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What is the Difference between Success Stories and Case Studies?

Julian lumpkin.

case study of a success story

  • September 1, 2020
  • Using Case Studies

Success Stories and Case Studies are terms that are often used interchangeably. However, there are small but important differences between the two types of B2B marketing content. This article identifies those differences so you can determine which type of content is right for you and your business.

What are Success Stories?

Success Stories are similar to Client Testimonials in that they showcase a client’s high opinion of your company. They identify why the client likes your company, what your company did well, and the specific reasons why the client would recommend you.

However, a Success Story is more formally presented than a Client Testimonial. It’s usually a short, high-quality video or a well-designed one-page PDF. You can think of a Success Story as a lite version of a Case Study.

Click here for an example of one of our Success Stories.

What are Case Studies?

In short, Case Studies contain everything that Success Stories do, but they offer a lot more context. They describe what the client was dealing with, what solution your company installed, and why that solution made such a difference to the client. Case Studies prove the business case for the relationship and allow readers (i.e., your prospects) to really understand how your solution works for another organization.

A Case Study is longer than a Success Story, and its word count can vary anywhere from 500 to 1,500 words. Great Case Studies leverage quotes through the text and often use visuals to illustrate points.

Click here to review our library of the Case Studies we’ve created for our clients.

Whether you prefer Success Stories or Case Studies, both documents are powerful pieces of marketing content that foster trust and engagement between you and your prospects. But creating either content type can be a complicated, in-depth process. If you need help creating yours, reach out to us at [email protected] —we’re happy to help!

case study of a success story

Julian has focused his career on B2B sales and sales management, specifically bringing new technologies to market. After years as an elite sales rep, he began leading teams, specifically focused on coaching sales reps on how to be direct, credible, and respected throughout the sales process. Julian conceived of and designed SuccessKit when running an 18 person sales-team at Axial, a b2b startup, as a way to help sales reps have better conversations by utilizing customer success examples and other content more effectively.

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4 Entrepreneur Success Stories to Learn From

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  • 20 Jan 2022

Entrepreneurship is a risky but potentially rewarding endeavor. According to the online course Entrepreneurship Essentials , 50 percent of startups last five years, and just 25 percent survive 15.

“For every Amazon.com or Uber, there are scores of companies few can remember,” says Harvard Business School Professor William Sahlman in Entrepreneurship Essentials.

So, what separates successful ventures from those that fail?

“When a company succeeds, it’s because it has discovered and made the right moves along the way,” Sahlman says. “It has found out how to create and capture customer value.”

If you’re exploring entrepreneurship or in the early stages of launching a venture, it’s important to learn from others to avoid common pitfalls and discover which decisions impacted a company’s survival. Here are four stories of successful entrepreneurs to inspire your entrepreneurial journey.

Access your free e-book today.

4 Successful Entrepreneur Stories

1. adi dassler of adidas.

Some of today’s biggest brands started with humble beginnings, and no one embodies this better than Adidas founder Adolf “Adi” Dassler.

Dassler’s shoemaking career began in his mother’s washroom in a small town in Bavaria, Germany. It was there that Dassler began designing and cobbling shoes and decided he wanted to make the best possible sports shoe for athletes.

While there were plenty of shoemakers at the time, Dassler was committed to standing out in the market by gathering feedback from athletes about what they looked for in a shoe, what pain points could be improved on, and how they felt about his early models.

This feedback allowed Dassler to craft an athletic shoe that was highly valued by his customers and gave him legitimacy when he registered “Adi Dassler Adidas Sportschuhfabrik” in 1949 at 49 years old. It was that same year the first shoe with the soon-to-become-signature Adidas three stripes was registered.

Dassler’s vision to create the best shoe for athletes proved itself in 1954 when the German national football team won the World Cup final against the Hungarians—while wearing the new model of Adidas cleats.

“Their unbelievable victory would be heard around the world for decades to come,” Adidas states on its website , “and it made Adidas and its founder a household name on football pitches everywhere.”

Since then, Adidas has grown into an international brand known for high-quality athleticwear. Dassler’s story sheds light on the importance of listening to target customers about their dreams, needs, and pain points.

“Adi Dassler’s secret to success had an additional personal ingredient: He met with athletes, listened carefully to what they said, and constantly observed what can be improved or even invented to support their needs,” reads Adidas’s website . “The best of the best trusted Adidas and its founder from the beginning.”

Related: 5 Steps to Validate Your Business Idea

2. Whitney Wolfe Herd of Bumble

After leaving dating app company Tinder and an abusive relationship in 2014, Whitney Wolfe Herd was inspired to create an empowering dating experience for women.

“For all the advances women had been making in workplaces and corridors of power, the gender dynamics of dating and romance still seemed so outdated,” Wolfe Herd writes on Bumble’s website . “I thought, ‘What if I could flip that on its head? What if women made the first move and sent the first message?’”

Wolfe Herd, along with dating app Badoo co-founder Andrey Andreev and former Tinder employees Chris Gulzcynski and Sarah Mick, designed a dating app that requires women to make the first move in heterosexual matches.

The brand took off—largely on college campuses—and the app reached 100,000 downloads in its first month.

As its user base grows, Wolfe Herd remains a strong advocate for gender equality and sexual harassment prevention, building in-app features that block hate speech and blur inappropriate images. Wolfe Herd and her team also lobbied the state of Texas—where the company is headquartered—to pass a law prohibiting the sending of unsolicited lewd photos, which passed in 2019 .

“I’m more dedicated than ever to helping advance gender equality—and putting an end to the misogyny that still plagues society,” Wolfe Herd writes in a letter to Bumble users . She later adds, “I want nothing more than for your connections to be both meaningful and healthy.”

Wolfe Herd’s story serves as a reminder to use your own life for business inspiration and use a cause you care about to differentiate your product and brand in a saturated market.

Related: How to Identify an Underserved Need in the Market

3. Melanie Perkins of Canva

In 2007, Melanie Perkins was working a part-time job while studying in Perth, Australia, teaching students how to use desktop design software. The software was expensive, complex, and required a semester’s worth of instruction to learn how to use, prompting Perkins to ask, “Is there a way this could be simpler and less expensive?”

Perkins’s goal to create an affordable, simple, online design tool was originally turned down by over 100 investors—it wasn’t until three years into her pitching process that Canva received its first investment.

Perkins credits this investment to a shift in her pitching strategy: She began leading with the relatable problem Canva aims to solve.

“A lot of people can relate to going into something like Photoshop and being completely overwhelmed," Perkins said in an interview for Inc . "It's important to tell the story, because if your audience doesn't understand the problem, they won't understand the solution."

Today, 60 million customers use Canva to create designs across 190 countries.

Perkins’s story reflects the importance of effectively communicating the value of a business idea , as well as the tenacity and resilience required for entrepreneurial success.

Related: How to Effectively Pitch a Business Idea

4. Neil Blumenthal, Dave Gilboa, Andy Hunt, and Jeff Raider of Warby Parker

One example mentioned in Entrepreneurship Essentials is that of innovative online eyewear company Warby Parker. In 2008, Wharton MBA student Blumenthal lost his prescription eyeglasses. He was reluctant to purchase a new pair because they were so expensive. He also didn’t want to visit an eyeglass store.

The idea came to him in the middle of the night, and he emailed three friends—Gilboa, Hunt, and Raider—immediately: Why not start an online company to sell prescription glasses at an affordable price?

They set to work, and Warby Parker was poised to launch just after the four founders graduated with their MBA degrees in the spring of 2010—that is, until GQ reached out to Blumenthal about writing an article to be published on February 15 of that year. The founders sped up their process and launched Warby Parker’s website the same day the article was printed .

The article called Warby Parker “the Netflix of eyewear,” driving interested customers to the new site in droves. The founders’ one mistake was forgetting to add a “sold out” functionality to the website. The waitlist for Warby Parker eyewear grew to 20,000 people, and the company hit its first-year sales target in three weeks.

"It was this moment of panic but also a great opportunity for us to provide awesome customer service and write personalized emails to apologize and explain," Blumenthal says in an interview for Inc . "That really set the tone for how we would run customer service."

A few things set Warby Parker apart from the eyewear market at the time:

  • Its online model : A new way of delivering the product helped it break into a stagnant industry
  • Its affordable prices : A pair of Warby Parker frames with prescription lenses cost $95—much less expensive than other brands at the time
  • Its home try-on program : This enabled customers to try on five pairs of glasses and send back the pairs they didn’t want to purchase.
  • Its commitment to giving back : For every pair of glasses purchased, Warby Parker donated a pair to someone in need

Warby Parker donated its millionth pair of glasses in 2019 and continues to be an example of innovation in an existing market.

Which HBS Online Entrepreneurship and Innovation Course is Right for You? | Download Your Free Flowchart

Why Learn from Case Studies?

Reading about the trials, tribulations, decisions, and successes of other entrepreneurs is an effective way to gain insight into what your experience could be like. What common threads do you notice in the aforementioned examples? What characteristics do these successful entrepreneurs share ? Use their experiences as blueprints to inform your strategic approach and in-the-moment decision-making.

When building your entrepreneurial skills, seek out courses that incorporate case studies into their teaching method , such as Entrepreneurship Essentials. Not only can you imagine yourself in their situations, but you can take their wisdom with you on your entrepreneurial journey.

Are you interested in honing your entrepreneurial skills and innovation toolkit? Explore our four-week Entrepreneurship Essentials course and other online entrepreneurship and innovation courses to learn to speak the language of the startup world.

case study of a success story

About the Author

Business growth

Marketing tips

16 case study examples (+ 3 templates to make your own)

Hero image with an icon representing a case study

I like to think of case studies as a business's version of a resume. It highlights what the business can do, lends credibility to its offer, and contains only the positive bullet points that paint it in the best light possible.

Imagine if the guy running your favorite taco truck followed you home so that he could "really dig into how that burrito changed your life." I see the value in the practice. People naturally prefer a tried-and-true burrito just as they prefer tried-and-true products or services.

To help you showcase your success and flesh out your burrito questionnaire, I've put together some case study examples and key takeaways.

What is a case study?

A case study is an in-depth analysis of how your business, product, or service has helped past clients. It can be a document, a webpage, or a slide deck that showcases measurable, real-life results.

For example, if you're a SaaS company, you can analyze your customers' results after a few months of using your product to measure its effectiveness. You can then turn this analysis into a case study that further proves to potential customers what your product can do and how it can help them overcome their challenges.

It changes the narrative from "I promise that we can do X and Y for you" to "Here's what we've done for businesses like yours, and we can do it for you, too."

16 case study examples 

While most case studies follow the same structure, quite a few try to break the mold and create something unique. Some businesses lean heavily on design and presentation, while others pursue a detailed, stat-oriented approach. Some businesses try to mix both.

There's no set formula to follow, but I've found that the best case studies utilize impactful design to engage readers and leverage statistics and case details to drive the point home. A case study typically highlights the companies, the challenges, the solution, and the results. The examples below will help inspire you to do it, too.

1. .css-12hxxzz-Link{all:unset;box-sizing:border-box;-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;cursor:pointer;-webkit-transition:all 300ms ease-in-out;transition:all 300ms ease-in-out;outline-offset:1px;-webkit-text-fill-color:currentColor;outline:1px solid transparent;}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='ocean']{color:var(--zds-text-link, #3d4592);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='ocean']:hover{outline-color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #2b2358);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='ocean']:focus{color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #3d4592);outline-color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #3d4592);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='white']{color:var(--zds-gray-warm-1, #fffdf9);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='white']:hover{color:var(--zds-gray-warm-5, #a8a5a0);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='white']:focus{color:var(--zds-gray-warm-1, #fffdf9);outline-color:var(--zds-gray-warm-1, #fffdf9);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='primary']{color:var(--zds-text-link, #3d4592);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='primary']:hover{color:var(--zds-text-link, #2b2358);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='primary']:focus{color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #3d4592);outline-color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #3d4592);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='secondary']{color:var(--zds-gray-warm-1, #fffdf9);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='secondary']:hover{color:var(--zds-gray-warm-5, #a8a5a0);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='secondary']:focus{color:var(--zds-gray-warm-1, #fffdf9);outline-color:var(--zds-gray-warm-1, #fffdf9);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-weight='inherit']{font-weight:inherit;}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-weight='normal']{font-weight:400;}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-weight='bold']{font-weight:700;} Volcanica Coffee and AdRoll

On top of a background of coffee beans, a block of text with percentage growth statistics for how AdRoll nitro-fueled Volcanica coffee.

People love a good farm-to-table coffee story, and boy am I one of them. But I've shared this case study with you for more reasons than my love of coffee. I enjoyed this study because it was written as though it was a letter.

In this case study, the founder of Volcanica Coffee talks about the journey from founding the company to personally struggling with learning and applying digital marketing to finding and enlisting AdRoll's services.

It felt more authentic, less about AdRoll showcasing their worth and more like a testimonial from a grateful and appreciative client. After the story, the case study wraps up with successes, milestones, and achievements. Note that quite a few percentages are prominently displayed at the top, providing supporting evidence that backs up an inspiring story.

Takeaway: Highlight your goals and measurable results to draw the reader in and provide concise, easily digestible information.

2. .css-12hxxzz-Link{all:unset;box-sizing:border-box;-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;cursor:pointer;-webkit-transition:all 300ms ease-in-out;transition:all 300ms ease-in-out;outline-offset:1px;-webkit-text-fill-color:currentColor;outline:1px solid transparent;}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='ocean']{color:var(--zds-text-link, #3d4592);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='ocean']:hover{outline-color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #2b2358);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='ocean']:focus{color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #3d4592);outline-color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #3d4592);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='white']{color:var(--zds-gray-warm-1, #fffdf9);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='white']:hover{color:var(--zds-gray-warm-5, #a8a5a0);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='white']:focus{color:var(--zds-gray-warm-1, #fffdf9);outline-color:var(--zds-gray-warm-1, #fffdf9);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='primary']{color:var(--zds-text-link, #3d4592);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='primary']:hover{color:var(--zds-text-link, #2b2358);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='primary']:focus{color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #3d4592);outline-color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #3d4592);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='secondary']{color:var(--zds-gray-warm-1, #fffdf9);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='secondary']:hover{color:var(--zds-gray-warm-5, #a8a5a0);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='secondary']:focus{color:var(--zds-gray-warm-1, #fffdf9);outline-color:var(--zds-gray-warm-1, #fffdf9);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-weight='inherit']{font-weight:inherit;}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-weight='normal']{font-weight:400;}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-weight='bold']{font-weight:700;} Taylor Guitars and Airtable

Screenshot of the Taylor Guitars and Airtable case study, with the title: Taylor Guitars brings more music into the world with Airtable

This Airtable case study on Taylor Guitars comes as close as one can to an optimal structure. It features a video that represents the artistic nature of the client, highlighting key achievements and dissecting each element of Airtable's influence.

It also supplements each section with a testimonial or quote from the client, using their insights as a catalyst for the case study's narrative. For example, the case study quotes the social media manager and project manager's insights regarding team-wide communication and access before explaining in greater detail.

Takeaway: Highlight pain points your business solves for its client, and explore that influence in greater detail.

3. .css-12hxxzz-Link{all:unset;box-sizing:border-box;-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;cursor:pointer;-webkit-transition:all 300ms ease-in-out;transition:all 300ms ease-in-out;outline-offset:1px;-webkit-text-fill-color:currentColor;outline:1px solid transparent;}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='ocean']{color:var(--zds-text-link, #3d4592);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='ocean']:hover{outline-color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #2b2358);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='ocean']:focus{color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #3d4592);outline-color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #3d4592);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='white']{color:var(--zds-gray-warm-1, #fffdf9);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='white']:hover{color:var(--zds-gray-warm-5, #a8a5a0);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='white']:focus{color:var(--zds-gray-warm-1, #fffdf9);outline-color:var(--zds-gray-warm-1, #fffdf9);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='primary']{color:var(--zds-text-link, #3d4592);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='primary']:hover{color:var(--zds-text-link, #2b2358);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='primary']:focus{color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #3d4592);outline-color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #3d4592);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='secondary']{color:var(--zds-gray-warm-1, #fffdf9);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='secondary']:hover{color:var(--zds-gray-warm-5, #a8a5a0);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='secondary']:focus{color:var(--zds-gray-warm-1, #fffdf9);outline-color:var(--zds-gray-warm-1, #fffdf9);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-weight='inherit']{font-weight:inherit;}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-weight='normal']{font-weight:400;}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-weight='bold']{font-weight:700;} EndeavourX and Figma

Screenshot of the Endeavour and Figma case study, showing a bulleted list about why EndeavourX chose Figma followed by an image of EndeavourX's workspace on Figma

My favorite part of Figma's case study is highlighting why EndeavourX chose its solution. You'll notice an entire section on what Figma does for teams and then specifically for EndeavourX.

It also places a heavy emphasis on numbers and stats. The study, as brief as it is, still manages to pack in a lot of compelling statistics about what's possible with Figma.

Takeaway: Showcase the "how" and "why" of your product's differentiators and how they benefit your customers.

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Screenshot of Zapier's case study with ActiveCampaign, showing three data visualizations on purple backgrounds

Zapier's case study leans heavily on design, using graphics to present statistics and goals in a manner that not only remains consistent with the branding but also actively pushes it forward, drawing users' eyes to the information most important to them. 

The graphics, emphasis on branding elements, and cause/effect style tell the story without requiring long, drawn-out copy that risks boring readers. Instead, the cause and effect are concisely portrayed alongside the client company's information for a brief and easily scannable case study.

Takeaway: Lean on design to call attention to the most important elements of your case study, and make sure it stays consistent with your branding.

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Screenshot of a video from the Ironclad and OpenAI case study showing the Ironclad AI Assist feature

In true OpenAI fashion, this case study is a block of text. There's a distinct lack of imagery, but the study features a narrated video walking readers through the product.

The lack of imagery and color may not be the most inviting, but utilizing video format is commendable. It helps thoroughly communicate how OpenAI supported Ironclad in a way that allows the user to sit back, relax, listen, and be impressed. 

Takeaway: Get creative with the media you implement in your case study. Videos can be a very powerful addition when a case study requires more detailed storytelling.

