pursuing the research problem using a case study design in relation to an issue, controversy, or a gap found from reviewing the literature; and, 3) provide a place to persuasively and succinctly restate the significance of your research problem, given that the reader has now been presented with in-depth information about the topic.

Consider the following points to help ensure your conclusion is appropriate:

• If the argument or purpose of your paper is complex, you may need to summarize these points for your reader.
• If prior to your conclusion, you have not yet explained the significance of your findings or if you are proceeding inductively, use the conclusion of your paper to describe your main points and explain their significance.
• Move from a detailed to a general level of consideration of the case study's findings that returns the topic to the context provided by the introduction or within a new context that emerges from your case study findings.

Note that, depending on the discipline you are writing in or the preferences of your professor, the concluding paragraph may contain your final reflections on the evidence presented as it applies to practice or on the essay's central research problem. However, the nature of being introspective about the subject of analysis you have investigated will depend on whether you are explicitly asked to express your observations in this way.

Problems to Avoid

Overgeneralization One of the goals of a case study is to lay a foundation for understanding broader trends and issues applied to similar circumstances. However, be careful when drawing conclusions from your case study. They must be evidence-based and grounded in the results of the study; otherwise, it is merely speculation. Looking at a prior example, it would be incorrect to state that a factor in improving girls access to education in Azerbaijan and the policy implications this may have for improving access in other Muslim nations is due to girls access to social media if there is no documentary evidence from your case study to indicate this. There may be anecdotal evidence that retention rates were better for girls who were engaged with social media, but this observation would only point to the need for further research and would not be a definitive finding if this was not a part of your original research agenda.

Failure to Document Limitations No case is going to reveal all that needs to be understood about a research problem. Therefore, just as you have to clearly state the limitations of a general research study , you must describe the specific limitations inherent in the subject of analysis. For example, the case of studying how women conceptualize the need for water conservation in a village in Uganda could have limited application in other cultural contexts or in areas where fresh water from rivers or lakes is plentiful and, therefore, conservation is understood more in terms of managing access rather than preserving access to a scarce resource.

Failure to Extrapolate All Possible Implications Just as you don't want to over-generalize from your case study findings, you also have to be thorough in the consideration of all possible outcomes or recommendations derived from your findings. If you do not, your reader may question the validity of your analysis, particularly if you failed to document an obvious outcome from your case study research. For example, in the case of studying the accident at the railroad crossing to evaluate where and what types of warning signals should be located, you failed to take into consideration speed limit signage as well as warning signals. When designing your case study, be sure you have thoroughly addressed all aspects of the problem and do not leave gaps in your analysis that leave the reader questioning the results.

Case Studies. Writing@CSU. Colorado State University; Gerring, John. Case Study Research: Principles and Practices . New York: Cambridge University Press, 2007; Merriam, Sharan B. Qualitative Research and Case Study Applications in Education . Rev. ed. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 1998; Miller, Lisa L. “The Use of Case Studies in Law and Social Science Research.” Annual Review of Law and Social Science 14 (2018): TBD; Mills, Albert J., Gabrielle Durepos, and Eiden Wiebe, editors. Encyclopedia of Case Study Research . Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, 2010; Putney, LeAnn Grogan. "Case Study." In Encyclopedia of Research Design , Neil J. Salkind, editor. (Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, 2010), pp. 116-120; Simons, Helen. Case Study Research in Practice . London: SAGE Publications, 2009;  Kratochwill,  Thomas R. and Joel R. Levin, editors. Single-Case Research Design and Analysis: New Development for Psychology and Education .  Hilldsale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1992; Swanborn, Peter G. Case Study Research: What, Why and How? London : SAGE, 2010; Yin, Robert K. Case Study Research: Design and Methods . 6th edition. Los Angeles, CA, SAGE Publications, 2014; Walo, Maree, Adrian Bull, and Helen Breen. “Achieving Economic Benefits at Local Events: A Case Study of a Local Sports Event.” Festival Management and Event Tourism 4 (1996): 95-106.

Writing Tip

At Least Five Misconceptions about Case Study Research

Social science case studies are often perceived as limited in their ability to create new knowledge because they are not randomly selected and findings cannot be generalized to larger populations. Flyvbjerg examines five misunderstandings about case study research and systematically "corrects" each one. To quote, these are:

Misunderstanding 1 :  General, theoretical [context-independent] knowledge is more valuable than concrete, practical [context-dependent] knowledge. Misunderstanding 2 :  One cannot generalize on the basis of an individual case; therefore, the case study cannot contribute to scientific development. Misunderstanding 3 :  The case study is most useful for generating hypotheses; that is, in the first stage of a total research process, whereas other methods are more suitable for hypotheses testing and theory building. Misunderstanding 4 :  The case study contains a bias toward verification, that is, a tendency to confirm the researcher’s preconceived notions. Misunderstanding 5 :  It is often difficult to summarize and develop general propositions and theories on the basis of specific case studies [p. 221].

While writing your paper, think introspectively about how you addressed these misconceptions because to do so can help you strengthen the validity and reliability of your research by clarifying issues of case selection, the testing and challenging of existing assumptions, the interpretation of key findings, and the summation of case outcomes. Think of a case study research paper as a complete, in-depth narrative about the specific properties and key characteristics of your subject of analysis applied to the research problem.

Flyvbjerg, Bent. “Five Misunderstandings About Case-Study Research.” Qualitative Inquiry 12 (April 2006): 219-245.

• << Previous: Writing a Case Analysis Paper
• Next: Writing a Field Report >>
• Last Updated: May 7, 2024 9:45 AM
• URL: https://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide/assignments

• Bipolar Disorder
• Therapy Center
• When To See a Therapist
• Types of Therapy
• Best Online Therapy
• Best Couples Therapy
• Best Family Therapy
• Managing Stress
• Sleep and Dreaming
• Understanding Emotions
• Self-Improvement
• Healthy Relationships
• Student Resources
• Personality Types
• Guided Meditations
• Verywell Mind Insights
• 2024 Verywell Mind 25
• Mental Health in the Classroom
• Editorial Process
• Meet Our Review Board
• Crisis Support

What Is a Case Study?