6. .css-12hxxzz-Link{all:unset;box-sizing:border-box;-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;cursor:pointer;-webkit-transition:all 300ms ease-in-out;transition:all 300ms ease-in-out;outline-offset:1px;-webkit-text-fill-color:currentColor;outline:1px solid transparent;}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='ocean']{color:var(--zds-text-link, #3d4592);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='ocean']:hover{outline-color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #2b2358);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='ocean']:focus{color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #3d4592);outline-color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #3d4592);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='white']{color:var(--zds-gray-warm-1, #fffdf9);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='white']:hover{color:var(--zds-gray-warm-5, #a8a5a0);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='white']:focus{color:var(--zds-gray-warm-1, #fffdf9);outline-color:var(--zds-gray-warm-1, #fffdf9);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='primary']{color:var(--zds-text-link, #3d4592);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='primary']:hover{color:var(--zds-text-link, #2b2358);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='primary']:focus{color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #3d4592);outline-color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #3d4592);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='secondary']{color:var(--zds-gray-warm-1, #fffdf9);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='secondary']:hover{color:var(--zds-gray-warm-5, #a8a5a0);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='secondary']:focus{color:var(--zds-gray-warm-1, #fffdf9);outline-color:var(--zds-gray-warm-1, #fffdf9);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-weight='inherit']{font-weight:inherit;}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-weight='normal']{font-weight:400;}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-weight='bold']{font-weight:700;} Shopify and GitHub

Screenshot of the Shopify and GitHub case study, with the title "Shopify keeps pushing ecommerce forward with help from GitHub tools," followed by a photo of a plant and a Shopify bag on a table on a dark background

GitHub's case study on Shopify is a light read. It addresses client pain points and discusses the different aspects its product considers and improves for clients. It touches on workflow issues, internal systems, automation, and security. It does a great job of representing what one company can do with GitHub.

To drive the point home, the case study features colorful quote callouts from the Shopify team, sharing their insights and perspectives on the partnership, the key issues, and how they were addressed.

Takeaway: Leverage quotes to boost the authoritativeness and trustworthiness of your case study. 

7 . .css-12hxxzz-Link{all:unset;box-sizing:border-box;-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;cursor:pointer;-webkit-transition:all 300ms ease-in-out;transition:all 300ms ease-in-out;outline-offset:1px;-webkit-text-fill-color:currentColor;outline:1px solid transparent;}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='ocean']{color:var(--zds-text-link, #3d4592);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='ocean']:hover{outline-color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #2b2358);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='ocean']:focus{color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #3d4592);outline-color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #3d4592);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='white']{color:var(--zds-gray-warm-1, #fffdf9);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='white']:hover{color:var(--zds-gray-warm-5, #a8a5a0);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='white']:focus{color:var(--zds-gray-warm-1, #fffdf9);outline-color:var(--zds-gray-warm-1, #fffdf9);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='primary']{color:var(--zds-text-link, #3d4592);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='primary']:hover{color:var(--zds-text-link, #2b2358);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='primary']:focus{color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #3d4592);outline-color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #3d4592);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='secondary']{color:var(--zds-gray-warm-1, #fffdf9);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='secondary']:hover{color:var(--zds-gray-warm-5, #a8a5a0);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='secondary']:focus{color:var(--zds-gray-warm-1, #fffdf9);outline-color:var(--zds-gray-warm-1, #fffdf9);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-weight='inherit']{font-weight:inherit;}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-weight='normal']{font-weight:400;}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-weight='bold']{font-weight:700;} Audible and Contentful

Screenshot of the Audible and Contentful case study showing images of titles on Audible

Contentful's case study on Audible features almost every element a case study should. It includes not one but two videos and clearly outlines the challenge, solution, and outcome before diving deeper into what Contentful did for Audible. The language is simple, and the writing is heavy with quotes and personal insights.

This case study is a uniquely original experience. The fact that the companies in question are perhaps two of the most creative brands out there may be the reason. I expected nothing short of a detailed analysis, a compelling story, and video content. 

Takeaway: Inject some brand voice into the case study, and create assets that tell the story for you.

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Screenshot of Zoom and Asana's case study on a navy blue background and an image of someone sitting on a Zoom call at a desk with the title "Zoom saves 133 work weeks per year with Asana"

Asana's case study on Zoom is longer than the average piece and features detailed data on Zoom's growth since 2020. Instead of relying on imagery and graphics, it features several quotes and testimonials. 

It's designed to be direct, informative, and promotional. At some point, the case study reads more like a feature list. There were a few sections that felt a tad too promotional for my liking, but to each their own burrito.

Takeaway: Maintain a balance between promotional and informative. You want to showcase the high-level goals your product helped achieve without losing the reader.

9 . .css-12hxxzz-Link{all:unset;box-sizing:border-box;-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;cursor:pointer;-webkit-transition:all 300ms ease-in-out;transition:all 300ms ease-in-out;outline-offset:1px;-webkit-text-fill-color:currentColor;outline:1px solid transparent;}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='ocean']{color:var(--zds-text-link, #3d4592);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='ocean']:hover{outline-color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #2b2358);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='ocean']:focus{color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #3d4592);outline-color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #3d4592);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='white']{color:var(--zds-gray-warm-1, #fffdf9);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='white']:hover{color:var(--zds-gray-warm-5, #a8a5a0);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='white']:focus{color:var(--zds-gray-warm-1, #fffdf9);outline-color:var(--zds-gray-warm-1, #fffdf9);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='primary']{color:var(--zds-text-link, #3d4592);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='primary']:hover{color:var(--zds-text-link, #2b2358);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='primary']:focus{color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #3d4592);outline-color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #3d4592);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='secondary']{color:var(--zds-gray-warm-1, #fffdf9);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='secondary']:hover{color:var(--zds-gray-warm-5, #a8a5a0);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='secondary']:focus{color:var(--zds-gray-warm-1, #fffdf9);outline-color:var(--zds-gray-warm-1, #fffdf9);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-weight='inherit']{font-weight:inherit;}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-weight='normal']{font-weight:400;}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-weight='bold']{font-weight:700;} Hickies and Mailchimp

Screenshot of the Hickies and Mailchimp case study with the title in a fun orange font, followed by a paragraph of text and a photo of a couple sitting on a couch looking at each other and smiling

I've always been a fan of Mailchimp's comic-like branding, and this case study does an excellent job of sticking to their tradition of making information easy to understand, casual, and inviting.

It features a short video that briefly covers Hickies as a company and Mailchimp's efforts to serve its needs for customer relationships and education processes. Overall, this case study is a concise overview of the partnership that manages to convey success data and tell a story at the same time. What sets it apart is that it does so in a uniquely colorful and brand-consistent manner.

Takeaway: Be concise to provide as much value in as little text as possible.

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Screenshot of NVIDIA and Workday's case study with a photo of a group of people standing around a tall desk and smiling and the title "NVIDIA hires game changers"

The gaming industry is notoriously difficult to recruit for, as it requires a very specific set of skills and experience. This case study focuses on how Workday was able to help fill that recruitment gap for NVIDIA, one of the biggest names in the gaming world.

Though it doesn't feature videos or graphics, this case study stood out to me in how it structures information like "key products used" to give readers insight into which tools helped achieve these results.

Takeaway: If your company offers multiple products or services, outline exactly which ones were involved in your case study, so readers can assess each tool.

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Screenshot of KFC and Contentful's case study showing the outcome of the study, showing two stats: 43% increase in YoY digital sales and 50%+ increase in AU digital sales YoY

I'm personally not a big KFC fan, but that's only because I refuse to eat out of a bucket. My aversion to the bucket format aside, Contentful follows its consistent case study format in this one, outlining challenges, solutions, and outcomes before diving into the nitty-gritty details of the project.

Say what you will about KFC, but their primary product (chicken) does present a unique opportunity for wordplay like "Continuing to march to the beat of a digital-first drum(stick)" or "Delivering deep-fried goodness to every channel."

Takeaway: Inject humor into your case study if there's room for it and if it fits your brand. 

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Screenshot of the Intuit and Twilio case study on a dark background with three small, light green icons illustrating three important data points

Twilio does an excellent job of delivering achievements at the very beginning of the case study and going into detail in this two-minute read. While there aren't many graphics, the way quotes from the Intuit team are implemented adds a certain flair to the study and breaks up the sections nicely.

It's simple, concise, and manages to fit a lot of information in easily digestible sections.

Takeaway: Make sure each section is long enough to inform but brief enough to avoid boring readers. Break down information for each section, and don't go into so much detail that you lose the reader halfway through.

13. .css-12hxxzz-Link{all:unset;box-sizing:border-box;-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;cursor:pointer;-webkit-transition:all 300ms ease-in-out;transition:all 300ms ease-in-out;outline-offset:1px;-webkit-text-fill-color:currentColor;outline:1px solid transparent;}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='ocean']{color:var(--zds-text-link, #3d4592);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='ocean']:hover{outline-color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #2b2358);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='ocean']:focus{color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #3d4592);outline-color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #3d4592);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='white']{color:var(--zds-gray-warm-1, #fffdf9);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='white']:hover{color:var(--zds-gray-warm-5, #a8a5a0);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='white']:focus{color:var(--zds-gray-warm-1, #fffdf9);outline-color:var(--zds-gray-warm-1, #fffdf9);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='primary']{color:var(--zds-text-link, #3d4592);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='primary']:hover{color:var(--zds-text-link, #2b2358);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='primary']:focus{color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #3d4592);outline-color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #3d4592);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='secondary']{color:var(--zds-gray-warm-1, #fffdf9);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='secondary']:hover{color:var(--zds-gray-warm-5, #a8a5a0);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='secondary']:focus{color:var(--zds-gray-warm-1, #fffdf9);outline-color:var(--zds-gray-warm-1, #fffdf9);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-weight='inherit']{font-weight:inherit;}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-weight='normal']{font-weight:400;}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-weight='bold']{font-weight:700;} Spotify and Salesforce

Screenshot of Spotify and Salesforce's case study showing a still of a video with the title "Automation keeps Spotify's ad business growing year over year"

Salesforce created a video that accurately summarizes the key points of the case study. Beyond that, the page itself is very light on content, and sections are as short as one paragraph.

I especially like how information is broken down into "What you need to know," "Why it matters," and "What the difference looks like." I'm not ashamed of being spoon-fed information. When it's structured so well and so simply, it makes for an entertaining read.

14. .css-12hxxzz-Link{all:unset;box-sizing:border-box;-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;cursor:pointer;-webkit-transition:all 300ms ease-in-out;transition:all 300ms ease-in-out;outline-offset:1px;-webkit-text-fill-color:currentColor;outline:1px solid transparent;}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='ocean']{color:var(--zds-text-link, #3d4592);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='ocean']:hover{outline-color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #2b2358);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='ocean']:focus{color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #3d4592);outline-color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #3d4592);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='white']{color:var(--zds-gray-warm-1, #fffdf9);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='white']:hover{color:var(--zds-gray-warm-5, #a8a5a0);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='white']:focus{color:var(--zds-gray-warm-1, #fffdf9);outline-color:var(--zds-gray-warm-1, #fffdf9);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='primary']{color:var(--zds-text-link, #3d4592);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='primary']:hover{color:var(--zds-text-link, #2b2358);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='primary']:focus{color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #3d4592);outline-color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #3d4592);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='secondary']{color:var(--zds-gray-warm-1, #fffdf9);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='secondary']:hover{color:var(--zds-gray-warm-5, #a8a5a0);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='secondary']:focus{color:var(--zds-gray-warm-1, #fffdf9);outline-color:var(--zds-gray-warm-1, #fffdf9);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-weight='inherit']{font-weight:inherit;}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-weight='normal']{font-weight:400;}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-weight='bold']{font-weight:700;} Benchling and Airtable

Screenshot of the Benchling and Airtable case study with the title: How Benchling achieves scientific breakthroughs via efficiency

Benchling is an impressive entity in its own right. Biotech R&D and health care nuances go right over my head. But the research and digging I've been doing in the name of these burritos (case studies) revealed that these products are immensely complex. 

And that's precisely why this case study deserves a read—it succeeds at explaining a complex project that readers outside the industry wouldn't know much about.

Takeaway: Simplify complex information, and walk readers through the company's operations and how your business helped streamline them.

15. .css-12hxxzz-Link{all:unset;box-sizing:border-box;-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;cursor:pointer;-webkit-transition:all 300ms ease-in-out;transition:all 300ms ease-in-out;outline-offset:1px;-webkit-text-fill-color:currentColor;outline:1px solid transparent;}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='ocean']{color:var(--zds-text-link, #3d4592);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='ocean']:hover{outline-color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #2b2358);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='ocean']:focus{color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #3d4592);outline-color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #3d4592);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='white']{color:var(--zds-gray-warm-1, #fffdf9);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='white']:hover{color:var(--zds-gray-warm-5, #a8a5a0);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='white']:focus{color:var(--zds-gray-warm-1, #fffdf9);outline-color:var(--zds-gray-warm-1, #fffdf9);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='primary']{color:var(--zds-text-link, #3d4592);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='primary']:hover{color:var(--zds-text-link, #2b2358);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='primary']:focus{color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #3d4592);outline-color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #3d4592);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='secondary']{color:var(--zds-gray-warm-1, #fffdf9);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='secondary']:hover{color:var(--zds-gray-warm-5, #a8a5a0);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='secondary']:focus{color:var(--zds-gray-warm-1, #fffdf9);outline-color:var(--zds-gray-warm-1, #fffdf9);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-weight='inherit']{font-weight:inherit;}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-weight='normal']{font-weight:400;}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-weight='bold']{font-weight:700;} Chipotle and Hubble

Screenshot of the Chipotle and Hubble case study with the title "Mexican food chain replaces Discoverer with Hubble and sees major efficiency improvements," followed by a photo of the outside of a Chipotle restaurant

The concision of this case study is refreshing. It features two sections—the challenge and the solution—all in 316 words. This goes to show that your case study doesn't necessarily need to be a four-figure investment with video shoots and studio time. 

Sometimes, the message is simple and short enough to convey in a handful of paragraphs.

Takeaway: Consider what you should include instead of what you can include. Assess the time, resources, and effort you're able and willing to invest in a case study, and choose which elements you want to include from there.

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Screenshot of Hudl and Zapier's case study, showing data visualizations at the bottom, two photos of people playing sports on the top right , and a quote from the Hudl team on the topleft

I may be biased, but I'm a big fan of seeing metrics and achievements represented in branded graphics. It can be a jarring experience to navigate a website, then visit a case study page and feel as though you've gone to a completely different website.

The case study is essentially the summary, and the blog article is the detailed analysis that provides context beyond X achievement or Y goal.

Takeaway: Keep your case study concise and informative. Create other resources to provide context under your blog, media or press, and product pages.

3 case study templates

Now that you've had your fill of case studies (if that's possible), I've got just what you need: an infinite number of case studies, which you can create yourself with these case study templates.

Case study template 1

Screenshot of Zapier's first case study template, with the title and three spots for data callouts at the top on a light peach-colored background, followed by a place to write the main success of the case study on a dark green background

If you've got a quick hit of stats you want to show off, try this template. The opening section gives space for a short summary and three visually appealing stats you can highlight, followed by a headline and body where you can break the case study down more thoroughly. This one's pretty simple, with only sections for solutions and results, but you can easily continue the formatting to add more sections as needed.

Case study template 2

Screenshot of Zapier's second case study template, with the title, objectives, and overview on a dark blue background with an orange strip in the middle with a place to write the main success of the case study

For a case study template with a little more detail, use this one. Opening with a striking cover page for a quick overview, this one goes on to include context, stakeholders, challenges, multiple quote callouts, and quick-hit stats. 

Case study template 3

Screenshot of Zapier's third case study template, with the places for title, objectives, and about the business on a dark green background followed by three spots for data callouts in orange boxes

Whether you want a little structural variation or just like a nice dark green, this template has similar components to the last template but is designed to help tell a story. Move from the client overview through a description of your company before getting to the details of how you fixed said company's problems.

Tips for writing a case study

Examples are all well and good, but you don't learn how to make a burrito just by watching tutorials on YouTube without knowing what any of the ingredients are. You could , but it probably wouldn't be all that good.

Have an objective: Define your objective by identifying the challenge, solution, and results. Assess your work with the client and focus on the most prominent wins. You're speaking to multiple businesses and industries through the case study, so make sure you know what you want to say to them.

Focus on persuasive data: Growth percentages and measurable results are your best friends. Extract your most compelling data and highlight it in your case study.

Use eye-grabbing graphics: Branded design goes a long way in accurately representing your brand and retaining readers as they review the study. Leverage unique and eye-catching graphics to keep readers engaged. 

Simplify data presentation: Some industries are more complex than others, and sometimes, data can be difficult to understand at a glance. Make sure you present your data in the simplest way possible. Make it concise, informative, and easy to understand.

Use automation to drive results for your case study

A case study example is a source of inspiration you can leverage to determine how to best position your brand's work. Find your unique angle, and refine it over time to help your business stand out. Ask anyone: the best burrito in town doesn't just appear at the number one spot. They find their angle (usually the house sauce) and leverage it to stand out.

Case study FAQ

Got your case study template? Great—it's time to gather the team for an awkward semi-vague data collection task. While you do that, here are some case study quick answers for you to skim through while you contemplate what to call your team meeting.

What is an example of a case study?

An example of a case study is when a software company analyzes its results from a client project and creates a webpage, presentation, or document that focuses on high-level results, challenges, and solutions in an attempt to showcase effectiveness and promote the software.

How do you write a case study?

To write a good case study, you should have an objective, identify persuasive and compelling data, leverage graphics, and simplify data. Case studies typically include an analysis of the challenge, solution, and results of the partnership.

What is the format of a case study?

While case studies don't have a set format, they're often portrayed as reports or essays that inform readers about the partnership and its results. 

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Hachem Ramki

Hachem is a writer and digital marketer from Montreal. After graduating with a degree in English, Hachem spent seven years traveling around the world before moving to Canada. When he's not writing, he enjoys Basketball, Dungeons and Dragons, and playing music for friends and family.

  • Content marketing

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15 Marketing Case Study Examples With Standout Success Stories

Some marketing campaigns leave a lasting impression. We’ve gathered insights from CEOs and marketing leaders to share one standout marketing case study that resonates with them.

Tomas Laurinavicius Avatar

Tomas Laurinavicius

15 Marketing Case Study Examples With Standout Success Stories

Table of Contents

Dove’s real beauty campaign impact, oatly’s bold brand strategy, rockervox’s tax credit success, local bookstore’s community engagement, coca-cola’s personalized brand experience, dropbox’s viral referral program, authentic influencer marketing for cpg brand, airbnb’s “we accept” social impact, amul’s topical and humorous campaigns, axe’s “find your magic” brand refresh, squatty potty’s humorous viral video, old spice’s viral humor campaign, red bull stratos’s high-flying publicity, maple dental’s seo success story, dollar shave club’s viral launch video.

Some marketing campaigns leave a lasting impression.

We’ve gathered insights from CEOs and marketing leaders to share one standout marketing case study that resonates with them.

From Dove’s Real Beauty Campaign’s impact to Dollar Shave Club’s viral launch video, explore fifteen memorable marketing triumphs that these experts can’t forget.

  • AXE’s ‘Find Your Magic’ Brand Refresh

One marketing case study that has always stayed with me is the Dove Real Beauty Campaign. It really struck a chord when it launched in 2004, challenging the beauty standards and celebrating women’s diversity. What made it stand out was the “Real Beauty Sketches” video, where women described themselves to a sketch artist. Seeing the stark contrast between their self-perceptions and how others saw them was incredibly eye-opening and touching.