Weighing the pros and cons of this method of research

Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

Cara Lustik is a fact-checker and copywriter.

Verywell / Colleen Tighe

• Pros and Cons

What Types of Case Studies Are Out There?

Where do you find data for a case study, how do i write a psychology case study.

A case study is an in-depth study of one person, group, or event. In a case study, nearly every aspect of the subject's life and history is analyzed to seek patterns and causes of behavior. Case studies can be used in many different fields, including psychology, medicine, education, anthropology, political science, and social work.

The point of a case study is to learn as much as possible about an individual or group so that the information can be generalized to many others. Unfortunately, case studies tend to be highly subjective, and it is sometimes difficult to generalize results to a larger population.

While case studies focus on a single individual or group, they follow a format similar to other types of psychology writing. If you are writing a case study, we got you—here are some rules of APA format to reference.  

At a Glance

A case study, or an in-depth study of a person, group, or event, can be a useful research tool when used wisely. In many cases, case studies are best used in situations where it would be difficult or impossible for you to conduct an experiment. They are helpful for looking at unique situations and allow researchers to gather a lot of˜ information about a specific individual or group of people. However, it's important to be cautious of any bias we draw from them as they are highly subjective.

What Are the Benefits and Limitations of Case Studies?

A case study can have its strengths and weaknesses. Researchers must consider these pros and cons before deciding if this type of study is appropriate for their needs.

One of the greatest advantages of a case study is that it allows researchers to investigate things that are often difficult or impossible to replicate in a lab. Some other benefits of a case study:

• Allows researchers to capture information on the 'how,' 'what,' and 'why,' of something that's implemented
• Gives researchers the chance to collect information on why one strategy might be chosen over another
• Permits researchers to develop hypotheses that can be explored in experimental research

On the other hand, a case study can have some drawbacks:

• It cannot necessarily be generalized to the larger population
• Cannot demonstrate cause and effect
• It may not be scientifically rigorous
• It can lead to bias

Researchers may choose to perform a case study if they want to explore a unique or recently discovered phenomenon. Through their insights, researchers develop additional ideas and study questions that might be explored in future studies.

It's important to remember that the insights from case studies cannot be used to determine cause-and-effect relationships between variables. However, case studies may be used to develop hypotheses that can then be addressed in experimental research.

Case Study Examples

There have been a number of notable case studies in the history of psychology. Much of  Freud's work and theories were developed through individual case studies. Some great examples of case studies in psychology include:

• Anna O : Anna O. was a pseudonym of a woman named Bertha Pappenheim, a patient of a physician named Josef Breuer. While she was never a patient of Freud's, Freud and Breuer discussed her case extensively. The woman was experiencing symptoms of a condition that was then known as hysteria and found that talking about her problems helped relieve her symptoms. Her case played an important part in the development of talk therapy as an approach to mental health treatment.
• Phineas Gage : Phineas Gage was a railroad employee who experienced a terrible accident in which an explosion sent a metal rod through his skull, damaging important portions of his brain. Gage recovered from his accident but was left with serious changes in both personality and behavior.
• Genie : Genie was a young girl subjected to horrific abuse and isolation. The case study of Genie allowed researchers to study whether language learning was possible, even after missing critical periods for language development. Her case also served as an example of how scientific research may interfere with treatment and lead to further abuse of vulnerable individuals.

Such cases demonstrate how case research can be used to study things that researchers could not replicate in experimental settings. In Genie's case, her horrific abuse denied her the opportunity to learn a language at critical points in her development.

This is clearly not something researchers could ethically replicate, but conducting a case study on Genie allowed researchers to study phenomena that are otherwise impossible to reproduce.

There are a few different types of case studies that psychologists and other researchers might use:

• Collective case studies : These involve studying a group of individuals. Researchers might study a group of people in a certain setting or look at an entire community. For example, psychologists might explore how access to resources in a community has affected the collective mental well-being of those who live there.
• Descriptive case studies : These involve starting with a descriptive theory. The subjects are then observed, and the information gathered is compared to the pre-existing theory.
• Explanatory case studies : These   are often used to do causal investigations. In other words, researchers are interested in looking at factors that may have caused certain things to occur.
• Exploratory case studies : These are sometimes used as a prelude to further, more in-depth research. This allows researchers to gather more information before developing their research questions and hypotheses .
• Instrumental case studies : These occur when the individual or group allows researchers to understand more than what is initially obvious to observers.
• Intrinsic case studies : This type of case study is when the researcher has a personal interest in the case. Jean Piaget's observations of his own children are good examples of how an intrinsic case study can contribute to the development of a psychological theory.

The three main case study types often used are intrinsic, instrumental, and collective. Intrinsic case studies are useful for learning about unique cases. Instrumental case studies help look at an individual to learn more about a broader issue. A collective case study can be useful for looking at several cases simultaneously.

The type of case study that psychology researchers use depends on the unique characteristics of the situation and the case itself.

There are a number of different sources and methods that researchers can use to gather information about an individual or group. Six major sources that have been identified by researchers are:

• Archival records : Census records, survey records, and name lists are examples of archival records.
• Direct observation : This strategy involves observing the subject, often in a natural setting . While an individual observer is sometimes used, it is more common to utilize a group of observers.
• Documents : Letters, newspaper articles, administrative records, etc., are the types of documents often used as sources.
• Interviews : Interviews are one of the most important methods for gathering information in case studies. An interview can involve structured survey questions or more open-ended questions.
• Participant observation : When the researcher serves as a participant in events and observes the actions and outcomes, it is called participant observation.
• Physical artifacts : Tools, objects, instruments, and other artifacts are often observed during a direct observation of the subject.

If you have been directed to write a case study for a psychology course, be sure to check with your instructor for any specific guidelines you need to follow. If you are writing your case study for a professional publication, check with the publisher for their specific guidelines for submitting a case study.

Here is a general outline of what should be included in a case study.

Section 1: A Case History

This section will have the following structure and content:

Background information : The first section of your paper will present your client's background. Include factors such as age, gender, work, health status, family mental health history, family and social relationships, drug and alcohol history, life difficulties, goals, and coping skills and weaknesses.