What I found so compelling about this campaign was its message of self-acceptance and empowerment. Dove didn’t just try to sell products; they took a stand for something much bigger, and it resonated deeply with people. Using video storytelling was a genius move as it made the message more impactful and shareable. I believe Dove showed how brands can make a real difference by addressing important social issues in an authentic and meaningful way.

case study of a success story

Nicole Dunn , CEO, PR and Marketing Expert, Dunn Pellier Media

As a content and brand marketer, Oatly’s brand strategy always inspires me. They are a textbook example of comprehensive brand-building.

Their visual style is instantly recognizable—bold, disruptive, and often filled with humor, making oat milk a statement and something you’d be proud to display on your shelves or socials.

Their tone of voice is witty, sometimes cheeky. They’ve even printed negative feedback on their packaging, which really just shows how they court controversy to spark conversations and enhance their brand’s visibility.

And there’s a strong story behind Oatly, too. They promote sustainability and aren’t shy about their environmental impact, which has simply helped them grow an enthusiastic community of environmental advocates. Clever in endless ways, such that tons of oat milk brands have followed suit.

case study of a success story

Wisia Neo , Content Marketing Manager, ViB

One standout marketing case study that sticks with me is the implementation of our RockerVox Restaurant Bundle, aimed at optimizing cash flow through targeted use of employer-based tax credits. The power of this case study lies in its immediate financial impact on the client, a local restaurant chain that was struggling to keep its doors open in the wake of the pandemic.

By integrating the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) and other relevant tax schemes into their payroll setup, we enabled the restaurant to reclaim a significant amount in tax credits. The real game-changer was not just the financial relief but also how it was achieved. We combined this with StaffedUp’s Applicant Tracking System, which improved their hiring processes and decreased employee turnover. This holistic approach led to a sustainable improvement in their operations and cash flow.

What made this case study so great was its tangible results. The restaurant saw a cash flow improvement of over 100%. This wasn’t just a number on a report—it meant being able to invest back into the business, enhance their services, and ultimately, keep their community fed and employed. This approach of integrating technology with financial strategy can be adapted by other businesses striving for similar resilience and growth, especially in times of economic difficulty.

case study of a success story

Philip Wentworth, Jr , Co-Founder and CEO, Rockerbox

Certainly, one particularly impactful marketing strategy I led at FireRock Marketing involved a small local bookstore that was facing steep competition from online retailers. Our challenge was to increase foot traffic and reinforce the store’s brand presence in a highly digitalized market.

We initiated a campaign called “Local Pages, Local Stages,” where we leveraged digital marketing alongside community engagement. The bookstore held monthly events featuring local authors and artists, which we promoted heavily through targeted social media ads, email marketing, and local influencer partnerships. This multifaceted approach tapped into the community’s growing interest in supporting local ventures, enhancing visibility significantly.

The outcomes were remarkable. Over the campaign’s six-month duration, in-store sales increased by 40%, and the bookstore saw a 65% rise in attendance at events, which also boosted ancillary revenue from merchandise and cafe sales. Additionally, social media engagement metrics increased by over 150%, reflecting greater brand awareness.

This case study sticks with me because it exemplifies the power of combining digital strategies with community-based marketing to create a sustainable growth model. It shows how businesses can use holistic, integrated approaches to effectively adapt to new consumer behaviors and competitive landscapes.

case study of a success story

Ryan Esco , Chief Marketing Officer, FireRock Marketing

A memorable marketing case study is the “Share a Coke” campaign by Coca-Cola. Initially launched in Australia in 2011, this campaign personalized the Coke experience by replacing the iconic Coca-Cola logo on bottles with common first names.

The idea was to encourage people to find bottles with their names or those of their friends and family, creating a more personal connection to the brand. The campaign was an enormous hit and was quickly rolled out worldwide, incorporating more names and even terms of endearment in different languages.

The brilliance of this campaign lay in its use of personalization, which tapped directly into the social media trend of sharing personal moments. People enthusiastically shared their personalized Coke bottles on various social media platforms, significantly amplifying the campaign’s reach beyond traditional advertising media.

This strategy boosted sales and reinforced Coca-Cola’s position as a fun and innovative brand. The “Share a Coke” campaign is a powerful example of how traditional products can be revitalized through creative marketing strategies that engage consumers personally.

case study of a success story

Sahil Kakkar , CEO and Founder, RankWatch

For me, a standout marketing case study that really sticks with me is Dropbox’s referral program strategy back in their early days. By offering free storage space for every successful referral, they incentivized existing users to spread the word organically, resulting in exponential growth at virtually no acquisition cost.

What made this case study so brilliant was how elegantly it aligned product experience with viral sharing. Users had a vested interest in sharing Dropbox since it directly expanded their own cloud storage. This created a self-perpetuating cycle where better product engagement fueled more referrals, which then improved engagement further.

It was an ingenious lever that capitalized on the inherent sharing dynamics of their service to ignite explosive growth. The simplicity and potency of this growth hack is what truly resonates as a paragon of effective guerrilla marketing.

case study of a success story

Ben Walker , Founder and CEO, Ditto Transcripts

One marketing case study that has always stuck with me was a campaign I led for a major CPG brand a few years back. The goal was to increase awareness and trial of their new line of organic snacks among millennial moms in a crowded market.

We developed an influencer seeding strategy focused on relatable mom micro-influencers on Instagram. Instead of just sending products, we worked with the influencers to develop authentic content that told real stories about the role of snacking and nutrition in busy family life. The photos and videos felt genuine, not overly polished or promotional.

Engagement was through the roof—the content resonated so strongly with the target audience. By the end of the 3-month campaign, we increased awareness by 45% and trial by over 20%. The CPG brand was thrilled, and the case study became an example we still reference today of the power of influencer marketing done right. Authenticity wins.

case study of a success story

Gert Kulla , CEO, RedBat.Agency

One marketing case study that stuck with me was the Airbnb “We Accept” campaign, launched in 2017, focusing on social impact. This response to the global refugee crisis aimed to promote inclusivity, diversity, and acceptance within communities worldwide.

What made this case study remarkable was its ability to leverage the Airbnb platform to facilitate connections between hosts and displaced persons, providing them with temporary housing and support.

Airbnb demonstrated its commitment to using its platform for social good and making a tangible difference in the lives of those in need. This aligned with its mission to create a world where anyone can belong anywhere.

At the end of the day, Airbnb’s “We Accept” campaign was a compelling case study showing brands how to address social issues, promote inclusivity, and drive positive change in communities worldwide.

case study of a success story

Peter Bryla , Community Manager, ResumeLab

One standout marketing case study that sticks with me is the “Amul” marketing campaigns by Amul, the iconic Indian dairy cooperative, make for excellent and impactful case studies as well. Here’s why Amul’s marketing stands out:

The Amul Girl – The mascot of a mischievous, friendly butter girl has become one of India’s most recognizable brand icons since her inception in 1966. Her presence on topical ads commenting on the latest news and pop culture trends has made Amul’s billboards a long-standing source of joy and relevance.

Topicality – Amul’s billboards and newspaper ads are renowned for their topicality and ability to humorously comment on major events, celebrity happenings, and political developments within hours. This real-time marketing has kept the brand part of daily conversations for decades.

Humor – The not-so-secret sauce is the brilliant use of puns, wordplay, and satirical humor that Amul consistently delivers through the eyes of the Amul Girl. The healthy, inoffensive jokes have earned a cult following.

Longevity – Very few brands can boast an equally iconic and successful campaign running for over 50 years, still keeping audiences engaged across multiple generations. The long-running property itself has become a case study in sustaining relevance.

Local Connect – While achieving pan-India recognition, the puns often play on regional language nuances, striking a chord with Amul’s Gujarati roots and building a personal connection with local consumers.

The impact of Amul’s long-running topical billboard campaign is unmatched—it has not only strengthened brand recognition and loyalty but has also made the cooperative a beloved part of India’s popular culture and daily life. Creativity, agility, and contextual marketing at its best!

case study of a success story

Yash Gangwal , Founder, Urban Monkey

Axe (Lynx in the UK) had created a problematic brand image from past marketing efforts. Their focus on ‘attraction is connected to conquest’ hadn’t dissuaded men from buying their deodorants, but had a toxic effect on perceptions of women. Research conducted on brand equity showed that brand equity was declining, with this perception of the brand aging poorly and desperately needing a refresh to continue allowing the brand to be relevant for the future.

That led to a superb partnership with creative agency 72andSunny Amsterdam. Unilever was able to tap into an entirely new philosophy for its brand:

Empower men to be the most attractive man they could be – themselves.

With that idea in mind, 2016 saw the launch of the AXE ‘Find Your Magic’ commercial, a stunning celebration of the diversity of modern masculinity. The campaign also saw the release of a new range of premium grooming products and a supporting influencer marketing campaign featuring brand ambassadors, including John Legend.

While not all parts of the creative were successful, the campaign drove more than 39 million views and 4 billion media impressions in the first quarter after the launch. But most critically, AXE saw a 30+% increase in positive perception of their brand.

This campaign will stand the test of time because it combines several important and brave initiatives:

  • A forward-thinking mentality that the brand image you have today may not be suited for a future world
  • A broader understanding of what your customer base looks like – women also play a big role in men’s choice of deodorant
  • A big and bold attempt to change the way your brand is perceived – and succeeding with flying colors.

case study of a success story

Yannis Dimitroulas , SEO and Digital Marketing Specialist, Front & Centre

One standout marketing case study that sticks with me is the campaign for Squatty Potty. The brand created a humorous video featuring a unicorn pooping rainbow ice cream to demonstrate the benefits of using their product. This unconventional approach garnered widespread attention and went viral, generating millions of views and shares on social media platforms.

The success of this campaign can be attributed to its creative storytelling, humor, and shock value, which made it memorable and engaging for viewers. By thinking outside the box and taking a risk with their messaging, Squatty Potty was able to create a unique and effective marketing strategy that resonated with consumers.

This case study serves as a reminder that creativity and originality can set a brand apart in a crowded marketplace, ultimately leading to increased brand awareness and customer engagement.

case study of a success story

Carly Hill , Operations Manager, Virtual Holiday Party

The Old Spice ‘The Man Your Man Could Smell Like’ campaign remains etched in my memory. Its brilliance lies in its humor and creativity. By featuring a charismatic spokesperson and employing absurd scenarios, it captured viewers’ attention and went viral.

The campaign seamlessly integrated across platforms, from TV to social media, maximizing its reach. Its cleverness and entertainment value made it unforgettable, setting a benchmark for engaging marketing strategies. The case study showcases the importance of storytelling and humor in capturing audience interest and driving brand awareness.

case study of a success story

Dan Ponomarenko , CEO, Webvizio

A marketing case study that has made a lasting impression on me is the Red Bull Stratos Jump. This campaign was for Felix Baumgartner’s record-breaking jump from the edge of space, sponsored by Red Bull. The goal of this campaign was to create buzz and generate brand awareness through this extreme event.

The reason why this case study stands out to me is because of its successful execution in capturing the attention and interest of not just extreme sports enthusiasts, but also the general public.

The live broadcast of Baumgartner’s jump on various channels and social media platforms garnered over 52 million views, making it one of the most-watched live events ever. Red Bull’s strategic use of real-time marketing, storytelling, and high-quality visuals made this campaign a huge success, resulting in a significant increase in sales and brand recognition for the company.

This case study serves as a great example of how a well-planned and executed marketing campaign can effectively reach and engage with a wide audience.

case study of a success story

Brian Hemmerle , Founder and CEO, Kentucky Sell Now

One standout marketing case study that resonates with me is the SEO transformation for Maple Dental. This campaign dramatically improved their local online visibility, leading to a substantial increase in new patient appointments. The integration of Google Maps SEO proved to be a game-changer, emphasizing the power of local search optimization in attracting nearby clients.

What made this case study exceptional was the measurable impact on the clinic’s business. For instance, the campaign led to a 230% increase in phone calls and a 223% increase in website visits. Such clear, quantifiable results showcased a direct contribution to business growth. These metrics are vital for demonstrating the return on investment in digital marketing efforts.

Additionally, the use of a targeted approach to enhance Google Maps visibility was particularly compelling. By optimizing their presence on Google Maps, Maple Dental saw a 250% increase in monthly maps impressions, which directly correlated with increased patient inquiries and visits.

case study of a success story

Ihor Lavrenenko , CEO, Dental SEO Expert

One case study that always comes to mind is Dollar Shave Club’s launch video in 2012. It was called “Our Blades Are F*cking Great,” and let’s just say it got people talking! This video was hilarious and totally different from those fancy shaving commercials we were used to seeing. It spoke directly to guys, poked fun at expensive razor prices, and offered a way to get awesome blades for much less.

Additionally, it told everyone to check out their website. It was short, catchy, and made a huge impact. This is a perfect example of how a creative and funny video can grab attention, make people remember your brand, and get them to become customers.

case study of a success story

Perry Zheng , Founder and CEO, Pallas

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10 B2B Case Study Examples to Inspire Your Next Customer Success Story

Zeynep Avan

  • October 24, 2023

case study of a success story

Case studies, also known as customer stories, are valuable content assets for attracting new customers and showing your expertise in a competitive market.

The more case studies you have, the simpler it gets for your customers to make decisions.

Case studies provide a firsthand experience of what it’s like to use your product or service, and it can give an “Aha!” moment to potential customers.

While product demos and white papers are great for generating leads, their use is limited to highlighting product features. 

On the other hand, case studies showcase the transformation a business has undergone while using your product.

A case study offers potential customers a glimpse of the positive changes they can expect, which is more compelling than simply showcasing your product or service’s excellence.

  • Customer mission should be given at the beginning
  • Follow up about specifics and metrics
  • Use quotes from their side to highlight
  • Work out the biggest benefits of your offering and make reference to them
  • Make sure your success story follows a brief and logical story structure

In this article, we’ll review 10 examples of outstanding case studies that have collectively helped secure millions in new client business. Let’s get started.

What Is A Case Study?

In simple terms, a case study highlights how a product or service has helped a business solve a problem, achieve a goal, or make its operations easier. 

In many ways, it’s a glorified and stretched-out client testimonial that introduces you to the problem that the customer is facing and the solution that the product has helped deliver. 

Case studies are invaluable assets for B2B SaaS, where sales cycles tend to get lengthy and costly. They’re a one-time investment that showcases your product’s features and benefits in rooms your sales team can’t be in. 

What Makes A Good Case Study? 

There is no one-size-fits approach to a good case study. 

Some case studies work better as long, prose-forward, and story-driven blog posts. Whereas some are better as quick and fast-fact content that doesn’t add to the chatter but gets straight to the point. 

Here are some of the tenets of good case studies:

  • Product-Led : Focuses on showcasing the product as the solution to a specific problem or challenge.
  • Timely : Addresses the current issues or trends relevant to the business’s ideal customer profile (ICP) . 
  • Well-structured: Follows a clear, organized format with easily digestible writing style and synthesis. 
  • Story-driven: Tells a compelling and relatable story that puts the reader in the customer’s shoes. 

Case studies must tell the customer’s story regardless of style or content density.

Other than that, visuals in case studies are powerful in increasing conversion rates, by providing real evidence and taking attention.

Companies can also use their website, social media, and newsletters to promote case studies and increase visibility.

Below, we have ten diverse case study examples that embody these principles. 

B2B Case Study Template from Our Team

We will share great and proven B2B case study examples that you can get inspired by in the following section, but before that, let’s take a look at an easy and effective template from our team.

b2b case study template

10 Best B2B Case Study Examples To Take Inspiration From

Plaid is a fintech company specializing in equipping users with a secure platform to connect their bank details to online applications. Addressing the pressing concern of financial security, Plaid leverages compelling case studies to showcase the remarkable transformations their clients experience.

Take Plaid’s case study of Betterment, for example. 

plaid b2b case study example

The study begins by stating the goal that the customer is trying to achieve, which is to “onboard new users and drive engagement.” Right next to the goal is company details, and followed below is a singular problem and its solution.

The case study continues by keeping the business’ desired result front and center and offers a generous outlook on the SaaS business.

plaid case study

The core process of how Plaid helps Betterment is cleanly laid out, which is a brief version of a ten-page white paper. 

benefit statement in plaid

What follows are several benefits that Plaid offered to Betterment. 

plaid betterment case study

Plaid’s subtle yet effective product integration and clear, well-organized process make it simple for customers facing similar challenges to envision the solution.

2. SalesHandy

SalesHandy is an email automation software that personalizes high-volume cold emails. The company heroes client success stories for its case studies and opens the heading with their wins. 

Check out this B2B case study example from Sedin’s case study published by SalesHandy.

saleshandy problem statement

Readers need context, and case studies should always begin by outlining the exact problems their product or platform aims to solve. 

Here, SalesHandy expertly introduces us to Sedin’s use case and the challenges that the business is facing.

saleshandy use case statement

After a lengthy context, the case study highlights Sedin’s core challenge in the words of its personnel. 

This personable approach ropes readers in and lets them empathize with Sedin’s challenges. 

saleshandy quote use in case study

With a single scroll in, SalesHandy lays out the solutions to Sedin’s core challenges and integrates its product. 

b2b case study example from saleshandy

This highly detailed case study covers all corners and includes the exceptional results achieved in record time. SalesHandy closes the study with a word from the character already introduced to the readers. 

saleshandy sedin case study example

SalesHandy doesn’t shy away from giving a detailed account of its process, which is crucial for highly technical products and enterprise packages that involve multiple decision-makers. 

B2B Case studies, first and foremost, should be written in a language that your ICP understands. 

playvox case study headline

Playvox is a customer service platform that helps businesses streamline business operations. 

This industry-specific case study of Sweaty Betty by Playvox addresses unique challenges within a niche industry, such as account assessment times for retail and online shops. 

The case study starts with the results it achieved for Sweaty Betty. 

case studies include numers

The case study follows a straightforward, albeit impactful, challenges-solution-results format as we scroll down. 

But instead of listing out solutions in bullet points, Playvox uses customer voice to present the transformation that Sweaty Betty went through. 

playvox sweaty betty solution

With this formatting, Playvox doesn’t have to tout the platform’s usefulness. Sweaty Betty is doing it for them. 

4. Base Search Marketing

We promised diverse case studies, and here is a stellar B2B case study example of a single deck case study of Shine Cosmetics by Base Search Marketing.  

Base Search Marketing is a boutique link-building and SEO agency that works with startups and mid-level businesses. 

base search marketing format

This case study, which can be reviewed as a brochure, gives you an overview of the customer and lays out the challenges that the business is facing. 

You’ll notice how the study uses the CEO’s quote to mention a pretty universal problem that most startups face: “limited resources.”

By highlighting the results in the left tab and laying out the process on the right side, this case study does a masterful job of covering all corners and telling a desirable customer success story.

Another approachable form of case study is slide decks, which you can present in boardrooms and meetings and act as a sales pitch. 

loganix case study slide example

Loganix nails it with its case study deck for rankings.io. 

If you have a complicated product or service requiring an in-depth explanation, then using this format would be a great option. 

The solution, stated in simple bullet points, drives the message home.

loganix bullet points

Fewer words. Cleaner decks.

Using this methodology lets the audience walk through the case study with visuals, bullet points, and concise text. 