Description of the presenting problem : In the next section of your case study, you will describe the problem or symptoms that the client presented with.

Describe any physical, emotional, or sensory symptoms reported by the client. Thoughts, feelings, and perceptions related to the symptoms should also be noted. Any screening or diagnostic assessments that are used should also be described in detail and all scores reported.

Your diagnosis : Provide your diagnosis and give the appropriate Diagnostic and Statistical Manual code. Explain how you reached your diagnosis, how the client's symptoms fit the diagnostic criteria for the disorder(s), or any possible difficulties in reaching a diagnosis.

Section 2: Treatment Plan

This portion of the paper will address the chosen treatment for the condition. This might also include the theoretical basis for the chosen treatment or any other evidence that might exist to support why this approach was chosen.

• Cognitive behavioral approach : Explain how a cognitive behavioral therapist would approach treatment. Offer background information on cognitive behavioral therapy and describe the treatment sessions, client response, and outcome of this type of treatment. Make note of any difficulties or successes encountered by your client during treatment.
• Humanistic approach : Describe a humanistic approach that could be used to treat your client, such as client-centered therapy . Provide information on the type of treatment you chose, the client's reaction to the treatment, and the end result of this approach. Explain why the treatment was successful or unsuccessful.
• Psychoanalytic approach : Describe how a psychoanalytic therapist would view the client's problem. Provide some background on the psychoanalytic approach and cite relevant references. Explain how psychoanalytic therapy would be used to treat the client, how the client would respond to therapy, and the effectiveness of this treatment approach.
• Pharmacological approach : If treatment primarily involves the use of medications, explain which medications were used and why. Provide background on the effectiveness of these medications and how monotherapy may compare with an approach that combines medications with therapy or other treatments.

This section of a case study should also include information about the treatment goals, process, and outcomes.

When you are writing a case study, you should also include a section where you discuss the case study itself, including the strengths and limitiations of the study. You should note how the findings of your case study might support previous research. 

In your discussion section, you should also describe some of the implications of your case study. What ideas or findings might require further exploration? How might researchers go about exploring some of these questions in additional studies?

Need More Tips?

Here are a few additional pointers to keep in mind when formatting your case study:

• Never refer to the subject of your case study as "the client." Instead, use their name or a pseudonym.
• Read examples of case studies to gain an idea about the style and format.
• Remember to use APA format when citing references .

Crowe S, Cresswell K, Robertson A, Huby G, Avery A, Sheikh A. The case study approach .  BMC Med Res Methodol . 2011;11:100.

Crowe S, Cresswell K, Robertson A, Huby G, Avery A, Sheikh A. The case study approach . BMC Med Res Methodol . 2011 Jun 27;11:100. doi:10.1186/1471-2288-11-100

Gagnon, Yves-Chantal.  The Case Study as Research Method: A Practical Handbook . Canada, Chicago Review Press Incorporated DBA Independent Pub Group, 2010.

Yin, Robert K. Case Study Research and Applications: Design and Methods . United States, SAGE Publications, 2017.

By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

Five key questions to get a tech transformation right

Why do some technology transformations 1 In the survey and in this article, we define technology transformations as large-scale change efforts that are more comprehensive than short-term improvement programs. succeed while others fail? This is a perennial question that has frustrated IT departments for years, presenting both a clear-cut opportunity for growth and the risk of falling further behind. Our latest McKinsey Global Survey  of technology and business leaders 2 The online survey was in the field from April 11 to April 22, 2022, and garnered responses from 468 participants, including responses from mostly C-suite and senior managers in a variety of industries. The participants represent the full range of regions, industries, company sizes, and tenures. To adjust for differences in response rates, the data are weighted by the contribution of each respondent’s nation to global GDP. set out to better understand the keys to transformation success. We identified respondents working for the most financially successful organizations (whom we refer to as “top performers” 3 Top performers are defined as organizations that, according to respondents, have seen an average growth rate of at least 10 percent in both revenue and EBIT over the past three years. Of the 468 respondents in the survey sample, 84 qualified as top performers. ), whose results suggest that they reap greater benefits than others from their tech transformations.

According to the survey, these top performers pursue transformations differently from their peers in a few critical ways: they are more likely than others to anchor their technology and digital strategies in their overall business strategies, they report greater effectiveness at building environments that foster organizational change, they are more likely to invest in foundational technologies, and they are better at retaining their tech talent. What’s more, the top performers are more likely than others to combine their initiatives—a set of eight “plays” that comprise our Tech: Forward approach to technology transformations —in ways that maximize business value.

All told, we see their methods as a foundation for successful tech transformations—and the source of five critical questions that every organization should ask itself in order to increase its chances of achieving similar success.

Top financial performers are more likely than others to anchor their tech transformations in strategic business priorities, to build environments that foster change, to invest in foundational technologies, and to retain tech talent.

1. What value is IT delivering?

Most respondents with experience in tech transformations continue to report meaningful benefits from their efforts, as we have seen in previous years . For example, at least 60 percent of all respondents credit their transformations with improving performance on a range of metrics.

Yet the top performers seem to have positioned themselves even better than others in terms of maximizing a transformation’s impact, especially to spur business growth (Exhibit 1). These respondents report a stronger financial return from their investment in tech transformations (87 percent of top performers say they have seen a positive impact on generating new revenue streams, compared with 58 percent of everyone else), as well as greater impact on all other metrics we tested.

How did they do it? One reason for their success appears to be that top performers tend to anchor their technology and digital strategy in their overall business strategy. In our survey, respondents from these companies are 14 percent more likely than others to say they develop their business and technology and digital strategies in tandem, which can enhance the business value they reap from tech transformations.

Axel Schell biography

Earned a PhD in business administration and economics, an MBA, and a bachelor’s degree in information systems from the University of Augsburg

Career highlights

Allianz Technology (2021–present) Chief technology and transformation officer

Allianz Deutschland (2018–21) Chief technology officer

Allianz Technology of America (2015–19) CEO and president

Board member at Deutsche Sporthilfe (German national sports funding organization) since 2020

One financial-services firm, Allianz, has taken a business-led approach in its recent tech transformation. Chief technology and transformation officer for Austria, Germany, and Switzerland Axel Schell says the company has shifted its mindset during this transformation: from putting the technology first to cracking business problems with technology. This means not only optimizing purely technical KPIs (such as the number of app features and releases) but also favoring specific business KPIs (such as customer interactions and purchases in the app).

Yexi Liu biography

Earned an MBA from Clemson University; received a bachelor’s degree in international finance from Southwestern University of Finance and Economics

Rich Products Corporation (2019–present) Executive vice president and chief information officer

Westinghouse Electric Company (2017–19) Chief information officer

Has served in IT leadership roles in Asia, Europe, Latin America, and North America

In the recent modernization of its IT organization, B2B and consumer player Rich Products Corporation has made digital technology a critical part of creating value for the company’s customers and enabling its long-term growth and productivity. According to executive vice president and global chief information officer Yexi Liu, the company deployed new digital systems and tools at scale, so technology touches every corner of the company: from the sales and culinary teams, which now have access to data and analytics that help them deliver solutions to customers in real time, to supply chain teams, which enjoy greater transparency and access to information at a speed the company has never experienced before.

2. How holistic is your approach to transformation?

In general, the top performers appear to be taking a more comprehensive and strategic approach to their tech transformations than others. Relative to their peers, they have pursued a higher number of tech initiatives (an average of 3.5 initiatives, out of 8.0 we asked about, compared with 2.7) in their transformations of the past two years. But their distinctiveness is about more than just the number of initiatives in play. In line with our other research, 4 “ The Tech: Forward recipe for a successful technology transformation ,” McKinsey, December 15, 2022. the survey results confirm that deploying certain plays in combination with others can unleash even greater impact than if they were deployed in isolation, as many of these plays have effects on one another.

Exploring the combinations that most top performers have pursued offers insights into the relationships between the initiatives that have underpinned their success and that other companies can also follow (Exhibit 2). For example, at least 50 percent of top performers who say their companies reshaped their business strategy to be more technology based say they also redesigned their tech organization and operating model, scaled their data-related capabilities, and transformed talent management and sourcing.

Fittingly, Rich Products has taken a holistic approach to its recent technology transformation. Liu says the company is implementing multiple company-wide initiatives that focus on future proofing its technology foundation and enabling future scaling and growth—for example, shifting to a global software as a service (SaaS) enterprise resource planning solution and embedding new customer relationship management, supply chain, and procurement platforms in more than 60 countries. At the same time, Rich Products is also changing how its technology function operates, from a decentralized and regionally managed approach to a global model with teams organized around enterprise products and platforms.

At Allianz, Schell says the company is taking a similarly comprehensive route. Allianz is approaching the modernization of its IT function holistically, setting minimum standards on architecture across applications and infrastructure platforms, data, and cybersecurity. The company is also adjusting governance processes in its operating model to enforce this in daily work and investing in engineering capabilities to foster good technology craftmanship over time. These shifts, along with ongoing efforts to scale cloud solutions, are enabling Allianz to move more quickly and autonomously when following standards but also making it deliberately more difficult in the case of exceptions.

3. What is holding you back from developing and deploying new technology at the rate and quality of top performers?

The survey suggests that top performers are also more likely than others to have invested in modernizing and securing their IT foundation—that is, their infrastructure, data, and cybersecurity—so they can deploy technology rapidly and effectively (Exhibit 3). They are three times more likely than others to report building next-generation data platforms and enabling AI applications throughout their organizations. They are also more likely to say they are strengthening their cybersecurity defenses and modernizing their infrastructure, through initiatives such as automation and cloud migration and management.

Top performers are also less likely than others to say their existing technology foundation is an impediment to their tech aspirations. Twenty-two percent of them cite the slow speed of their legacy platforms as a top three challenge during their transformations, compared with 38 percent of their peers. What’s more, the top-performing organizations are more effective overall at managing their data architecture and infrastructure.

In our experience, there are multiple reasons that could prevent companies from leveraging their tech foundations to the fullest. One is a lack of investment, as technology organizations often meet ad hoc demand from multiple stakeholders on the business side and aren’t always able to focus enough time or resources on making foundational improvements, which are difficult and often time-consuming to execute. Second is that products are often built in silos without communication or alignment between technology and business stakeholders. Third, it can be hard to get buy-in for modernizing legacy technology without a strong business case or strategic alignment on the need for these changes.

4. How can you make the most of the talent you already have?

Finding and retaining tech talent is a perennial challenge  and tops the agenda for nearly every technology and business leader. But the competition for tech talent will only intensify as organizations seek to attract and retain an increasingly mobile, ambitious, and purpose-driven workforce.

Yet, even when it comes to broad corporate concerns such as talent, the top performers are significantly ahead of their peers. According to the survey, top performers are more likely than others to say they were effective at retaining top talent, recruiting new talent, training existing talent, and having a healthy IT work culture (Exhibit 4).

At Allianz, Schell says people are the most important factor for their transformation activities’ success. The company fosters global collaboration through teams that are staffed with colleagues in different continents and across communities of practices, where engineers regularly exchange their ideas. The combination of individual strengths and diversified expertise is a powerful asset and enables these teams to perform in an even more customer-centric way. In its transformation, Allianz has also increased internal awareness of what individuals, teams, and the entire organization are capable of—and communicated that self-awareness externally as part of its employer brand.

5. Does your operating model reflect the changes you are making to your technology foundation?

While transforming the IT organization and operating model is a critical way for companies to get the most out of their technology, that change alone will not necessarily lead to better performance. In fact, the proportion of respondents who say they have a mature operating model is nearly the same among top performers as it is among everyone else. 5 We define a mature operating model as one that is either digitally integrated (that is, both conventional and digital technologies are delivered at scale through a unified operating model, which is often organized by tech products or platforms) or fully digital (that is, cross-functional, full-stack, product-based teams are responsible for technology delivery and operate in a digital manner). What sets the top performers apart is that they are twice as likely as their peers to rely on operating models that are product- and platform-centric .