6. CoSchedule

CoSchedule is a SaaS leader in the social media space, and this Outcome-led Case Study proves just why it is so good at capturing the markets.

The study kicks off with a result-forward headline, piquing the interest of readers who are interested in getting similar outcomes. 

coschedule outcome-led case study example

There’s much to appreciate in this succinctly written case study, but the headlines get our attention and hold it.

With every scroll, results are presented to you in the form of graphs, quotes, and visuals. 

loganix graphics

The study ends with a quote from the customer, which repeats the outcome stated in the headline. 

end with quote example

Leading remote teams is a challenge that numerous teams will face moving forward. CoSchedule makes operations easy for these teams, and it doesn’t shy away from stating just how through its case study. 

7. Wizehire

Case studies have evolved from lengthy blocks of text confined to PDFs to a new digital era emphasizing impact over verbosity.

Wizehire’s succinct case study is a prime example of this shift. It uses fewer words to create a powerful impression.

wizehire example of case study

From the very first page, the case study introduces us to Kris, the customer and central figure of the story. Without the need for extensive scrolling, we quickly grasp vital details about Kris: his role, employee turnover, location, and industry. 

In the second slide, we are immediately taken to the solution that Kris got by working with Wizehire. 

wizehire b2b case study examples

The case study ends with a passionate testimonial from Kris, who deeply believes in Wizehire. 

testimonial example

The case study has less than 300 words, enough for local entrepreneurs like Kris Morales, who want to hire talent but don’t have the resources for proper vetting and training. Until, of course, Wizehire comes along. 

8. FreshBooks

When a reader can see themselves in a case study, it takes them one step closer to wanting to try the product.

This case study by Freshbooks uses a beautiful personal story of an emerging entrepreneur. 

freshbooks case study example

Using a deeply personal story, the study appeals to people who are just starting and aren’t accountants but suddenly have to deal with employee invoices and a dozen other bills. 

The text progresses in an interview-style study, with the customer taking the mic and illustrating the challenges that startups and small businesses face. 

freshbooks challenge statement in case study

This style works because readers crave insights directly from customers. Getting authentic testimonials is becoming increasingly challenging. Well-crafted case studies can be valuable substitutes, provided they seem realistic and from the heart. 

Featuring quotes or testimonials from satisfied customers throughout the case study adds to its credibility and authenticity. Just like this testimonial Case Study by Slack .

slack testimonal case study

Slack is a giant in the realm of digital communication, with more than 20 million active users worldwide. However, it is tough to break into the market of group communications. After all, Slack competes with both WhatsApp and Microsoft Team regarding market share. 

To level the playing field, Slack features case studies from top entrepreneurs and market players who have been served well by it. 

slack case study

Its case studies are laden with personal stories about how the platform boosts productivity. 

At the same time, the software also plugs in the “try for free” banner to make sure that customers are aware of the inexpensive nature of the software.

It’s not easy to get such detailed testimonies from the C-suite, but when you’re Slack, businesses tend to make an exception. 

Some case studies are based on highly niche subjects, where nothing is at the top of the funnel. Kosli nails it with this highly technical case study of Firi.

kosli firi technical case study

Technical case studies are designed for niche audiences who are already aware of the problems that the software can solve. Case studies like these are clean and smart and come with solutions that have a counterpart solution. 

There is absolutely no fluff and nothing that can be a reason for C-suite executives to bounce from. 

It’s full of information-packed pages designed to hook the reader in and present the tool as a formidable solution to their problem. 

kosli firi

You’ll notice how they weave Kosli through the entire case study, and the first-person report comes from the customer. 

B2B Case Study Examples In Short

In the B2B SaaS industry, converting new leads and securing new business has become increasingly challenging. In this landscape, impactful content assets such as case studies and customer stories are sometimes the only things moving the needle. 

Crafting a compelling customer story empowers brands to enable potential customers to engage directly .

🚀 Customer stories evoke empathy from buyers

🤝 Customer stories help build up your relationships with vocal brand advocates

⬇️ Customer stories lower your prospects’ information cost

Once you’ve determined the most effective way to convey information that resonates with your leads, you can collaborate with your content and design teams to create impactful case studies to generate new business and prove your expertise and experience in the market. 

Zeynep Avan

Zeynep Avan

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Hertz CEO Kathryn Marinello with CFO Jamere Jackson and other members of the executive team in 2017

Top 40 Most Popular Case Studies of 2021

Two cases about Hertz claimed top spots in 2021's Top 40 Most Popular Case Studies

Two cases on the uses of debt and equity at Hertz claimed top spots in the CRDT’s (Case Research and Development Team) 2021 top 40 review of cases.

Hertz (A) took the top spot. The case details the financial structure of the rental car company through the end of 2019. Hertz (B), which ranked third in CRDT’s list, describes the company’s struggles during the early part of the COVID pandemic and its eventual need to enter Chapter 11 bankruptcy. 

The success of the Hertz cases was unprecedented for the top 40 list. Usually, cases take a number of years to gain popularity, but the Hertz cases claimed top spots in their first year of release. Hertz (A) also became the first ‘cooked’ case to top the annual review, as all of the other winners had been web-based ‘raw’ cases.

Besides introducing students to the complicated financing required to maintain an enormous fleet of cars, the Hertz cases also expanded the diversity of case protagonists. Kathyrn Marinello was the CEO of Hertz during this period and the CFO, Jamere Jackson is black.

Sandwiched between the two Hertz cases, Coffee 2016, a perennial best seller, finished second. “Glory, Glory, Man United!” a case about an English football team’s IPO made a surprise move to number four.  Cases on search fund boards, the future of malls,  Norway’s Sovereign Wealth fund, Prodigy Finance, the Mayo Clinic, and Cadbury rounded out the top ten.

Other year-end data for 2021 showed:

  • Online “raw” case usage remained steady as compared to 2020 with over 35K users from 170 countries and all 50 U.S. states interacting with 196 cases.
  • Fifty four percent of raw case users came from outside the U.S..
  • The Yale School of Management (SOM) case study directory pages received over 160K page views from 177 countries with approximately a third originating in India followed by the U.S. and the Philippines.
  • Twenty-six of the cases in the list are raw cases.
  • A third of the cases feature a woman protagonist.
  • Orders for Yale SOM case studies increased by almost 50% compared to 2020.
  • The top 40 cases were supervised by 19 different Yale SOM faculty members, several supervising multiple cases.

CRDT compiled the Top 40 list by combining data from its case store, Google Analytics, and other measures of interest and adoption.

All of this year’s Top 40 cases are available for purchase from the Yale Management Media store .

And the Top 40 cases studies of 2021 are:

1.   Hertz Global Holdings (A): Uses of Debt and Equity

2.   Coffee 2016

3.   Hertz Global Holdings (B): Uses of Debt and Equity 2020

4.   Glory, Glory Man United!

5.   Search Fund Company Boards: How CEOs Can Build Boards to Help Them Thrive

6.   The Future of Malls: Was Decline Inevitable?

7.   Strategy for Norway's Pension Fund Global

8.   Prodigy Finance

9.   Design at Mayo

10. Cadbury

11. City Hospital Emergency Room

13. Volkswagen

14. Marina Bay Sands

15. Shake Shack IPO

16. Mastercard

17. Netflix

18. Ant Financial

19. AXA: Creating the New CR Metrics

20. IBM Corporate Service Corps

21. Business Leadership in South Africa's 1994 Reforms

22. Alternative Meat Industry

23. Children's Premier

24. Khalil Tawil and Umi (A)

25. Palm Oil 2016

26. Teach For All: Designing a Global Network

27. What's Next? Search Fund Entrepreneurs Reflect on Life After Exit

28. Searching for a Search Fund Structure: A Student Takes a Tour of Various Options

30. Project Sammaan

31. Commonfund ESG

32. Polaroid

33. Connecticut Green Bank 2018: After the Raid

34. FieldFresh Foods

35. The Alibaba Group

36. 360 State Street: Real Options

37. Herman Miller

38. AgBiome

39. Nathan Cummings Foundation

40. Toyota 2010

Rattleback

The 6 Elements of an Effective Case Story

By Jenny Gatchell   |   March 17, 2021   |   Content Marketing

A good case study describes the value and impact of the services you offer from your client’s perspective. This article outlines the six components of a compelling and effective case study.

“Do you have an example of that?” It’s the most common question we ask when interviewing companies for a thought leadership article. We’re looking for stories that bring the value of solutions and offerings to life. Specifically, we want to hear the details of how a client successfully used your services to drive tangible, measurable results in their own business. There’s really no better way to validate your company’s point-of-view than with a case story. And peppering thought leadership content with relevant examples makes for a more interesting and memorable read.

Of course, client stories can and should stand on their own in addition to being referenced in your content. Having these stories readily available on your website helps prospects vet your services. By building effective case stories you give potential new clients the chance to stand in your current clients’ shoes and see what it’s really like to work with you.

Here are the six components every good case study should use to make your clients’ successes as relatable as possible:

  • Summary Statement
  • Organizational Summary
  • Problem Statement
  • Solution Description
  • Call-To-Action

Summary Statement: Give the Cliffs Notes Version of the Story

Provide a brief snapshot of your client’s story—problem, solution, and outcome—in a few sentences or brief paragraph. Readers can get the key points and decide if they want to dive in and read the full case.

case study of a success story

Organizational Summary: Position Your Client as the Hero

In a sidebar or callout, tell a little bit more about your client and their story. What industry do they operate in? Who do they serve? Where are they located? And how big is their organization? Note that your client is the ultimate hero in this story. You want to showcase the client’s wisdom in choosing to leverage your solution to solve their challenges.

case study of a success story

Problem Statement: Setup the Situation

Use this section to frame up the challenges facing your client. Be sure to include details or context around any issues complicating the situation. Aim to do this in about 50 to 100 words and be sure to tell the story from your client’s point-of-view. This will help your prospects better relate to the story, especially if they are facing similar challenges in their own businesses. If possible, include a client quote or even a brief video snippet where the client describes the challenges in his or her own words.

case study of a success story

Solution Description: Describe the Resolution, with Your Client Leading the Way

This is the meat of your case story and will include the details about how your solution was developed and delivered. Aim to keep this section to about 200 to 300 words.

This is where it’s trickiest to keep your client positioned as the hero since you’ll obviously want to include specific details about the unique aspects of your solution and emphasize the merits of your company’s approach and point-of-view. You can do all those things—and still keep your client front and center. The key is to celebrate the client’s smart choice in selecting you and your services. Again, a quote or video snippet will work well here to highlight your client’s rationale for believing your solution would be the right answer to his company’s problems. You can also talk about any collaboration between you and the client. And, if possible, you can discuss how your services fit into the client’s bigger picture strategy for tackling the issue.

The solution section is also a great place to ensure your case story is visually interesting. Include images, graphics, visuals, or flow charts that help paint the picture of how the solution worked for your client.

case study of a success story

Outcomes: Make the Results Pop

Finish your case story on a strong note by emphasizing the results. Include data to quantify the impact—such as how many dollars were saved or new clients won. We like to use bullet points here to give the information in bite-sized fashion and make the numbers and their significance really pop. You can also include another client quote or a video that helps validate your client’s decision to hire you.

case study of a success story

Call-to-Action (CTA): Keep the Conversation Going

Finally, do not forget to invite your readers to continue exploring your solutions. For web versions of case studies, include a contact form for the organization. For print versions, include information about your organization along with contact information for your team to make it easy for your prospects to connect with you.

case study of a success story

Closing Thoughts: The Proof Really Is in the Pudding

Client success stories are arguably one of the most important tools you have in marketing your services. Showing how other companies have leveraged your expertise and point-of-view to drive tangible results in their own businesses validates your claims and makes it much easier for potential clients to understand how you work. Plus, showcasing your current clients’ genius is good for your existing relationships, too. If you have stories you haven’t shared yet, now’s the time to put them out there. And give your clients’—and yourself—credit for the great work you do.

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Jenny Gatchell is a Contract Copywriter for Rattleback. She helps clients find their voices, articulate their points of view, and tell their stories in ways that resonate with all audiences they need to reach.

case study of a success story

Success stories examples

How to create powerful success stories. 4 examples

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You may have noticed that some brands use success stories or case studies as social proof.

Sometimes testimonials are not enough and prospects need more robust evidence to prove how great your service or product is.

Case studies also help to clarify the message and are particularly useful in B2B.

If you sell software, an innovative product or a specific service, explaining in more detail how that product or service helped a customer solve their specific problem can be what prospects need to take the decision.

There are case studies that are mega detailed reports which take up several pages, and others that are more specific and summarise only the problem and the solution.

In this post, we will see some examples of case studies/success stories to better understand the structure they follow.

As with everything related to words, it’d be convenient to count with a copywriter to write them.

A copywriter knows what’s important to highlight and what can be left out in each case.

They know how to choose the right words, so the case study provides better results.

Let’s now look at the steps you should take to create compelling case studies together with some great examples.

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Choosing the client

You may have many clients who are highly satisfied with the results obtained after using your product or working with you.

But when choosing one of them, you should look at certain criteria that will ensure the case study is a success.

Criteria for choosing the perfect client for a case study or success story:

– The client is highly satisfied (Elementary, my dear Watson)

– The client represents your ideal client (or that area on which you want to focus your efforts)

– They’ve obtained specific and verifiable results after working with you

– They’ve worked with or used a competitor’s product and switched to your brand. This would be the perfect case!

Once you have chosen the client you need to be prepared not to waste anyone’s time.

Have your questions ready and let the client choose the best time for an interview.

Organise a video call or meet in person. This way the client can elaborate and provide more details.

If you just send a questionnaire, you run the risk the client will never reply or they won’t include important information.

In a conversation, you can always ask more questions whenever the answer is a bit vague.

Now let’s see what kind of questions you should ask to obtain powerful answers for a compelling and enlightening success story.

The kind of questions you need to ask to create a success story

Every success story we find on the internet follows the old “Before and After” narrative.

What we aim to do when writing a success story is to help the prospect imagine how your product or service can improve their lives.

You want to show them: “this customer was in A as you are now and thanks to this product they’re now in B which is where you also want to be”.

So when writing a success story we need to start with the problem.

I rectify, we should start, as always when we write a piece of copy, with an exhaustive research of the challenges, objections and wishes of our prospects.

Recommended reading Research will save you from catastrophe

Once we know really well which are our prospects’ struggles and wishes, we can ask the right questions to the client we’ve chosen for our success story.

You should choose a client with whom you’ve worked recently because you will know exactly what situation they’re in when they contacted your company and they will also have a much more vivid memory of that transformation.

Write a script to make sure you don’t leave anything out and make sure you ask open-ended questions that need more than just a yes or no answer.

Here are some examples of the kind of questions you need to ask the client to describe their situation before working with you and the transformation they have experienced afterwards:

  • What specific problems did you have before you decided to look for a solution?
  • At what point did you realise that you had to do something immediately to solve those problems? Was there a “turning point”?
  • Which factors played an important role in your decision to choose us?
  • What made our product or service different from others?
  • What was your experience of working with us after you bought our solution?
  • Did anything about working with us surprise you? Did it exceed your expectations?
  • Was our product or service easy to implement in your workflows?
  • How long did it take before you started seeing positive results?
  • What kind of benefits have you gained from working with us? Can you detail them as much as possible?

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The structure

The success case will always follow this structure.

– Problem or better called Challenge

– Solution

– Result

Let’s take a look at an example to make it clear.

On Accenture’s website, we find good written success stories.

Accenture is a consulting and digital solutions company.

With their success stories, they explain in a clearer way (with examples) how they can help a company to obtain better results.

Success Story

Call for change Keeping metro commuters comfortable in the summer heat is no easy task. It can take huge amounts of energy to power the ventilation systems that keep the air flowing and the temperatures down. Metro de Madrid knew this better than most.

Notice how they use clear language, without technicalities that are difficult for the average citizen to understand.

You should always aim to write copy that is understood by everyone and not just by experts.

Our buyer persona may be the director of a company that doesn’t necessarily need to know all the technical aspects of their activity.

When tech meets human ingenuity The Madrid Metro Ventilation experts worked with Accenture Applied Intelligence to develop a system that took inspiration from an unusual source: the coordinated foraging behavior of a bee colony.

That’s the solution. See how they use a simile to help prospects better understand the solution, they compare it with the coordinated foraging behaviour of a bee colony.

With this simile, they also confirm a suspicion we all have, that much of the innovative technology man has created is inspired by nature.

To tell us about the results they use simple icons and headlines.

Success Stories examples

See how they provide specific data – with percentages and number of tons – of the improvements obtained.

As you can see, the success story demonstrates with a real example how Accenture can help a company to solve a specific problem, with clear, specific and descriptive language so everyone can get it.

They also take the opportunity to market their advanced technology and equipment.

case study of a success story

Storytelling in Success stories

Success stories are useful to convince those prospects who need a final push.

Because they have doubts and need answers.

By reading the details of why a company with a similar problem to theirs got the results they are also looking for they will get the final nudge they need.

Moreover, success stories follow the structure of any story. People like stories, especially those that end well.

They all follow the same structure: Challenge-Struggle-Triumph

The hero of every story suffers from a difficult situation but in the end, he wins.

This kind of story gives us hope because we think that we too can achieve big things and get out of a problematic situation.

Let’s look at an example where they use storytelling elements to tell a success story.

Scape the City is an organisation in the UK that offers a Start-Up accelerator program.

On the program page, we can find a few success stories told in only a few lines of brilliant compelling copy.

This is a good example of how we can write great copy to tell a story without having to add too many details.

case study of a success story

Every success story follows the same structure as that of a tale.

The heroes found themselves in an undesired situation and they scaped to make their dream come true.

If you are thinking to found a start-up you will identify completely with these protagonists and will feel compelled to do as they did and join the program.

Look how they add details of their success, yearly revenue, reach, etc.

Being specific always help to be more compelling.

Success stories can also be presented in video format.

The video can include parts where the customer talks about her experience as well as demonstrations of the service or the solution.

It can be done in webinar format as Scandit does, a mobile scanning software company I work for.

It can also be presented in downloadable pdf format as Kira Hug , an American copywriter does.

Examples of success studies

For both video and pdf, or directly on your website, the structure will be the same: Challenge-Solution-Result.

I hope I have helped you understand how you can create a success story with your best clients and thus demonstrate that your brand transforms businesses.

See you around!

case study of a success story

Sobre   Elena de Francisco

Siento un placer inmensurable aplastando textos zombis que no dan resultados y transformándolos en textos llenos de vida que provocan muchas ventas.

About   Elena de Francisco

I find real pleasure in crushing zombie copy that doesn’t provoke any emotion and turning it into vivid words that convert prospects into smiley paying customers.

25 Comments

Thinkho Mtonga

this is an excellent guide to writing a success story. I simply love it.