Our experience suggests that these types of operating models, 6 We define a product- or platform-centric operating model as one where teams and their work are cross-functional, led by product managers, and organized around a user-facing product or platform rather than a project. which focus on the end-user experience, present tremendous business benefits. To name a few, product- and platform-centric operating models can help streamline product development, reduce time to market, help cut costs, promote accountability within the organization, and ensure that the company is creating the highest-quality products.

At Rich Products, Liu says the company has continued to emphasize that the transformation is not only an implementation of new systems but also a fundamental transformation of its work, workforce, and workplace—all enabled by technology that is simple, standard, and global. Indeed, the company has organized work around product- and platform-based teams, which has enabled it to benefit from business and technology partnerships across the organization while also maintaining the agility to account for local nuances.

In its tech transformation, Allianz also made meaningful operating-model changes to get the most out of its foundational improvements. According to Schell, agile tribes are assuming more end-to-end ownership of their products, including innovation and operations. Agile teams are staffed with experts from the business and technology sides of the organization, and on the best teams there is no distinction between people who came from the business and who came from IT. This setup enables more autonomous decision making at the team level rather than by steering committees that don’t fully understand a decision or have to deal with its consequences.

Allianz’s agile journey also involves reducing complexity: that is, moving from large, long-term programs and monolithic platforms to a minimum viable product approach and microsystems. One recent example of where the transformation’s efforts are already paying off: the migration of the Allianz Business System from the mainframe to Linux, where the business case is clearly positive.

The survey content and analysis were developed by Anusha Dhasarathy , Pranav Himatsingka, and Naufal Khan , a partner, associate partner, and senior partner, respectively, in McKinsey’s Chicago office; and Thomas Elsner , a partner in the Munich office.

They wish to thank Vilde Haslund and Mary Morris for their contributions to this work.

This article was edited by Daniella Seiler, an executive editor in the Washington, DC, office.

Explore a career with us

Related articles.

The Tech: Forward recipe for a successful technology transformation

Prioritizing technology transformations to win

Products and platforms: Is your technology operating model ready?

• Work & Careers
• Life & Arts
• Currently reading: Business school teaching case study: Unilever chief signals rethink on ESG
• Business school teaching case study: can green hydrogen’s potential be realised?
• Business school teaching case study: how electric vehicles pose tricky trade dilemmas
• Business school teaching case study: is private equity responsible for child labour violations?

Business school teaching case study: Unilever chief signals rethink on ESG

• Business school teaching case study: Unilever chief signals rethink on ESG on x (opens in a new window)
• Business school teaching case study: Unilever chief signals rethink on ESG on facebook (opens in a new window)
• Business school teaching case study: Unilever chief signals rethink on ESG on linkedin (opens in a new window)
• Business school teaching case study: Unilever chief signals rethink on ESG on whatsapp (opens in a new window)

Gabriela Salinas and Jeeva Somasundaram

Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.

In April this year, Hein Schumacher, chief executive of Unilever, announced that the company was entering a “new era for sustainability leadership”, and signalled a shift from the central priority promoted under his predecessor , Alan Jope.

While Jope saw lack of social purpose or environmental sustainability as the way to prune brands from the portfolio, Schumacher has adopted a more balanced approach between purpose and profit. He stresses that Unilever should deliver on both sustainability commitments and financial goals. This approach, which we dub “realistic sustainability”, aims to balance long- and short-term environmental goals, ambition, and delivery.

As a result, Unilever’s refreshed sustainability agenda focuses harder on fewer commitments that the company says remain “very stretching”. In practice, this entails extending deadlines for taking action as well as reducing the scale of its targets for environmental, social and governance measures.

Such backpedalling is becoming widespread — with many companies retracting their commitments to climate targets , for example. According to FactSet, a US financial data and software provider, the number of US companies in the S&P 500 index mentioning “ESG” on their earnings calls has declined sharply : from a peak of 155 in the fourth quarter 2021 to just 29 two years later. This trend towards playing down a company’s ESG efforts, from fear of greater scrutiny or of accusations of empty claims, even has a name: “greenhushing”.

Test yourself

This is the fourth in a series of monthly business school-style teaching case studies devoted to the responsible business dilemmas faced by organisations. Read the piece and FT articles suggested at the end before considering the questions raised.

About the authors: Gabriela Salinas is an adjunct professor of marketing at IE University; Jeeva Somasundaram is an assistant professor of decision sciences in operations and technology at IE University.

The series forms part of a wider collection of FT ‘instant teaching case studies ’, featured across our Business Education publications, that explore management challenges.

The change in approach is not limited to regulatory compliance and corporate reporting; it also affects consumer communications. While Jope believed that brands sold more when “guided by a purpose”, Schumacher argues that “we don’t want to force fit [purpose] on brands unnecessarily”.

His more nuanced view aligns with evidence that consumers’ responses to the sustainability and purpose communication attached to brand names depend on two key variables: the type of industry in which the brand operates; and the specific aspect of sustainability being communicated.

In terms of the sustainability message, research in the Journal of Business Ethics found consumers can be less interested when product functionality is key. Furthermore, a UK survey in 2022 found that about 15 per cent of consumers believed brands should support social causes, but nearly 60 per cent said they would rather see brand owners pay taxes and treat people fairly.

Among investors, too, “anti-purpose” and “anti-ESG” sentiment is growing. One (unnamed) leading bond fund manager even suggested to the FT that “ESG will be dead in five years”.

Media reports on the adverse impact of ESG controversies on investment are certainly now more frequent. For example, while Jope was still at the helm, the FT reported criticism of Unilever by influential fund manager Terry Smith for displaying sustainability credentials at the expense of managing the business.

Yet some executives feel under pressure to take a stand on environmental and social issues — in many cases believing they are morally obliged to do so or through a desire to improve their own reputations. This pressure may lead to a conflict with shareholders if sustainability becomes a promotional tool for managers, or for their personal social responsibility agenda, rather than creating business value .

Such opportunistic behaviours may lead to a perception that corporate sustainability policies are pursued only because of public image concerns.

Alison Taylor, at NYU Stern School of Business, recently described Unilever’s old materiality map — a visual representation of how companies assess which social and environmental factors matter most to them — to Sustainability magazine. She depicted it as an example of “baggy, vague, overambitious goals and self-aggrandising commitments that make little sense and falsely suggest a mayonnaise and soap company can solve intractable societal problems”.

In contrast, the “realism” approach of Schumacher is being promulgated as both more honest and more feasible. Former investment banker Alex Edmans, at London Business School, has coined the term “rational sustainability” to describe an approach that integrates financial principles into decision-making, and avoids using sustainability primarily for enhancing social image and reputation.

Such “rational sustainability” encompasses any business activity that creates long-term value — including product innovation, productivity enhancements, or corporate culture initiatives, regardless of whether they fall under the traditional ESG framework.

Similarly, Schumacher’s approach aims for fewer targets with greater impact, all while keeping financial objectives in sight.

Complex objectives, such as having a positive impact on the world, may be best achieved indirectly, as expounded by economist John Kay in his book, Obliquity . Schumacher’s “realistic sustainability” approach means focusing on long-term value creation, placing customers and investors to the fore. Saving the planet begins with meaningfully helping a company’s consumers and investors. Without their support, broader sustainability efforts risk failure.

Questions for discussion

Read: Unilever has ‘lost the plot’ by fixating on sustainability, says Terry Smith

Companies take step back from making climate target promises

The real impact of the ESG backlash

Unilever’s new chief says corporate purpose can be ‘unwelcome distraction ’

Unilever says new laxer environmental targets aim for ‘realism’

How should business executives incorporate ESG criteria in their commercial, investor, internal, and external communications? How can they strike a balance between purpose and profits?

How does purpose affect business and brand value? Under what circumstances or conditions can the impact of purpose be positive, neutral, or negative?

Are brands vehicles by which to drive social or environmental change? Is this the primary role of brands in the 21st century or do profits and clients’ needs come first?

Which categories or sectors might benefit most from strongly articulating and communicating a corporate purpose? Are there instances in which it might backfire?

In your opinion, is it necessary for brands to take a stance on social issues? Why or why not, and when?

Climate Capital

Where climate change meets business, markets and politics. Explore the FT’s coverage here .

Are you curious about the FT’s environmental sustainability commitments? Find out more about our science-based targets here

Promoted Content

Explore the series.

Follow the topics in this article

• Sustainability Add to myFT
• Impact investing Add to myFT
• Corporate governance Add to myFT
• Corporate social responsibility Add to myFT
• Business school case Add to myFT

International Edition

• Today's news
• Reviews and deals
• Climate change
• 2024 election
• Fall allergies
• Health news
• Mental health
• Sexual health
• Family health
• So mini ways
• Unapologetically
• Buying guides

Entertainment

• How to Watch
• My watchlist
• Stock market
• Biden economy
• Personal finance
• Stocks: most active
• Stocks: gainers
• Stocks: losers
• Trending tickers
• World indices
• US Treasury bonds
• Top mutual funds
• Highest open interest
• Highest implied volatility
• Currency converter
• Basic materials
• Communication services
• Consumer cyclical
• Consumer defensive
• Financial services
• Industrials
• Real estate
• Mutual funds
• Credit cards
• Balance transfer cards
• Cash back cards
• Rewards cards
• Travel cards
• Online checking
• High-yield savings
• Money market
• Home equity loan
• Personal loans
• Student loans
• Options pit
• Fantasy football
• Pro Pick 'Em
• College Pick 'Em
• Fantasy baseball
• Fantasy hockey
• Fantasy basketball
• Download the app
• Daily fantasy
• Scores and schedules
• GameChannel
• World Baseball Classic
• Premier League
• CONCACAF League
• Champions League
• Motorsports
• Horse racing
• Newsletters

New on Yahoo

• Privacy Dashboard

Hunter Biden defense team questions who actually filled out the key gun form

• Oops! Something went wrong. Please try again later. More content below

Hunter Biden's defense attorney , Abbe Lowell, seemed to telegraph a key element of his defense strategy in a Delaware federal court Friday about who exactly filled out the key federal gun form in question in the case.

The heart of the government’s case is Hunter Biden checking a box on a government form, specifically Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) form 4473, which stated he was not using or addicted to drugs at the time he was buying a gun.

There are two versions of the particular form that Biden filled out. The first was emailed Oct. 26, 2018, and U.S. District Court Judge Maryellen Noreika has allowed that form into evidence .

HUNTER BIDEN IS IN COURT IN DELAWARE. HERE'S WHAT HE DOESN'T WANT THE JURY TO HEAR

However, there is another version of the form — a physical version — that was filled out at a gun store. It was revealed in court Friday a gun store employee, Gordon Cleveland, helped Biden fill out the physical form that day.

Cleveland is likely to be called to the stand, and Noreika suggested the government would likely ask him to testify that Biden filled out the form and signed it.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

JUDGE BARS PROSECUTORS FROM USING SOME SALACIOUS EVIDENCE IN HUNTER BIDEN'S GUN TRIAL

"We want to know who wrote what on the form," Lowell told the court.

Noreika asked him, "Is there evidence that [Biden] didn’t check the box?"

NEW TEXT MESSAGE ALLEGEDLY REVEALS HUNTER BIDEN PROPOSED MEETING FOR DAD, UNCLE AND CHINESE EXEC IN NYC

Lowell responded, "We now know that they tampered with that form. … Cleveland accepted an ID he shouldn’t have, and [Ron] Palmieri [the gun store owner] changed the form."

"What matters is what your client put on the form," said Judge Noreika.

Lowell again suggested it is all "subject to examination."

HUNTER BIDEN ATTENDS PRE-TRIAL HEARING IN DELAWARE COURT ON FEDERAL GUN CHARGES

Noreika said she would rule later on whether the physical form would be allowed into evidence but seemed to agree that the gun store employees could be examined.

"Why can’t he question his credibility?" she asked.