Elena de Francisco

Thank you Thinkho!

ojambo

hello, how can i get to you, i need your support on stories

Hello Francis,

You can write me an email: [email protected]

Mulu Emmanuel

please kindly write for me a success story for drilling new water point where it provide clean water to the community and i need to write success story it, as that community stay for so many years without getting clean water and they are now so happy to get clean drinking water, in south sudan

Dear Emmanuel,

Thank you for your comment. I’m sending you an email to find out more about your project. Speak to you soon

Anguyo Bonface

Hi good morning 🌄 Iam Bonface Can you please send for me an example of a written success story of children who have been playing sessions in team up

Hi Bonface,

Thanks for reading my post. You’re asking for a very specific example… I haven’t written any success story on that topic. But you can do a search on Google, you might be lucky! 😊

I would like you to send me WELL WRITTEN examples of a success stories so that Ican relate.

Hi Thinkho,

There are many well-written success stories on the internet. I gave you 4 examples in the post but you should also keep your eyes open whenever you browse the web so to identify good stories. I don’t know you so I wouldn’t know which stories can be relevant for your type of business. What do you do?

Khadija

I work in an organization where they produce seed and sell and also we assit farmers, So pls i need you to help me write a success story of a farmer who collected input from us

Thank you Thinkho for reading my blog. I sent you an email.

Daniel James

I need well written examples of success stories.

In this post, you have some good examples. To be honest, it takes time to find good examples because not many companies use this powerful tool and make the most of it. My advice is to dedicate some time to navigate the internet to find good stories. I work with Iron Mountain localising their content to the Spanish market and they have some good success stories like this one. https://www.ironmountain.com/resources/case-studies/w/white-horse-pictures You can check their website and read more. All the best,

Mostafa

Hi, please, i need a good success store for spare parts selling sector to one of customer , so , please, i need some points.

Hello Mostafa,

Thanks for your comment. You can follow the structure I explain in this article having the examples as a guide. Or you can hire a copywriter to write it for you. Success stories are very important to help prospects understand how a product can help.

Ghaffar

need a template to write the livelihood

working on the project delivering the livelihood support the farmers which were affected by 2021 flood. so to write the success stories on the germination f rice ,wheat, fodder and vegetables seeds

shfiqullah payenda

please kindly write for me a success story for humanitarian project.

Hello Shfiqullah,

Write me an email to [email protected] and I will see what can be done. Thank you

inspiring success stories

Thank you for sharing such valuable insights.

Thank you! Happy that you found them valuable

Hillary Byamugisha

Dear Elena, Am so much pleased with this guide. I have tried reading many guides on how to document stories of change or success story. Your guide is really simple and easy to understand. I have learnt on the best way to write success stories that communicate impact of my work or organization contribution especially to the donors. Am currently documenting stories of change for one of the approaches that contribute to Mental Health and Peace building in communities affected by wars and conflicts. May be i would like if there is any specific template that you have in mind or u have used so that i can look at it and see how best i can modify it to fit in stories i want to document. Otherwise, i really appreciate your work

Dear Hillary, thank you for your nice comment. I have sent you an email. We can discuss there how I can further help you with your project. I’d like to contribute to your cause.

Vinay Damor

Thank you for informative information

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How to Turn a Case Study into a Customer Success Story [+ Tips from HubSpot Marketers]

Gabi Theard

Published: April 19, 2022

Expression, passion, style, persuasion, authenticity.

marketer turns case studies into customer success stories

These five elements encompass a customer success story — a transformation from a regular case study to an enticing piece of content that encourages a reader to explore what your company has to offer.

Download Now: 3 Free Case Study Templates

When people think about writing a case study, they might feel a daunting rise of tediousness, or perhaps writer's block. In this article, we’ll dive into each step you need to take to create an engaging customer success story and convert leads.

Why should you tell a customer success story?

Case studies are more than proving your company's achievements. Through eloquence and thoughtfulness, you can demonstrate your product or service's power by telling a real story.

Think about it: Real customers use your product. Real employees deliver successful projects. Real customers, real professionals, real people.

What does that look like? Well, it's educating a prospect through a thoughtful perspective, and answering the following questions:

  • How did the client feel at the beginning versus the end?
  • What struggles did the project manager face?
  • How did they feel when they overcame them?

These questions will help you pull the key sections of your story and craft together a compelling piece of content.

Turning a Case Study into a Customer Story

1. find the right client..

To get started, ask your project management or sales team about their latest projects and which one stood out.

You're looking for a client with a uniquely knotty problem, one that your company was able to solve. The more complex the project, the more you can show off your company's skills.

If most of the projects seem standard, pick the client that was the most hands-on and the most responsive. The more involved the client, the more likely they are to give you more information in their interview.

Send an Enticing Email

Before you begin, get permission from the client and inquire about their interest in participating in a case study . You can incentivize them through social media publication, tagging their company on all social platforms, and including a link to their website at the end of the case study.

Here's an example from Trujay that you can use to write an enticing email to your client:

My name is [Your Name], I'm a [Job Title/Position] here at [Company Name]. I'm so pleased to hear your experience with us was worth it! We're glad we could make all the needs of your project happen and hope you continue to enjoy the results.

Since your project was such a success, I wondered if you would be interested in participating in a case study. We like to inquire about this opportunity to only a few select customers because we find some projects have a compelling story. Yours happens to be a particularly special project, and we'd love to promote your brand by showcasing the results.

All you would have to do is answer six questions about your experience of working with us. You may answer them directly in response to this email, or we can have a phone or video call. Whatever way you'd prefer! Most of our clients like to copy and paste the questions in response and simply fill in the answers.

If you would like to interview over [Zoom, Google Meet, Skype, Other], let me know a good time and date that works for you. The call shouldn't take more than 30 minutes.

I've attached a few examples of previous success stories to get a feel for the final product. We also conduct a social media campaign so you and your company can get as much exposure as possible.

We thank you for using our services and wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors! Should you ever need our services again, know that [Company Name's] got your back. We hope you find interest in participating and look forward to hearing from you.

[ Email Signature ]

Once you have permission, let your project management or services team know that a case study is underway.

2. Create interview questions for both project manager and client.

You'll want to create two sets of questions — one for the project manager, and one for the client. These questions will give way to both sides of the story, enlightening you on the experience from both ends.

Client Questions: The Background

The formatting of the client interview questions is essential. You want to get as much detail as you can without overwhelming the client with loaded questions.

Client interview questions are straightforward and relate to a customer's company, goals, passions, and plans. You want to find out how your company solved a significant problem through the clients' perspective. What did the project management team accomplish, in their eyes?

First, get four pieces of standard information:

case study client background information: full name, position/title, company name, company background/function

3. Tell the story using a standard outline.

The responses to your interview questions don't necessarily need to be in a particular order. You can either start with the project manager or client questions.

Let's say you get the client's responses first. What are you looking for, exactly?

You're looking for the message behind their words. Some call it reading between the lines. I call it the sweet spot of authenticity. What about their responses jumps out at you? Here is an excellent place to know your buyer personas and identify what kind of client they are.

After reviewing both sets of interview responses, try telling the story to yourself from beginning to end using the questions below. In your own words, speak the story out loud. Doing so will turn fact into fiction and organize your written outline.

Screen Shot 2020-09-28 at 2.21.25 PM

We recommend using case study templates to help turn your customer story into a coherent, well-organized publication.

Case Study Template

2. Lightico: A1 Comms

customer success example

3. Hourly.io: Izzy's Brooklyn Bagels

customer success example

What do they all have in common? When you get to these landing pages, key details are immediately prominent: The issue the company was facing and/or the results they generated.

This is a great way to hook in the reader and get them interested to read on.

By showing the results, you highlight the benefits of using your brand. By emphasizing the problems, you can help prospects identify issues and understand why you’re the solution.

Both strategies can generate positive results, it’s just a matter of figuring out which method converts best with your audience.

How to Leverage Customer Success Story on Social Media

1. figure out which case studies will translate well..

The "right client" will vary from brand to brand.

Samuel Mironko , associate marketing manager on the HubSpot brand marketing team, says that this is what they look for: brand recognition, buzziness, and relationship.

The bigger the brand, the more buzz it can create to share its story. This doesn’t mean that you should only highlight stories from recognizable brands. However, it could be a way to prioritize them.

The second is buzziness – how much interest will this story generate? Is the brand in a booming industry? This is another plus for you.

Lastly, and perhaps the most important according to Mironko, is your relationship with the customer. Building a customer story requires a lot of collaboration between the two companies. If your relationship with the client isn’t solid, you may face several obstacles as you attempt to deliver the product.

"You get a better story knowing more about the customer. You know what questions to ask, how to guide the story, and more details," said Natalie Gullatt , marketing manager on the HubSpot customer marketing team. "The customer tends to trust you more if you have a relationship with them so it makes the process better for both parties."

To narrow down a list of options, you will likely need to work with customer advocacy and/or customer success teams at your company to connect you with the clients.

They can also offer some insight into the problems that the company faces and the issues they were able to solve with your product/service.

2. Write a script.

Once you narrow down your list, it’s time to write the script for your social media campaigns.

While you follow the same format as the case study, you have to adjust it for social media – taking only the key details that will help you tell a story in an engaging but concise way.

          View this post on Instagram                       A post shared by Hellopeter.com (@hellopeter_za)

Mironko says that this format works well for customer success stories because it tells a story. You leave knowing the problems the company faced before, how they attempted to solve the issue, their new experience, and how that has addressed their main pain points.

3. Get feedback from the client.

Once you have a draft, you’ll need to send it to the client for approval.

They may provide feedback on anything from the visual design to the way they’re portrayed.

We are delighted to launch our customer success story series with @GaryWidger , Head of Change at @mercuryeng - about how Mercury leveraged #nocode / #lowcode technology to connect their people through shared knowledge. Read more here: https://t.co/BDvRjRxVgd #innovation #tech pic.twitter.com/9qe7dmEART — Kianda (@KiandaBPM) March 30, 2021

Because this is a collaborative process, it’s essential that both parties are satisfied with the end result.

"Make sure to have the customers approve the drafts before publishing - that's so important," says Gullatt. "Customers may have to ask their marketing teams, legal teams before they say certain things publicly so you don't want to burn bridges."

This is why having a good relationship with the customer is key – this will make addressing issues with the content so much easier.

Gullatt adds that flexibility is key. 

"Be flexible even when it's inconvenient because customers doing stories is a favor to you and your organization," she says. "Making it easy for them and being patient goes a long way."

4. Post and measure success.

Once the content is finally ready and published on social media, you’ll want to track its success.

How are people responding? Are they engaging with the content? Did it help you generate more leads?

Establishing KPIs before publishing on social media allows you to gauge your success accurately. From there, you can review the data to assess improvements for future success story campaigns.

Case studies work to showcase a company's function to the fullest degree. They represent the facts of what happened, who was involved, and what the outcome was.

The main goal of a case study is to earn prospective customers' trust and motivate them to choose you over your competitors.

Turning a case study into a customer success story is done through a meticulous and investigative process.

Now that you have everything you need to get started, design a visually appealing piece of content that gives the reader more than just words, but sparks their imagination of what it would be like to work with your company. They'll want to reap the benefits of your services — and may even become the star of your next customer success story.

Editor's Note: This post was originally published in Oct. 2020 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

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  • How to Craft a Successful Case Study: Key Takeaways and Lessons Learned

Discover the Essential Elements of a Winning Case Study and Improve Your Success Rate

How to Craft a Successful Case Study: Key Takeaways and Lessons Learned

Are you looking to improve your business strategies and learn from successful examples? Look no further than case studies and success stories. These powerful tools allow us to dive deep into the experiences of others and extract key takeaways and lessons learned. Whether you are a marketer, entrepreneur, or student, case studies provide valuable insights and practical knowledge that can help you excel in your field. In this article, we will explore the art of crafting a successful case study. From identifying the right subject to highlighting the most important lessons, we will guide you through the process of creating a compelling and informative case study.

So, if you're ready to take your skills to the next level, read on to discover how to create a powerful case study that will leave a lasting impact. In today's digital age, case studies have become an integral part of marketing and business success. Through real-life examples and success stories, they showcase the effectiveness and benefits of a product or service. However, creating a successful case study goes beyond just highlighting numbers and statistics. It requires a deep understanding of the main purpose of a case study - to provide value to potential customers. The focus of a case study should not be solely on promoting your product or service, but rather on solving a problem or addressing a need that your target audience may have.

This means that your case study should be relatable and engaging for readers, rather than just listing features and promoting your brand. For example, if you are promoting a project management software, your case study should highlight how it helped a company streamline their processes and increase productivity. This not only showcases the benefits of your product, but also provides valuable information for potential customers who may be facing similar challenges. When crafting a case study, it is important to focus on the key takeaways and lessons learned from the real-life example being presented. These takeaways should be actionable and applicable to potential customers, showing them how they can achieve similar results by using your product or service. By including these key takeaways and lessons learned in your case study, you are providing value to potential customers and positioning yourself as an expert in your industry. This can greatly increase the effectiveness of your marketing efforts and contribute to the success of your business. In conclusion, when creating a successful case study, remember to focus on providing value to potential customers through relatable and actionable examples.

Identifying Your Target Audience

Crafting a compelling story.

It should tell a story that resonates with the reader and evokes emotions. Make sure to include quotes and testimonials from your client, as well as before and after scenarios to showcase the transformation that your product or service brought about. This will make your case study more relatable and credible. Crafting a compelling story is crucial in capturing the attention of potential customers and convincing them of the effectiveness of your product or service.

Choosing the Right Format

In this article, we will discuss the key takeaways and lessons learned from crafting a winning case study. In conclusion, crafting a successful case study requires a thorough understanding of your target audience, choosing the right format, and telling a compelling story. By following these key takeaways and lessons learned, you can create a winning case study that not only promotes your product or service but also provides value to potential customers.

  • if you're ready

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Case Study or Success Story? How To Present Your Projects And Generate Leads

by Christian Brandstötter MMSc | Mar 5, 2017 | Blog

Case Study Customer Story Differences

If you look at the websites of large software and IT companies, you are constantly presented with different terms…. sometimes, they are called case studies, while other companies present success stories and others refer to customer stories.

But are these really just synonymous terms which describe the same fundamental kind of communication? Or do they conceal different documents which should all be used for different occasions or goals?

Curious about the answers to these questions and to support them with concrete examples, I looked at the case studies offered by leading software and IT companies in preparation of this post, to see what they mean by case studies, success stories or customer (success) stories.

First of all, no matter whether a case study or a success story (synonym with customer success story), in both cases it is a special form of an underlying testimonial or a reference / customer recommendation.

Testimonials

A classic testimonial is a 1 to 2-sentence quotation of a satisfied customer, which the person/company allows you to use in your marketing (explicit permission is always required!).

Here is an example of a testimonial, on the website of ProvenExpert.de, an online recommendation service.

Testimonials are especially effective because they generate social proof. Social proof means that the fact that you have achieved great results for similar customers in the past, is a proof that you can do the same for a new customer, such as a prospect browsing your website.

But instead of you yourself telling the reader what a great supplier you are, it is stated by a satisfied customer – now this is really effective, credible marketing: SOCIAL PROOF.

If, however, you want to offer more complex and higher-priced solutions in the B2B sector, then testimonials are not enough. Interested prospects need more detailed information. Many companies, particularly in the IT and software sector, therefore provide customer stories, or success stories, on their website. They encompass more detailed reports on past customer projects.

Success Stories are detailed reports on the experiences and results of a client company. Here, for example, Genesys presents a wealth of Customer Success Stories on their website.

The most important features of Customer Stories:

  • Length: mostly 1-2 pages, as my research on Success Stories by major IT companies has confirmed.
  • Story: As the name already suggests, success stories are written in the form of stories that are told from the customer’s point of view and report similar like an article does.
  • Styling: to emphasize the character of the story, several quotes of the satisfied customer should be included. This is particularly useful in passages where the client’s original problem is described or the great results reported.
  • Structure the structure of a success story goes from the problem to solution and finally to the results that the customer has achieved. Specific to the success story itself, however, is that it also describes how the customer learnt about the provider (ie you) or why he chose you (usually in the form of or supported by a customer quote!)

Success Stories are ideal for illustrating the benefits and advantages of your solution while being compact enough to be read in one session from start to end by even the most time-stressed decision-makers.

Nevertheless, there are cases in which even a success story is not enough to give the interested reader the wealth of insights he needs to be well informed to reach the next step along the Customer Journey.

This is where the case study comes into play.

A case study is a very detailed description of a past project or the implementation of a solution offered by the provider to the customer. It is mainly used in software and industrial industries.

Here you see an example by the manufacturer Fujitsu. The first page starts with a big header and a short summary, for better readability a short version is offered in the individual tables. Most case studies are 3 pages, sometimes 4.

Important features of a professional case study are:

  • Length : 3-4 pages, as my research on Cisco (3 pages) or Genesys (3 pages) also showed.
  • Study : as concerns its tone, a case study is more technical than a success story. In the sense of a study, the question “How?” gets answered. Describe the implementation of your solution in a detailed and chronological manner (step 1, step 2, …)
  • Styling : just as with Success Stories, you should always quote the strongest statements by direct quotes from your customer. Particularly in the section on results. Results can also be stated in a compact fashion in 3 bullet points, each of them with a specific number or percentage.
  • Structure : The structure follows the classic problem-solving orientation and goes from problem / challenge to the decision process of the customer, then to the solution, first describing the implementation in detail, then the advantages and the results achieved

Case Study or Customer Story – Which One Should You Choose?

You may also be faced with the question whether you should write a case study or a success story about your last project or completed projects.

While it is difficult to give a general recommendation, it is advisable to first observe the following criteria. From this it can be deduced whether a shorter success story or more detailed case study is suitable to achieve the desired effect for the reader.

  • Previous standard: The most important criterion is your previous approach: Did you publish case studies or success stories so far? The performance should of course be uniform, but do not restrict yourself to the past! If necessary, you can create a success story. Continue to call it as you previously did, but once in a while make it 1-2 pages longer than usual.
  • Need for explanation: How complex was the project and/or the solution to be described? The bigger the need for explanation, the more you should prefer a case study to a success story.
  • Amount of investment: What is the investment sum for the solution implemented by the customer in the case study (hence also the prospect researching…)? More complex projects with higher prices call for a case study as the reader has more uncertainty and is willing to read more.
  • Innovativeness of the product: Another consideration is finally how old the product is, which is used in the case study. If the product is e.g. still very new and is also very actively advertised by you, the first case studies can be particularly helpful to support sales and highlight the effectiveness of the solution.

By observing these 4 aspects and, in fact, coordinating them with the responsible persons in the sales department, you can make a qualified decision as to how extensive the content document to be produced needs to be.

Support for Case Study, Customer Story and Co

If you need professional support in the creation of your case study or success story, then I will be happily at your disposal. As an experienced copywriter and author in the field of B2B communication, I will accompany you from collection of the information until its conclusion and layout of your document. I will also be happy to interview your customers on your behalf, if you still need to gather some information.

Contact me right now at +43 680 133 09 56 or Send me an e-mail inquiry . I look forward to serving you!

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12 Steps to Create a Business Case Study That Converts

Learn how to make a case study presentation. Know how to write and structure it, and measure its business value. Plus examples & samples.

case study of a success story

Dominika Krukowska

10 minute read

How to create a case study

Short answer

What are the steps to create a case study.