The trial will begin with jury selection June 3, and both sides agreed it would run until approximately June 14, or possibly into the next week.

As he left the courtroom, Hunter Biden , who wore tangerine-colored reading glasses at times during the proceeding, patted sketch artist Bill Hennessy on the back and asked, "How’s it coming?"

Original article source: Hunter Biden defense team questions who actually filled out the key gun form

Recommended Stories

49ers' brandon aiyuk targeting amon-ra st. brown's $120 million deal for new contract.

In his negotiations for a new deal, the 49ers receiver is looking at the recent $120 million contract Amon-Ra St. Brown signed with the Detroit Lions.

Bob Arum goes full heel after Josh Taylor's unanimous decision loss to Jack Catterall

"I will never, ever allow an American fighter to come here with this British board scoring the fight."

The ups and downs of investing in Europe, with VCs Saul Klein and Raluca Ragab

It’s something we talked about this week in London, when TechCrunch took its StrictlyVC series of more intimate, more investor-focused events on the road. Sitting down with Saul Klein, the renowned founder of the seed-stage firm LocalGlobe, along with Raluca Ragab, a managing director at the growth-stage outfit Eurazeo, we hashed out with the two how alike – and distinct – the U.S. venture market is right now compared with Europe.

Elon Musk is reportedly planning an xAI supercomputer to power a better version of Grok

Musk recently presented plans for a ‘gigafactory of compute’ to investors, The Information reports. This would power a future, smarter version of Grok and require at least 100,000 NVIDIA H100 GPUs.

Stan Van Gundy reveals wife died by suicide in August: 'I just don't think I'll ever get over it'

Kim Van Gundy's obituary only said she died 'unexpectedly.'

Mets' Edwin Diaz blows another save in return to closer role

New York Mets reliever Edwin Diaz blew his fourth save of the season on Saturday, as he continues to struggle pitching in the ninth inning.

Scarlett Johansson brought receipts to the OpenAI controversy

OpenAI announced this week that it’s removing Sky, one of the voices used by its new GPT-4o model, after users found it sounded eerily similar to Scarlett Johansson’s AI character in “Her.” While the company claims the voice was not based on Johansson’s, the actress said OpenAI had previously approached her about using her voice for the model. The U.S. Department of Justice and 30 state attorneys general filed a lawsuit against Live Nation Entertainment, Ticketmaster’s parent company, for alleged monopolistic practices.

Birmingham-Southern baseball advances to DIII College World Series, as school shuts down

The Birmingham-Southern baseball team will play in the Division III College World Series as the school itself is shutting down due to financial difficulties.

Grayson Murray, two-time PGA Tour winner, dead at 30

Murray won two PGA tournaments, including the Sony Hawaii Open this past January.

Junkyard Gem: 1977 Dodge Aspen Wagon

A 1977 Dodge Aspen station wagon, sibling to the Plymouth Volaré station wagon, found in a Colorado self-service wrecking yard.

I'm a pro baker, and these are the best Memorial Day kitchen deals — save up to 80% on knife sets, air fryers and more

From a Le Creuset Dutch oven for $140 off to a Vitamix blender discounted by $249, snag these deals before they're toast.

Amazon's secret overstock section is bursting with huge savings for Memorial Day — starting at $6

Save big on amazing hidden deals, from knives to patio string lights and more.

Amazon's No. 1 bestselling mascara is so popular, a tube sells every few seconds — and it's only $5

'I really do look like I have on falsies': Over 249,000 five-star fans say you'll get length, volume and zero clumps.

Austin Pedal Car reemerges in new, bespoke form

Austin Pedals cars offers a new 'J40 Continuation' version of an old classic 'toy' as bespoke offering in partnership with tailor Holland & Sherry.

WWE King and Queen of the Ring 2024 results, grades and analysis: Cody Rhodes defeats Logan Paul to retain Undisputed WWE Championship

WWE King and Queen of the Ring took place Saturday in Saudi Arabia. There were three championship contests on the six-match card Saturday, but only one title changed hands.

This multitasker from L'Oreal gives Martha Stewart a youthful glow — and it's just $14

On its own as a moisturizer or layered under makeup, a flawless finish is affordable with this No. 1 bestseller.

Spyware app pcTattletale was hacked and its website defaced

U.S.-made consumer-grade spyware app pcTattletale has been hacked and its internal data published to its own website, according to a hacker who claimed responsibility for the breach. The hacker posted a message on pcTattletale's website late Friday, claiming to have hacked the servers containing pcTattletale's operations. TechCrunch is not linking to the site given the ongoing risk to victims, whose private data has already been compromised by the spyware.

Meta and Activision face lawsuit by families of Uvalde school shooting victims

A lawsuit by the families of the Uvalde school shooting victims accuse Meta and Call of Duty publisher Activision of exposing the shooter to the weapon he used.

The 35 best Walmart Memorial Day deals to shop this weekend — save up to 75% on summer essentials, outdoor faves and more

Ready for your holiday perusal: A Keurig hot and iced coffee maker for under $100, an adorably useful mini chainsaw for just $39 and a robot vacuum-mop combo for over $250 off.

Shoppers in their 60s say this No. 1 bestselling eyeshadow stick 'doesn't sink into creases,' and it's down to as low as $10

The makeup must-have that 29,000 reviewers love is nearly 40% off for Memorial Day.

Will Trump Testify At Hush Money Trial? Attorney Habba Says He ‘Wants’ To Take The Stand—But Legal Experts Warn Against It.

• Share to Facebook
• Share to Twitter
• Share to Linkedin

Former President Donald Trump’s lawyers are expected to start presenting their defense in his criminal trial this week after prosecutors rest their case, but it still remains to be seen whether the ex-president will take the stand and testify himself—though Trump has wavered on the issue, and legal experts largely believe it would be an unwise move.

Former President Donald Trump returns to the courtroom after a short break during his hush money ... [+] trial on May 14 in New York City.

The defense is expected to start presenting its case next week, after prosecutors said Tuesday that ex-Trump attorney Michael Cohen , who will take the stand for a third day on Thursday, will be their final witness.

Trump’s attorneys aren’t expected to call many witnesses—if any—with the only likely possibilities being an expert witness on campaign finance law and attorney Robert Costello, who was in touch with Cohen after he made the Daniels payment.

Defense attorney Todd Blanche said last week it’s still unclear if Trump will testify, answering “no” when Judge Juan Merchan asked if the attorney had any “indication” of whether Trump would testify or if any “determination” had been made on the issue—but then said Monday there’s a “likelihood” the defense could rest its case that day, soon after the prosecution rests, which would suggest Trump won’t testify.

Trump publicly committed to testifying when the trial first got underway, telling reporters, “All I can do is tell the truth. And the truth is that there’s no case”—but became more noncommittal in an April 26 interview with Newsmax, where he said only that he would testify “if it’s necessary.”

Trump attorney Alina Habba—who is not directly representing Trump in this case— told Fox News Monday the ex-president “has to listen to his attorneys” and that his lawyers still have to “discuss with our client,” citing Trump’s claims the court is biased against him, but claimed Trump, for his part, “wants to testify” and is “willing” and “able.”

Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung has not yet responded to a request for comment.

Get Forbes Breaking News Text Alerts: We’re launching text message alerts so you'll always know the biggest stories shaping the day’s headlines. Text “Alerts” to (201) 335-0739 or sign up here .

It’s common for defendants not to testify in criminal trials, with many defense attorneys believing the risk of a defendant harming their own case outweighs the benefits. When the trial began last month, Merchan reminded jurors Trump has a right not to testify, and if he chooses not to take the witness stand, they can’t hold it against him.

Should Trump Testify?

While it’s still up in the air whether Trump will testify, legal experts suggest doing so would hurt the ex-president’s case. “It would be suicide for” Trump to testify, left-leaning attorney Norm Eisen said on CNN Tuesday, arguing there’s “no way” his lawyers would allow him to take the stand. Trump’s former attorney Tim Parlatore said the same on CNN Tuesday, telling Kaitlan Collins that he “personally would suggest that he probably should not” testify. Both Eisen and Parlatore suggested doing so would hurt Trump’s case, with Parlatore arguing it would “significantly increase” Trump’s chances of conviction because “if the jury disbelieves him on anything, however small, that’s something they’re gonna hold against him and be much more likely to convict.” If Trump is convicted, Eisen suggested taking the stand could also lead to a more severe punishment, arguing that if Merchan believes Trump may have lied under oath, “it virtually ensures a sentence of incarceration.” While legal experts suggest Trump’s lawyers are near certain to prefer their client stay off the stand, however, they also note the ex-president has a history of not listening to his attorneys.

What To Watch For

Any decision on whether Trump will take the stand is likely to be made at the last minute, legal experts have noted, with Parlatore saying the decision will be made “down to the wire” based on whether it’s “worth taking the risk,” and former federal prosecutor Joyce Vance noting in April it’s “unlikely” Trump’s lawyers will decide “until the moment is close at hand.” Testimony in the trial is expected to wrap up this week, as Merchan said Monday that closing arguments will take place next week on May 28.

Surprising Fact

While this case marks Trump’s first criminal trial, the ex-president has recently taken the stand at several of his recent civil trials, testifying about defamation allegations brought against him by writer E. Jean Carroll and the fraud allegations brought against him and his company. Neither testimony appeared to help his case, as he was found liable in both cases and ordered to pay $88.3 million and $454.2 million, respectively. In his order finding Trump and his co-defendants liable in the fraud case , Judge Arthur Engoron argued Trump “severely compromised his credibility” when testifying, noting the ex-president “rarely responded to the questions asked, and he frequently interjected long, irrelevant speeches on issues far beyond the scope of the trial.”

Key Background

Trump faces 34 felony charges of falsifying business records in his Manhattan trial, which is one of four criminal cases that’s been brought against the ex-president. The charges stem from a $130,000 payment Cohen made to adult film star Stormy Daniels in the days before the 2016 election in order to cover up her allegations of having an affair with Trump. Trump then allegedly reimbursed Cohen for the payment—paying him $420,000 after adding in other expenses and enough money to cover taxes—which were paid through a series of reimbursement checks throughout 2017. Prosecutors allege those reimbursements were handled through the Trump Organization and falsely labeled as being for legal services, which Trump has denied, as his lawyers have claimed the payments were correctly labeled and tried to distance Trump from the reimbursement scheme. Trump has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him—as well as in his other three cases—decrying the case as a politically motivated “witch hunt” designed to hurt his campaign. The trial, which has been ongoing since mid-April, has included multiple witnesses tying Trump to the hush money scheme, with Cohen directly testifying that Trump approved the Daniels payment and was involved with the reimbursement scheme. As the criminal defendant, Trump has been required to be present in the courtroom every day of the trial—though media reports suggest he has regularly dozed off during the proceedings.

Further Reading

• Editorial Standards
• Reprints & Permissions

Join The Conversation

One Community. Many Voices. Create a free account to share your thoughts. 

Forbes Community Guidelines

Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations. We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas and facts in a safe space.

In order to do so, please follow the posting rules in our site's  Terms of Service.   We've summarized some of those key rules below. Simply put, keep it civil.

Your post will be rejected if we notice that it seems to contain:

• False or intentionally out-of-context or misleading information
• Insults, profanity, incoherent, obscene or inflammatory language or threats of any kind
• Attacks on the identity of other commenters or the article's author
• Content that otherwise violates our site's  terms.

User accounts will be blocked if we notice or believe that users are engaged in:

• Continuous attempts to re-post comments that have been previously moderated/rejected
• Racist, sexist, homophobic or other discriminatory comments
• Attempts or tactics that put the site security at risk
• Actions that otherwise violate our site's  terms.

So, how can you be a power user?

• Stay on topic and share your insights
• Feel free to be clear and thoughtful to get your point across
• ‘Like’ or ‘Dislike’ to show your point of view.
• Protect your community.
• Use the report tool to alert us when someone breaks the rules.

Thanks for reading our community guidelines. Please read the full list of posting rules found in our site's  Terms of Service.