  • Determine a customer use case
  • Go over existing clients that meet the use case
  • Reach out to the clients that you know are happy with your solution
  • Set success criteria or KPIs
  • Set measurements
  • Set time period for observation
  • Conduct post interview to assess results
  • Get data from client - or process data you own
  • Write case study based on interview and data
  • Design case study
  • Get client’s approval
  • Distribute case study

Most case studies inform rather than engage. They earn yawns rather than trust.

A great product or service is only half the battle; the other half is telling its story effectively.

The problem is most case studies are written to inform instead of telling a story. They are dry as a biscuit in the sun. Throwing numbers and company info at prospects won’t make them care, let alone trust you.

Unfortunately most companies don’t realize they're sitting on a gold mine of compelling narratives - their customer success stories.

Not sharing these tales results in missed opportunities, lower brand credibility, and, ultimately, fewer conversions.

Let me take you on a short guide on how to turn your client victories into captivating business case studies that constantly bring you loyal customers.

Let’s see how to uncover your case study material, how to write irresistible success stories, and how to track their engagement and business impact.

Let’s get started!

How to prepare for creating a case study?

Every customer success story is a marketing powerhouse just waiting for you to unlock its potential.

12 steps for creating impactful case studies:

1. Determine a customer use case

Begin by highlighting a problem that your product or service solved for a customer. This scenario should resonate with potential customers facing similar challenges, ensuring your case study feels relevant and impactful to your target audience.

2. Go over existing clients that meet the use case

Once you've defined the use case, scan your existing client list for a standout example. You're looking for someone who's experienced tangible success with your solution, ideally in a way that's inspiring, unexpected, or dramatic.

3. Reach out to the clients that you know are happy with your solution

When you've found a good match, get in touch. Clients who are genuinely delighted with your service will typically be eager to share their experience, and their enthusiasm can give your case study real authenticity and appeal.

Approaching clients with a request to participate in a case study is not trivial. It requires mutual trust and a good working relationship.

Knowing this full well, our CEO Itai Amoza had this tip to give you:

“Always be grateful to your clients. They are doing you a big favor and you shouldn't take this for granted. Aside from thanking them, offering perks like a discount, a bigger package, or even just exposing their brands to your customers can make them feel you really appreciate they have taken the time to do this with you. "

—Itai Amoza, Storydoc Founder and CEO

Itai Amoza

4. Set success criteria or KPIs

Before diving into the creation process, define what success looks like. Setting clear KPIs will provide concrete, measurable outcomes to demonstrate the effectiveness of your solution.

5. Set measurements

How will you quantify success? Will it be revenue growth? Customer retention ? Decide on the metrics that best align with your defined KPIs and use case.

6. Set time period for observation

Choose a timeframe that's long enough to demonstrate meaningful results, but not so long that the end of your case study feels disconnected from its start. This period should be relevant to your chosen metrics and reasonable within your industry.

7. Conduct post interview to assess results

Once your observation period is over, interview the client to gather their personal insights and feedback. Their perspective can add depth to your data, providing a richer, more complete picture of their experience.

8. Get data from client - or process data you own

Get relevant data from the client or use your own data to validate your story. Remember, this is not just about showcasing positive numbers, but about demonstrating real, meaningful impact on the client’s business.

9. Write the case study based on interview and data

Create a compelling narrative that weaves together your client’s voice, your data, and your solution. Use clear, relatable language to make your case study accessible and engaging.

10. Design the case study

Pay close attention to visual presentation. Use images, graphs, or infographics to make your data digestible and your narrative visually engaging. A well-made case study design can captivate audiences who might not engage with a text-heavy document.

11. Get client’s approval

Before you distribute your case study, make sure your client is happy with how their story is told. Their approval not only maintains a positive relationship, but also validates the truth of your case study.

12. Distribute the case study

Now it’s time to share your case study! Use platforms like LinkedIn and email to reach potential customers with similar profiles.

If you rely a lot on case studies to oil your sales prospecting cascades, don’t miss out on Storydoc’s case study creator . It lets you make amazing, easily shareable and trackable interactive case studies.

But beyond that it makes your distribution and tracking a breeze by connecting with your CRM and letting you send, track, and personalize your case studies directly from there.

Here's what our Salesforce integration looks like:

Storydoc Salesforce integration

How to write an impactful case study

A customer success story is much more than a recital of benefits and features. It's the narrative of a journey a customer embarked upon with your product or service, overcoming challenges, and reaching their goals along the way.

Contrary to popular belief, these narratives aren't always about monetary gains. Surprisingly, a Gartner study found that only 13% of case studies showcased clear return on investment (ROI) figures.

Instead, these narratives capture the value and positive impact your offerings have on customers.

They play a dual role: for prospects , they showcase real-life instances of your solution at work, aiding informed purchasing decisions. For existing customers , they act as testimonials, validating their choice and accelerating their learning curve.

However, crafting an impactful customer success story that resonates with prospects is an art few have mastered. Research by Gartner reveals that over 90% of case studies miss the mark.

4-step guide for writing compelling customer success stories

This short guide is based on Gartner's content framework . You can dig deeper into the ins and outs by reading our full guide on how to write a case study .

1. Take an audience-centric approach

First, identify your target audience. Understand their challenges and desires, then find potent stories that address these issues in an engaging manner.

Use tools like customer reviews, sales team insights, surveys, and industry trends to comprehend your audience's concerns and needs.

2. Have a clear storyline

Your story should have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Starting with the customer's problem, then detailing your solution's implementation, and concluding with the positive results achieved.

The spotlight should be on the customer's journey and the value they derived, rather than just your product's features.

Here's our recommended storyline structure:

How to write a presentation storyline that creates interest

3. Include relatable elements

Stories that form a personal connection are the most effective. Make your story more relatable by identifying story elements that mirror your prospects' circumstances and demonstrating how your solution can help resolve these issues.

4. Show data-driven results

Use quantifiable metrics like increased sales, improved efficiency, or reduced costs to demonstrate your product's efficacy. Comparing these results with industry standards can further emphasize your product's impact.

Including such data in your customer success stories can significantly reinforce your offering's credibility.

Tips and best practices for creating a case study

Crafting an effective business case study requires more than just laying out the facts. It's about strategically weaving together your narrative to engage, convince, and convert your audience.

Below are some tips and best practices to guide you in creating a business case study.

1. Start with a strong hook

Just like the opening scene of a blockbuster movie, your business case study should begin with a strong hook to instantly capture your audience’s attention.

This could be a compelling quote from the client, a surprising statistic, or a provocative question related to the problem you’re addressing.

Here's an example of an intro slide:

Case study intro slide

2. Use visuals to support your content

An image can save the need to say a thousand words. Use graphs, charts, infographics, or photographs to supplement your text and bring more clarity with less words.

This not only makes your customer success story more engaging but also makes it easier for readers to quickly grasp the key points.

3. Provide an interactive experience

Making your case study interactive will increase its engagement. Consider embedding interactive elements such as videos, calculators, or clickable tabs to enrich the reader's experience.

All this is easily available to you when creating a case study with Storydoc.

Here are some examples of interactive components you can use:

Interactive Storydoc components

4. Make it easy for readers to share your case studies

In the age of digital content, sharing should be as effortless as a click. And this is where Storydoc shines. Unlike static downloadable docs, Storydoc allows your readers to easily share your case studies using social buttons and an email form.

Making this process as simple and hassle-free as possible increases the possibility of your case studies getting shared with the world.

Here's a short guide on how to share your presentations with Storydoc:

Sharing Storydoc presentations

5. Deliver critical messages directly from clients

Include quotes from the client that highlight the benefits and impact of your solution. Authentic testimonials can significantly enhance your case study's credibility and persuasive power.

Here’s an example I like of a testimonial slide:

Case study testimonials slide

6. Be fanatical about clear and concise writing

Avoid industry jargon and keep your language simple and straightforward. The aim is to communicate your customer success story clearly and concisely, making it easy to understand and follow by all readers, regardless of their background.

7. Include a Call to Action (CTA)

Lastly, always include a CTA at the end of your business case study.

This could prompt the reader to contact your sales team, learn more about your product, download a free trial, or any other action that progresses them through your sales funnel.

Here’s how one of our clients added a calendar to book a meeting as their CTA:

Storydoc deck with embedded cale

How to measure case study business value?

Creating a compelling case study is just half of the equation. To truly harness its power, it's crucial to track and measure its performance effectively.

But if you’re using PDFs or PowerPoints for your case studies you’re flying blind. And if you house your case studies on your website you need to set up custom events on Google Analytics 4 or another third party tracking tool.

If you want out-of-the-box tracking and analytics you have Storydoc. You get practical and timely insights into your case study engagement and conversion from the first second it’s published.

Simply send your decks and Storydoc will track every touchpoint , filling your analytics dashboard with real-time customer data.

Here's some of the tracking you get:

1. Engagement metrics

These reveal how users are interacting with your case study. Key metrics include the number of views, time spent on the page, scroll depth, reading completion, and interactions with interactive elements.

High engagement indicates that your customer success story is resonating with your audience.

2. Conversion metrics

Your case study should have a clear call-to-action (CTA), such as booking a demo, signing up, or downloading a resource.

The number of users who take this action is your conversion rate. A high conversion rate suggests that your case study is persuasive and compelling enough to drive action.

3. Lead generation

If your case study is gated (i.e., requires users to fill out a form to access), you can track how many leads it generates. The quality of these leads—how well they align with your target audience—is equally, if not more, important.

Check out this demo of Storydoc analytics dashboard:

Storydoc analytics pa

How to design a business case study?

Your case study design is an integral part of the narrative , and a powerful tool that can either underscore your findings or undermine them. As such, it requires careful consideration and strategic decision-making.

Here are 3 common case study design approaches:

1) Design for a website

Creating a case study directly on your website? Now that's an exciting prospect.

Imagine bringing your case study to life with interactive features, painting vivid stories with data visualization tools, and creating an immersive experience for your audience. The sky's the limit with what you can do.

But here's the problem: it's no walk in the park. This approach needs you to roll up your sleeves and manage this project. It will involve your product marketing team, design team, and developers. No way around it.

It’s like guiding a delivery truck to your destination through confusing alleyways. You know how to get there, but telling it to someone else on the phone and on a tight schedule makes it super frustrating.

2) Design for PDFs

PDFs is a common way to design and distribute case studies. They allow you a free canvas for arranging your content according to your exact vision. But there's a catch…

PDFs offer a horrible reading experience. They were originally meant for print so they were built for one fixed (an A4 paper). That’s not how people consume content in the digital age.

Sure you get full control over visuals and typography, but your audience will hate it. They will struggle to read it on their computer. And on their phone? No way.

Bad content experience is the reason we built Storydoc. So don’t kill engagement with PDF case studies. There’s a better way.

3) Design with Storydoc

Storydoc is an intuitive drag-and-drop case study designer tool powered by AI. You’ll turn hours of design into minutes with smart slides and templates built based on what works in the real world and guided by AI.

You won't need to fuss over code or design intricacies; instead, you can focus on what truly matters - the content of your case study.

It’s a simple and magical way to design captivating content with a powerful narrative at its heart.

You don’t just want your case study to inform, do you? You want it to engage, build trust, and convert prospects to clients. That’s what Storydoc does for you.

Grab a case study template

Starting a business case study from scratch can be daunting, like staring at a blank canvas waiting for inspiration to strike.

But, you can bypass the initial jitters by simply using case study templates .

These templates have been designed for engagement based on real-world insights from over 100K presentation sessions and tried-and-tested for any device. They also come with built-in tracking and analytics.

case study of a success story

Hi, I'm Dominika, Content Specialist at Storydoc. As a creative professional with experience in fashion, I'm here to show you how to amplify your brand message through the power of storytelling and eye-catching visuals.

case study of a success story

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How to Create an Impressive Case Study One Pager [Including Templates]

How to Create an Impressive Case Study One Pager [Including Templates]

Written by: Idorenyin Uko

How to Create an Impressive Case Study One Pager [Including Templates]

Case studies are a powerful tool for increasing sales and driving revenue. They share real-life proof of how your company has helped clients solve their pain points.

With shrinking customer attention spans, a case study one pager is a great way to quickly communicate the value of your product or service. That’s because they distill the key points of the customer's story into a concise and compelling narrative.

The best part? Readers can quickly grasp the essence of the case study and take action without getting bogged down in unnecessary details.

Ready to create yours? In this article, we’ll show you how to create high-converting case studies that build trust and credibility and ultimately drive business results. We’ve also rounded up professionally-designed case study templates to get you started on the right foot.

Let’s get to it.

Table of Contents​​

What is a case study one pager, what is the purpose of a case study one pager, 10 case study one pager templates, how to create a case study one pager with visme, case study best practices, case study faqs.

  • A case study one pager is a brief document that details concise stories about a customer's experience with a product or service.
  • Writing a case study one-pager helps you attract leads, demonstrate credibility and expertise, drive customer retention and loyalty, support sales and marketing efforts and build social proof.
  • Visme has everything you need to create a winning case study one pager regardless of your industry or niche. Access professionally designed templates that are easily customizable with multiple sharing and download options.
  • Here are a few best practices for crafting a high-converting one pager: define the purpose, make it relatable to your target audience, prove the value of your brand, be specific and include real numbers and follow a consistent structure.

A case study one pager is a summarized document that shares the success existing clients have had with your product, service or solution. Not only are case studies one pager valuable sales collateral, but they also demonstrate:

  • The value of your product and service
  • The specific problem or pain point clients struggled with before discovering your product
  • How your business helped them solve their problem
  • The specific goals, results and outcomes they achieved

The beauty of case study one pagers is that they are concise and less overwhelming. They're single-page documents, typically one page long. Compared to multi-paged case studies, prospects who are short on time can quickly grasp the main takeaways and take action.

If you already have a multi-page case study , you can condense key points and highlights into this one pager. With Visme’s interactive tools , you can link to the full case study document or your company’s case study landing page.

There’s no doubt that case studies work. When it comes to proving the value and quality of your product, case studies are an invaluable asset. HubSpot's report indicates that 42% of marketers use case studies as a top media format in their content strategy.

A well-crafted case study one pager can serve several purposes:

Attract Leads

There is no better selling point to prospects than proof of real-world examples of challenges your company has helped solve. That’s why case study one-pagers can be a catalyst for lead generation .

Case studies are strong proof that your product or service works. This increases your prospect’s confidence in choosing your brand over your competitors.

During a case study presentation , you can leave your case study one pagers with prospects so they can refer back to it.

Additionally, case studies are great for nurturing and re-engaging leads. If your previous outreach was successful, you can share it as part of a drip campaign to pique their interest and encourage them to learn more about your solutions.

Demonstrates Credibility and Expertise

Writing any type of one-pager is a chance to show your expertise in your field, especially a one pager case study. It proves your company's ability to deliver results and solve real-world problems.

Also, case studies position your brand as a thought leader and build trust with prospects. They can easily make informed decisions about doing business with you.

Drive Customer Retention and Loyalty

Once your customer has made the first purchase, it’s easy to get carried away. Well, your job isn’t done. Customer success teams can share case studies to nurture leads and turn them into paying customers.

In addition, case studies can be a great way to showcase and engage satisfied customers. When existing customers read case studies, they gain deeper insight into your company's capabilities . It then validates why customers chose you and why they should continue to do so.

Also, when you highlight customers in your case studies, it builds a deeper connection and customers feel a sense of loyalty to your brand.

Support Sales and Marketing Efforts

Case studies are hard-hitting sales enablement content .

You can support your sales and marketing teams by providing them with compelling, data-driven case studies to share with prospects. This helps sales representatives build stronger relationships with potential customers, maximize conversions and close more deals.

Builds Social Proof

Case studies include customer testimonials. And research shows that 72% of people develop more trust for brands that have positive reviews and testimonials. Another study shows that testimonials boost revenue by 62% .

With case studies, you’re able to showcase the genuine satisfaction and appreciation of your clients. This element provides social proof and an extra layer of authenticity.

Case studies also have great referral value. Satisfied customers featured in case studies are more likely to recommend your business, as they feel proud to be associated with your brand and want to share their positive experiences with others.

RELATED: 15 Real-Life Case Study Examples & Best Practices

In this section, we’ve rounded up ten customizable case study templates to get you started, each covering a wide range of case study topics.

As you go through this section, don’t forget that one pager case studies can be combined with other marketing materials, such as whitepapers, webinars, or demos, to create a comprehensive marketing strategy.

1. Hospitality One-Pager Case Study

This modern and sleek case Study template is perfect for showcasing your company's success stories in a visually appealing way.

The template has a clean design and a minimalist layout structure. Key sections, including objectives, program overview, revenue impact, key metrics and findings are neatly arranged into two columns.

Notice how the ratings and total sales revenue breakdown are captured using engaging charts and graphs. With Visme’s data visualization tool, you get unlimited access to different types of charts, graphs, maps and widgets to easily capture results and financial data.

Hospitality One Pager Case Study

2. Fintech One-Pager Case Study

Whether you're looking to demonstrate the expertise and credibility of your fintech company, this template has everything you need.

The template features a striking deep navy blue background design. This dark theme sharply contrasts the white and yellow text and gray visuals, making them stand out and grab the viewer's attention.

The case study format is carefully crafted to guide the reader's eye through the page, with clear section headers and visually appealing icons and graphics. With Visme’s intuitive editor, you can change the color of the background, text or charts to match your branding.

Fintech One Pager Case Study

3. Online Learning One-Pager Case Study

Are you an educator, trainer and learning professional? This one pager case study template is not just great sales material; it’s perfect for showing social proof. It’s designed to help you communicate the effectiveness of your training methods.

The template can be adapted to any industry or project. It begins with a bold header followed by key sections—introduction, innovation, KPIs, key takeaways and more. The stunning image aligned at the top right draws attention, captivates readers and leaves a lasting impression.

Online Learning One Pager Case Study

Feel free to tap into Visme’s rich library of stock photos , icons, widgets and other design elements to make your document shine.

And if you can’t find your preferred graphics, Visme has your back. With the AI image generator , you whip up unique and professional quality photos, paintings, pencil drawings, 3D graphics, icons, abstract art and more.

4. Industrial One Pager Case Study

Make your success stories stand out with this engaging case study template. Featuring a unique layout, colorful text and eye-catching visuals, this template is sure to capture readers' attention and keep them engaged until the very end.

The logo and social media icons highlight your company’s branding. You can link these icons to your social media accounts using Visme’s interactive and animation tool .

But that’s just the tip of the iceberg regarding what you can do with the animation and interactive features. Users can create animated graphics or hotspots that reveal additional information when clicked or hovered over. This helps to keep your one pager from getting cluttered with information.

Heavy Equipments One Pager Case Study

5. Gadget Brand One Pager Case Study

If you sell physical or industrial products, this template is for you. With plenty of space for showcasing your study, solution and results, this template is the ideal tool to build trust and establish your reputation.

The template includes a variety of sections, such as key performance indicators, findings and outcomes, decision and more. Each section is designed to be easily customizable. You can easily swap them with your own text, images and graphics to make the template truly yours.

The design elements in this case study make it a head turner. The left bar has an incredible blend of a logo and title on a white and sky-blue background. The right bar houses most of the information and has a bold blue background.

The white and light blue fonts and purple icons complement each other with great visual contrast. To top it off, the stunning visuals and multimedia elements provide more context for your readers.

Gadget Brand One Pager Case Study

If you have multiple people on your team using this template, you can use Visme’s User permissions to control who can view it or what changes are made. Each Visme project allows you to control user permissions, which can be assigned by the creator or workspace admin.

You can assign various levels of access to your case study one pager, such as view-only, edit or comment directly on projects. Additionally, you have the option to make it password-protected, limiting access to those who truly need it.

6. Real Estate One Pager Case Study

With a strong emphasis on outcomes and achievements, this template is the perfect way to demonstrate the value of your real estate business and showcase your successes.

The template is split into six main blocks, each housing a different section. Each section has different background color themes with light-colored text for better visual contrast. With its user-friendly design and pre-built sections, this template saves you time and effort.

With the dynamic fields feature, you can easily customize this template for multiple clients. When designing it, add custom dynamic fields for sections like the title, client name, contact, etc. And then simply swap the text in the custom fields and your changes will reflect in a matter of seconds.

Real Estate One Pager Case Study

7. Ecommerce One Pager Case Study

Take your case studies to the next level with this e-commerce one pager case study template. Featuring engaging visuals like charts, widgets and icons, this template brings your success stories to life and engages readers in a whole new way.

The template includes sections for introducing the problem, outlining the solution and showcasing the results. With the customizable charts, you can add a professional touch and enhance your case study’s narrative.

Not sure what to write in your case study, or perhaps you need help proofreading your copy before you send it off to a client? Visme’s AI writer is a powerful assistant for crafting killer content. You can even use it to proofread your content.

Ecommerce One Pager Case Study

8. Nutritional One Pager Case Study

Whether you're preparing a case study for publication, presentation, or educational purposes, this captivating nutritional case study template can help you communicate your findings effectively and engage your audience.

The template includes a range of colorful, eye-catching graphics, illustrations and visualizations that help break up the text and highlight key findings.

In addition to its visual appeal, this template is also highly customizable. Our user-friendly interface allows you to easily modify the layout, colors and fonts to suit your needs and branding preferences. You can even collaborate with colleagues and co-authors in real time. Team members can tag each other, leave feedback, resolve comments and more.

Nutritional Product One Pager Case Study

9. Training Workshop One Pager Case Study

If you're looking to highlight your training agency's capabilities and achievements, this template is an excellent starting point. Having amassed impressive results, you can even share them with new trainees to showcase the outcomes you expect.

With its flexible design and customizable elements, this template helps you tailor your message to any audience and make a lasting impression.

The template features two backgrounds—one with white and the other with different shades of red. With data visualization, you’re able to easily convey the results and help readers understand key insights.

Keep your branding consistent across multiple projects with Visme’s brand wizard . Simply input your URL and the tool will pull up your logo, colors and fonts from your website. You can easily add branding to your project with a single click.

Training Workshop One Pager Case Study

10. Service Workshop One Pager Case Study

The modern and sleek design of the template is ideal for companies that want to showcase their innovative and forward-thinking approach.

CV Service One Pager Case Study

The template includes a variety of fonts, colors and graphics that can be easily customized to match your brand identity. Easily find anything you need in Visme’s editor using the shortcut feature. Once you tap the forward-slash (/) on your keyboard, you’ll find a search bar where you can type the feature you’re looking for.

Additionally, the template is fully responsive, meaning that it can be easily viewed on a variety of devices, including laptops, tablets and smartphones. You can easily share your case study with others, regardless of how they prefer to access information.

Now that you know how case studies work and ten editable templates for creating a one-page case study, let’s cover how you can create and customize one using Visme.

Keep in mind that you can follow these steps when creating a company one pager or startup one pager .

Here’s what one of our customers has to say about Visme’s design software

“Visme saves time and is a whole lot more affordable than most other content development programs out there now. It makes it easy to develop professional, polished content.”

- Kendra Bradley, Graphic Content Developer at WOW! Read the full case study.

In this section, we’ll walk you through the process of creating a case study one pager in Visme.

Step 1: Register or Log in to your Visme Account

Sign up for a new Visme account or log into your account (if you’re an existing user). Fill in your login details in the form and you’ll be redirected to the dashboard. Either way, you can start exploring all the amazing features and tools that Visme has to offer!

case study of a success story

Step 2: Leverage Editable Templates or Start from Scratch

The next step is to create your single-page case study. You have the option of starting from scratch or using premade templates. In the Visme dashboard, click Create New>Project. Browse through the collection of templates until you find one that best fits your needs.

Step 3: Write the Content

After choosing a template, the next step is to create the content. All you have to do is replace the template's content with yours. Visme's user-friendly editor allows you to effortlessly add, edit or delete content or move design elements around the canvas.

You have complete control over your text, including the ability to modify, add, remove and adjust the font size, style and color. The editor also offers options to change the text alignment and arrangement and animate your text.

Not sure what to write in your case study, or maybe you need help proofreading your copy before you send it off to a client? Visme has got you covered with its AI writing assistant .

Enter your prompt and the tool will generate a high-quality copy within minutes. You can even ask the tool to improve your grammar or help develop your ideas.

Step 4: Customize Your Case Study One-Pager

Want to make your proposal visually stunning? Visme's customization options can help you achieve just that!

Maintain consistent branding across your case study with Visme's Brand Design Tool . Simply enter your website URL and the tool will pull up your logo, colors, fonts and other design elements. With your branding assets saved in your brand kit, you can easily apply your branding to your document with just one click.

Use interactive elements , such as pop-ups, hover effects, clickable menus, hotspots and the flipbook effect to captivate your readers and keep them engaged throughout your proposal. You can also embed videos and incorporate animated icons, illustrations and special effects to make your proposal even more compelling.

Easily communicate findings and outcomes with Visme’s data visualization software . The tool has a rich variety of charts, graphs, maps and widgets to get you on the right track.

Step 5: Download and Share Your Case Study One Pager

After you have designed your project, you can easily share it with your audience via an online link. This feature allows you to keep all the interactive elements in your design as well as make real-time edits or changes with ease.

case study of a success story

You can also download your case study as a high-resolution file in JPEG, PNG, PDF or HTML5 format, which can be shared offline.

case study of a success story

That’s not all. Visme supports social sharing via its social media scheduling tool. This means you can schedule and share your case study directly on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Slack and more.

With Visme’s analytics tool , you can easily monitor the performance of your design. The tool lets you track the number of views, engagement and other actions your audience takes.

Ready to squeeze the most value out of your next case study? Here are some best practices for creating effective case studies:

Structure Your Case Study to Focus on the Customer

The customer should be at the center of the case study.

When writing your case study, it makes sense to understand who your ideal customer is. Consider what they want to know and what will resonate with them.

If your clients are in the tech industry, share a case study about that niche. Tailoring the case study to their needs and interests will grab their attention and drive action.

Set the scene for the case study by providing relevant background information, such as the company, industry and challenges faced. Also, highlight the goals and achievements they had before you stepped in. This will help readers understand the severity of the problem and why the case study matters.

Prove the Value of Your Product, Service or Solution

When writing a case study make it persuasive and show clear results. Explain how your product or service helped customers achieve their objectives and improve their business outcomes. Think of it as showing a “before” and “after”!

However, make sure to focus on outcomes that matter most to the customer. This could include cost savings, revenue growth, or improved customer satisfaction.

Include quotes and testimonials from customers, stakeholders, or experts. This can add credibility and depth to the case study. They can also provide insight into the customer's perspective and experience.

Storytelling never goes out of fashion. Tell a story that engages the reader and makes them want to keep reading. Start with a captivating title and introduction to draw in the reader. Lace the middle with persuasive words, vivid visuals, data visualizations and detailed examples to bring the case study to life.

End with an action-oriented conclusion. Let your prospects know what to do next and how to do it.

Be Specific and Include Real Numbers

Avoid generalizations and vague statements. Instead, use specific details and metrics to demonstrate the impact of your product or service.

For example, instead of saying, "Our software increased efficiency," say, "Our software reduced processing time by 50%."

Include visual elements such as charts, images and infographics to break up the text and make it more engaging. They are also useful for illustrating key concepts, showcasing products or services and highlighting benefits and outcomes.

Follow a Consistent Structure

Use a case study outline that makes your case study scannable and easy to read. For example, you can follow this simple structure.

  • Introducing the customer
  • Describing the challenge
  • Explaining the solution
  • Summarizing the benefits and outcomes.
  • Highlighting the customer testimonials and quotes

This structure will make it easier for readers to follow along and understand the key points.

Finally, edit and proofread the case study to ensure it's error-free and flows smoothly. Ask others for feedback to ensure it meets your audience's needs.

Got some questions about case studies? Find the answers to some of the frequently asked questions here:

Q. How to Write a Case Study

Here's a step-by-step guide on how to write a case study:

  • Choose a subject. Select a customer who has achieved significant results using your product or service.
  • Define the objective. Is it to demonstrate your product's effectiveness, showcase a successful implementation, or highlight the benefits of your service? Knowing the objective will help you craft a focused case study.
  • Collect relevant data and information about the customer's situation, including their goals, challenges and achievements. This may involve conducting interviews with the customer, gathering data from surveys or analytics tools and reviewing any relevant documentation.
  • Create a case study outline. Develop a framework for the case study that includes an introduction, a description of the customer's situation, a discussion of the solution and an analysis of the results.
  • Consider using a storytelling technique , such as the hero's journey, to make the case study more engaging.
  • Write the first draft. Start writing the case study using the framework. Focus on telling a clear and concise story that highlights the customer's journey and the impact of your product or service. Use quotes and anecdotes from the customer to add depth and authenticity.
  • Get feedback. Share the draft with the customer and ask for their feedback. Use their input to further refine the case study and ensure it accurately reflects their experience.
  • Finalize the case study. Once you have incorporated the customer's feedback, finalize the case study by proofreading it carefully and formatting it appropriately. To enhance the story, consider adding visual elements, such as charts, photos, screenshots, or infographics.
  • Publish and promote. Once the case study is complete, publish it on your website, social media channels and other relevant platforms. Promote it through email marketing, paid advertising and other channels to reach your target audience.

Q. How to Format a Case Study

There are various formats for presenting a case study, such as one-pagers and multi-paged documents, videos, infographics and more.

Typically, the case study structure and format are straightforward. A case study usually describes a problem faced by the customer, along with how the product or service provided a solution, the outcomes and an analysis of the data. The study may also highlight any limitations or challenges that were encountered and conclude with key takeaways.

Q. Can a Case Study Be One Page?

Yes, a case study can be on one page. Case study one pagers are commonly used by sales and marketing departments that want to attract or warm up potential leads in their pipeline who are short on time or need to be quickly engaged.

Q. What Are the Most Important Areas of a Case Study?

The text below outlines the key elements that should be included when studying a product or service:

  • Identify the pain point, problem, or challenge faced by the customer or client.
  • Describe the solution the product or service provides to address the identified issue.
  • Show the results and data obtained from implementing the solution or approach. Highlight any limitations or challenges encountered during the process.
  • Conclude with key takeaways that summarize the overall impact of the solution or approach.

Additionally, you can include a well-crafted title and introduction that grabs the reader’s attention and sets the tone for the rest of the case study.

Create & Share Stunning Case Studies with Visme

There you have it. Case studies are valuable assets for driving sales and conversions.

In this article, we’ve shared stunning templates and best practices for creating a winning case study one-pager. We also discussed the advantages of a case study.

Now it’s time to get to work. Visme has everything you need to create stunning case study one-pagers. With our intuitive and user-friendly interface, editable template and cutting-edge features, you can easily create different types of marketing, sales and product one-pagers. Access interactive features, visuals, charts and other design elements to drive engagement over the top.

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4 case studies of businesses that scaled to greatness.

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Joe Camberato is the CEO and Founder of National Business Capital , a leading FinTech marketplace offering streamlined small business loans.

Have you ever wondered why some companies succeed in unimaginable ways while others fade into obscurity? The best way to understand how to scale a company is to look at how the most successful companies have done it. Let’s look at four companies that started out small and become global players in their industries.

Amazon is one of the best-known companies in the world, so it’s easy to forget that founder Jeff Bezos started the company out of his garage . In 1994, Bezos financed Amazon, which began as an online bookseller, with $10,000 of his own money.

Amazon experienced many losses during its early days, but its revenue quickly grew from $4.2 million to $8.5 million in 1996. The company went public in 1997, and the following year, it expanded beyond books.

One of its biggest game changers came in 2005 when the company launched Amazon Prime, its subscription service. There are 180 million Prime members in the U.S. alone.

Netflix’s Best New Movie Arrives With A Perfect 100% Critic Score

‘emily in paris’ dethroned in netflix’s top 10 list by a new show, how dallas cowboys owner jerry jones accidentally bought into an alleged $100 million mississippi cancer cluster.

Amazon’s continued commitment to innovation has led it to be one of the world’s most successful companies. Amazon provides its customers with almost unparalleled convenience.

Under Armour

In 1996, Under Armour was founded with the idea of creating a T-shirt that wicks sweat away more efficiently and keeps athletes dry. The company started small , with founder Kevin Plank selling T-shirts out of the trunk of his car and to his former teammates on the University of Maryland’s football team.

Under Armour made several iterations of its original prototype, and the T-shirt was a huge success. The company began growing organically. Plank wanted to increase the company’s growth, so in 1999, he decided to take out an ESPN ad for $25,000 . It was a risky move at the time, and employees agreed to go without pay for a couple of weeks so the company could afford the ad. However, the risk paid off, and Under Armour generated $1 million in sales the next year and dramatically increased its brand recognition.

Under Armour’s initial funding came from Plank , but the company went public in 2005 . Under Armour began to diversify and release new products, but it never lost focus on its central mission—improving the performance and comfort of all athletes.

In 2007, Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia couldn’t afford the rent for their San Francisco apartment, so they decided to rent out their loft space to earn some extra money. They didn’t want to post an ad on Craigslist , so they decided to create their own rental site.

In 2009, they were accepted into Y Combinator and received $20,000 in funding . Airbnb later received another $600,000 in funding in a seed round, despite receiving a lot of early resistance. By 2014, Airbnb had more than 550,000 properties listed worldwide and 10 million guests.

One of its keys to success is its focus on the user experience. By allowing people to rent out their homes, the company gives the average person a way to earn an additional stream of income.

In 1997, Netflix was started as a DVD rental service to help customers avoid getting hit with late fees. Customers selected the movies and TV shows they wanted online and could then have them delivered to their homes.

In 1999 , founder Reed Hastings introduced a subscription-based model. Once customers were locked into a monthly subscription, they were more likely to rent more movies. In 2000, Netflix released its Unlimited Movie Rental program, which allowed customers to rent an unlimited number of movies each month for a monthly subscription of $19.95.

In 2007, Netflix launched its online streaming service, and that was the first year the company surpassed $1 billion in revenue. The company later began entering into content licensing deals with television studios and, in 2011, started producing its own original programming.

Netflix has been a success because the company is flexible and able to adapt quickly to changes in the marketplace. And Netflix’s founders were able to see the long-term vision for what the company could become, unlike companies like Blockbuster.

Tips On Scaling Your Business

Scaling a business is the ultimate goal for most entrepreneurs, but how can you make it happen? First, it’s important to understand the difference between growth vs. scaling. Growing businesses focus on getting bigger and acquiring more customers and more team members. In comparison, scaling focuses on efficiency. Scalable companies can serve more customers without significantly more effort.

It’s near-impossible to scale a company by yourself, so you should ensure you have the right team in place. This isn’t just about bringing on more employees. It’s about finding those few, highly specialized employees who can help you move the company forward.

Research from McKinsey found that the highest performers are 800 times more productive than average employees in the same role. Focus on finding and keeping the right staff of people who believe in the company’s mission.

My company started with me. I worked as hard as I could and made some great progress in the beginning, but a business can only reach a certain level with only one person. It started with one hire, then two, then three. Before long, I was surrounded by amazingly talented people, and the business started to grow beyond what I was able to achieve on my own.

You also need to focus on understanding your customers and maintaining quality customer service. As companies start to scale, maintaining a high level of customer service becomes increasingly difficult. Ensure you’re meeting your customers’ needs by creating standard operating procedures, automating what you can and investing in 24/7 live chat.

Scaling your business requires investing in technology and systems, which aren’t cheap. Even if you don’t need the funds yet, start identifying potential banks or online lenders where you can access a loan or ongoing line of credit. Finding the right financing opportunities allows you to build the infrastructure necessary to scale.

Forbes Finance Council is an invitation-only organization for executives in successful accounting, financial planning and wealth management firms. Do I qualify?

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Ux research case study examples for 2024.

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2024 UX Insights reveal a growing emphasis on understanding user needs through comprehensive research case studies. As we navigate a rapidly evolving digital environment, organizations must prioritize the experiences and challenges of their users. In this section, we will explore notable case studies that demonstrate effective UX research strategies designed to enhance user satisfaction and engagement.

By examining these case studies, we aim to shed light on the innovative methodologies employed to gather valuable insights. Understanding user pain points and desires empowers businesses to streamline processes and create solutions tailored to their audience. Let’s delve into these examples, highlighting key findings and lessons that can inform your approach to user experience in 2024.

Analyzing Emerging Trends in 2024 UX Insights

In 2024, UX insights focus on integrating user feedback more dynamically into design processes. This change is crucial for creating digital experiences that are directly aligned with users' expectations and needs. By prioritizing ongoing communication with users, businesses can identify emerging trends that shape their products and services.

The use of advanced technology, such as artificial intelligence, is expected to play a significant role in analyzing user behavior. AI tools can now sift through vast amounts of data quickly, highlighting key patterns and preferences that were previously hard to detect. Additionally, personalization will continue to be a focal point, as users increasingly favor tailored experiences over generic offerings. Addressing pain points and desires from user feedback will guide design decisions, ensuring that products are not just usable but truly valuable. This year, the emphasis will be on thorough analysis to drive user-centric design effectively.

The Rise of Inclusive Design in 2024 UX Insights

Inclusive design has become increasingly vital in 2024 UX insights, shifting the focus toward creating products that cater to a diverse user base. As teams recognize the importance of accessibility and inclusivity, they are eager to implement strategies that ensure every user feels valued and understood. This change not only enhances user satisfaction but also opens up new markets, emphasizing the need for designs that accommodate various backgrounds and abilities.

One critical facet of this shift includes understanding user needs through thorough research. Gathering insights directly from diverse user groups enables designers to develop solutions that effectively address pain points and desires. Additionally, companies that prioritize inclusive design often see increased loyalty from customers who appreciate the effort to create user-centric experiences. By integrating these aspects into their workflow, UX professionals are paving the way for a more inclusive digital future, showcasing how adopting inclusive practices can lead to meaningful results and measurable improvements in overall user engagement.

Leveraging AI for Enhanced User Experiences

Artificial intelligence stands as a powerful ally in enhancing user experiences in 2024. AI technologies can analyze vast amounts of user data, allowing designers to understand preferences and behaviors with unparalleled precision. By employing AI-driven insights, designers can craft personalized interactions that resonate deeply with users.

To effectively incorporate AI into user experience, consider the following strategies:

Predictive Analytics : Utilize AI algorithms to forecast user trends and preferences, helping teams anticipate needs before users even realize them.

Natural Language Processing : Implement tools that understand user feedback and queries to provide relevant information, improving overall satisfaction.

User Journey Mapping : Leverage AI to visualize user paths across platforms, identifying bottlenecks and optimizing touchpoints for seamless navigation.

These strategies not only enhance the user experience but also yield valuable 2024 UX insights, guiding future design decisions to foster deeper engagement and loyalty.

Success Stories: Practical Applications of 2024 UX Insights

Success stories from 2024 demonstrate the transformative power of UX insights across various industries. By applying these insights, businesses have revamped their user experiences and improved customer satisfaction significantly. A company aimed at enhancing patient experience utilized a configurable dashboard to visualize themes from user conversations. This approach allowed them to synthesize data effectively and direct their focus on critical areas, such as clinical interactions and care coordination.

Another example features a business that used its UX insights to streamline user interactions, leading to increased engagement. Through data analysis, they identified specific user needs and pain points, allowing them to tailor the user journey. These practical applications not only emphasize the value of 2024 UX insights but also illustrate how organizations can cultivate a more effective, user-centric approach to product development and service delivery.

Case Study 1: Revolutionizing E-Commerce UX

In 2024, e-commerce platforms are undergoing significant transformations to enhance user experience (UX). Businesses are prioritizing customer insights to tailor their offerings and improve navigation. By integrating user-centric design elements and streamlining the purchasing process, these platforms aim to reduce friction for shoppers, ultimately boosting conversion rates. Data-driven decision-making has become a cornerstone of effective UX strategies, ensuring that every design choice is based on actual user feedback.

The focus on 2024 UX insights highlights the importance of innovation in e-commerce. Key strategies include the implementation of personalized recommendations and intuitive interfaces that cater to diverse shopper preferences. Additionally, the integration of advanced analytics tools helps businesses gain a deeper understanding of customer behavior. By continuously refining their UX based on active user research, companies can create engaging online experiences that resonate with today’s consumers, fostering loyalty and driving sales.

Case Study 2: Transforming Healthcare Interfaces through UX Research

In the quest for enhanced healthcare interfaces, thorough UX research becomes essential. This case study illustrates how user experience investigations can lead to transformative changes in healthcare applications. By focusing on the pre-qualification flow, researchers conducted usability studies to understand user interactions with the existing interface. Through evaluations of elements like field labels and messaging clarity, insights were gathered to identify areas needing improvement.

The findings showcased critical user expectations and frustrations, allowing designers to craft a more intuitive interface. Key strategies included simplifying language and ensuring that information requests were logical and clear. These adjustments not only enhance user satisfaction but also streamline the healthcare process. As we look ahead to 2024, leveraging these UX insights can significantly impact how patients and providers engage with digital health platforms, ultimately leading to more effective healthcare delivery.

Conclusion: Key Takeaways from 2024 UX Insights on Case Studies

The findings from the 2024 UX insights provide essential guidance for professionals looking to enhance user experience. Case studies reveal how to identify and address user pain points effectively, leading to improved product engagement. By analyzing user feedback and behaviors, teams can refine their design strategies and create solutions that resonate with the target audience.

Moreover, understanding the different types of insights, such as those relating to customer retention and experience engagement, allows designers to prioritize their initiatives. The evidence presented in these case studies highlights the importance of continuous improvement based on user feedback, serving as a roadmap for future projects. Ultimately, these insights emphasize the value of a user-centric approach in product development.

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Milton Ranch Restoration: A Case Study for Successful Collaboration 

There are many benefits that come from the restoration of prairie systems. And collaboration is key to making it happen. 

Growing up, Bill Milton split his time between the Bay Area and his father’s ranch near Helena, Montana. After his father passed away, he wandered around for a time, before returning to Montana. In 1978, Bill and his wife Dana bought a ranch, now known as Milton Ranch, just north of Roundup, Montana. The Milton’s made a home on the ranch where they raised their three children. 

Milton Ranch is 15,000 acres, and sits within the largest intact grassland ecosystem in the world. The grasslands are home to antelope, deer, elk, and prairie dogs. Many birds visit the ranch as well, including ducks and geese, white pelicans and cormorants, and bird species of concern like the Sprague’s pipit. While some of the land was previously farmed, a majority of those fields have since been returned to native grasses, and the Milton’s continue to do the same to the remaining non-native fields. Over 400 cow-calf pairs graze on the grasses. About two thirds of the Milton ranch is deeded land, and the remaining third is leased from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the State of Montana.  

When asked about his favorite time to be on the land, Bill Milton shared, “All the time. I love early mornings, and all the different lights at different times of the day. When you work on land, there is an interdependence going on. Over the years you see how the grasses and animals change. When you are here for a long time, you pick up on those differences and see subtleties that someone who just showed up wouldn't notice.”  

Two people Bill and Dana Milton standing in front of a gate at the Milton ranch

The Milton’s take a holistic approach to land management, recognizing the positive relationship that is possible between cows and the landscape they live on. This holistic approach involves moving the cows frequently, often daily, to provide short but intense grazing periods to the cows and long recovery periods to the grasslands.  

Close to ten miles of ephemeral stream runs through the center of Milton Ranch. The creek is an unnamed tributary of Willow Creek, and a part of the Musselshell Watershed. The Milton’s understand that rivers do not stop at fence lines or jurisdictional boundaries, and that land management shouldn’t either. To better steward their ranch, the Milton family is teaming up with the BLM,  National Wildlife Federation (NWF), and Anabranch Solutions , a small riverscape restoration business, to carry out restoration on the creek.  

Due to the holistic management techniques already in practice on the ranch, the riparian areas are in fairly good shape. To help maintain the health of the riparian areas, they are not grazed during peak growing season more than once every four years. That gives riparian vegetation three out of every four years to build root mass and take advantage of available moisture. However, there is still an opportunity to improve the health of these riparian areas. As central Montana becomes more arid, conserving water resources is an important part of maintaining resilience. 

Shelby Weigand, senior coordinator for riparian connectivity at NWF said “although Milton Ranch experienced intense grazing and stream modification in the past, due to improved grazing practices, it is on an upward trend. We want to continue that upward movement.”  

a green landscape with a creek flowing through

To help maintain water resources and increase resilience, partners are working to restore the creek on Milton Ranch. The goal of the restoration project is to connect the floodplain, maintain flows in the creek later into the year, and improve native vegetation along the creek. The project will involve installing beaver dam analogs, and post-assisted log structures, which cause water to slow down and spread out. Partners will also plant woody vegetation such as buffaloberry, chokecherry, and willow, that will be fenced in so the plants can be used as seed or rhizome banks. 

While some of the work will happen on Milton Ranch, it will also improve the creek on BLM and State of Montana owned land. Shane Trautner, rangeland management specialist for the BLM field office in Billings, has worked on previous stewardship projects with the Miltons, and he is pleased to be partnering with them again. Trautner was tasked with collecting woody material to use for the structures. He is collaborating with BLM’s hazardous fuels crews to get woody material from thinning projects in the area. Some of the material will come from the Milton Ranch, and the remainder will be sourced twenty miles west of the site. Materials will be collected and staged close to the date of implementation, so they are malleable and easy to build with.  

During project implementation, NWF will be hosting a workshop to discuss the benefits of restoration in prairie systems. Weigand and Trautner hope that while the Milton Ranch may be the starting point for restoration in the Musselshell Watershed, it can also be a catalyst for future projects.  

Grasslands with big blue sky and fluffy cloud formations

“This is about more than just Bill’s place,” said Trautner. “Ultimately the goal is to expand and use collective resources to keep building and fine tuning from here. I want to document real change in the watershed.” 

Bill Milton agrees, noting that “these restoration projects are good for everybody. It is good for ranchers to have partnerships and organizations to tell a good story to increase appreciation for ranching and how it can be beneficial for landscapes. Collaboration is our superpower.”  

About the Author 

Rose Vejvoda is a graduate student at Northern Arizona University, where she is a candidate for a Professional Master of Science in Climate Science and Solutions, and a graduate certificate in Greenhouse Gas Accounting. Rose received her undergraduate degree from Montana State University where she studied English Writing, and Sustainability Studies. She has a passion for using effective storytelling to build relationships, uplift local communities, and help people feel connected to the natural world. Rose wrote this story while she was a Freshwater Ecosystems Intern at Natural Resources Defense Council working with BLM.  

Rose Vejvoda, Intern

Montana/Dakotas State Office

5001 Southgate Drive Billings , MT 59101 United States

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How Air-Conditioning Conquered America

Indoor cooling has transformed american life, reshaping homes, skylines and where people choose to live. as the planet warms, is that sustainable.

This transcript was created using speech recognition software. While it has been reviewed by human transcribers, it may contain errors. Please review the episode audio before quoting from this transcript and email [email protected] with any questions.

From “The New York Times,” I’m Michael Barbaro. This is “The Daily.”

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Today, the story of how air conditioning has become both our answer to a warming planet and a major obstacle to actually confronting it. My colleague, Emily Badger, on the increasingly dangerous paradox of trying to control the temperature.

It’s Friday, August 16.

Emily, I want to start with a very personal question for you. What is your relationship to air conditioning?

So, at this exact moment, I am sitting in no air conditioning and it is kind of uncomfortable. And I’ve turned it off because it’s loud and it’s not very conducive to recording a podcast.

[CHUCKLES]: I didn’t mean right now, I meant in the larger arc of your life. But thank you for turning it off for the purposes of this episode.

Yeah. So I grew up in Chicago in this brick three flat apartment building, this very classic Chicago architecture, you know, built in the early 1900s. And it didn’t have air conditioning, so I didn’t have air conditioning growing up. Hardly anybody I knew had air conditioning growing up because we all lived in buildings like this.

Not even window units, just didn’t happen.

Nope, we didn’t even have a window unit in my family. And it wasn’t that big of a deal, in retrospect. We had, in this apartment, these big open windows that you could open and you’d generate a cross breeze through them. And there’s this kind of lovely breeze that comes off of Lake Michigan in the summer. And when it gets really, really hot, you know, you take a cold shower at night before you get in bed. You eat a lot of ice cream.

I can’t even remember if we had air conditioning in the schools that I went to. But it just wasn’t something that I thought very much about or really even experienced very much.

Right. You didn’t miss it. You didn’t even know it could be.

Yeah, exactly.

And then, the first job that I got out of college, I moved to Orlando, and totally different environment. I mean, living in Florida is the story of moving from one air conditioned box into another. You’re in your air conditioned apartment. You get in your air conditioned car. You don’t walk anywhere. You drive everywhere you go. You drive to your air conditioned office. You go to air conditioned bars. And it’s a really, really integral to life there in a way that was very foreign to me as someone growing up in the North.

So you went from a dearth of air conditioning to suddenly being saturated by it. And was that a happy development?

You know, I don’t think that I really gave it that much thought. I mean, living in Orlando surrounded by air conditioning, it’s just sort of that’s the air that you breathe. That’s the way everyone lives. And I think this is probably true for lots of people. We don’t really give it a lot of thought. It’s just sort of a background part of our environment.

But as I have written for years now about urban policy in cities, and how we live, and how we develop cities, it’s sort of become increasingly clear to me that air conditioning is this incredibly important thing that is shaping everything around us. You know, it’s shaping where Americans live, where they choose to move to. It shapes how our houses look. It shapes what our skylines look like. It’s responsible for saving lives and heat waves. In many ways, it’s really improved our quality of life.

But it’s increasingly clear to us that there are some downsides to this. And one of those downsides is that while we’re all sitting in our air conditioned homes, and offices, and cars, and we’ve set the thermostat to exactly 72 degrees, we’re becoming increasingly detached from what’s happening in the environment outside. It is a lot easier to ignore that it’s 100 degrees outside when you’re sitting inside air conditioning.

And, in some ways, I think we have forgotten how to live with heat. We have forgotten how to live with the climate as it existed before air conditioning. And having forgotten that, it’s probably going to cause some problems for us going forward.

Well, Emily, what did the American landscape look like when people did have to contend with the heat in the days before air conditioning?

So I think about two big things in particular. One is that the buildings that we spend time in looked different. We designed houses and other kinds of buildings in ways that were really sort of thoughtfully trying to contend with the temperature outside.

And so you’ve got these buildings in the Southwest in the United States that have these thick Adobe walls that do a really good job of keeping the sun and its heat out. You’ve got these cottages and bungalows in the Southeast that are raised up off the ground so that they’re not receiving the heat that’s absorbed by the Earth.

They’ve got big windows. They’re thinking a lot about cross ventilation. They’ve got high ceilings so that, as heat rises inside your home, you’re not marinating in it while you’re sitting in your living room. They’ve got front porches where people sit at the end of the day in order to try to cool off.

And then you’ve got the building like the one I grew up in, in Chicago, which I mentioned — these sort of thick brick masonry buildings, which are also designed in a way that is making it possible for me to grow up in the 1980s and ‘90s and be OK with the fact that I don’t have air conditioning.

Because brick kind of retains cool air.

Right. Right. And so part of what results from all of this is that the buildings in Georgia look different from the buildings in Arizona, look different from the buildings in Chicago. Because in each of those places, we’re designing buildings that react to the particular climate in those environments. And so this is the first big change.

Think of a time when you have to design a building to interact with what’s going on outside, with how humid it is, with how hot it gets. But the other thing that was very different in the pre-air conditioning environment is that there were just a lot fewer people living in the parts of the United States that were really hot and swampy. So it’s kind of incredible to think about it, but 1940, there are fewer people living in the state of Florida than living in the state of Arkansas.

There are about 8,000 people total living in the city of Las Vegas. Dallas and Houston are nowhere to be found on the list of the largest cities in America. So fundamentally, before air conditioning, there just aren’t a lot of people living in places where it is uncomfortable if you’re not controlling the temperature in some way.

Right. If it’s too hot, then you just don’t live there.

Right. So climate shapes your decisions about where to live. It shapes your decisions about how to build housing. It shapes your decisions about where to spend your time and your house. Maybe you go onto your front porch in the evening when it’s cooling down. You know, in many ways, our behavior is shaped by the climate. And then air conditioning comes along and it totally changes everything that I’ve been talking about. Because now the outdoor climate doesn’t really affect what your life is like indoors.

Just tell us about that moment, because I don’t think any of us really know the story.

Yeah. So there have been contraptions invented in the 1900s that were trying to do things like blow forced air over big blocks of ice in order to cool it. But the thing that we really think of as air conditioning is just totally a 20th century story.

It starts at the very beginning of the 20th century in 1902, when Willis Carrier invents this machine that’s kind of controlling the temperature, and the humidity, and the purity of air, particularly in an industrial context. The very first use of this in 1902 is in a printing plant, and fundamentally the problem that it’s solving is that the moisture content in the air is really becoming a problem for printing documents.

You’re saying basically, publishing, journalism is responsible for air conditioning.

Yes, everybody can thank us and then later they can blame us.

And so, in the beginning, what air conditioning is doing is it’s solving an industrial problem. The machines are hot, or maybe it’s a textile mill and too much humidity is sort of destroying your textiles. And also, you want your workers to be productive in these manufacturing spaces.

Lots of people in a small space with hot machines. Right.

Yeah. And so in the very beginning of the 20th century, it’s not about providing comfort for people. It’s about conditioning the environments that manufacturing and industry is having. And then it is this very sort of long story that plays out over several decades, where this invention moves from these industrial spaces into these other kinds of spaces.

Yes, you lucky people. Just sit back for a moment, relax, and notice the delightfully clean, cool, and refreshing atmosphere of this scientifically air conditioned theater. Great, isn’t it?

So then it comes into theaters and becomes almost this marketing tool to attract people inside.

You can enjoy great motion picture entertainment all summer long in cool comfort.

Go see a movie and enjoy air conditioning while you’re in there.

Yes, low-cost all-season air conditioning is the right kind for you. And you’re so right to choose a ‘55 Rambler Cross Country, now at all dealers.

And then, at the same time, cars in America that have air conditioning in them — the share of those cars is rising and rising. It moves into office buildings.

Instead of traveling away from business and home to seek relief, you can obtain this same comfort right in your own home or office through air conditioning.

And then, eventually, after decades of refining this technology, and it gets smaller, and it gets more affordable, and it becomes more advanced —

This lucky baby will sleep quietly through the night.

— it reaches the American home and we get the window unit.

This baby’s RCA air conditioner will keep his room filled with cool, dry, fresh air.

And the window unit is this much more affordable, portable, easy to pick up at the store, bring to your house. You don’t need to get a special installer. You stick it in your window, and now all of a sudden you’re getting all of these benefits of humidity controlled, temperature controlled air inside of your home.

Humidity, controlled, dust and pollen filtered. My indoor climate is always perfect.

At that point it’s off to the races. It takes over the American home. And we can see in census data, for instance, that by about the start of the 1970s, about half of all new single family homes that are built in America have air conditioning in them.

And the other thing that we see in census data at this time is that Americans themselves are starting to move to places that are really hot, like Florida, like Texas, like Arizona, like Nevada, places that are kind of uninhabitable before air conditioning. Now they’re booming in population.

And there was this wonderful editorial that was actually published in “The Times” in 1970 about the census that year, and how 1970 was like, the air conditioning census. And it refers to how air conditioning had become this really powerful influence for circulating people as well as air in this country.

And this is a story that continues right up until this day, where air conditioning is sort of extending its reach into every corner of the country, every sort of housing type. And today, about 2/3 of American households in this country have central air, and about 90 percent, so 9 in 10 of them, have some kind of error conditioning if we include things like window units. And if we look just at New housing that’s built in America today, looking back in 2023, about 98 percent of new single family homes in America had air conditioning.

What you’re talking about is basically 200 or so million air conditioning units, condensers, boxes. That’s a lot.

Yeah. And as air conditioning has extended its reach into every corner of the country, into so many of the buildings where we spend time, I think it becomes clear that we’ve really kind of engineered our modern lives entirely around it.

And our reliance on this technology going forward is both unsustainable, and in fact, it’s put a lot of people in a very vulnerable position.

We’ll be right back.

Emily, walk us through how our reliance on air conditioning is both, as you just said, unsustainable and perhaps even kind of dangerous to us.

So the first obvious thing that it does is it just requires an enormous amount of energy for so many people to be air conditioning so many spaces all the time. And so to think about this in a larger sense, our buildings in the United States are responsible for about 30 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions. And that refers to the fossil fuels that we burn directly to heat and cool buildings, and to cook in them, but also to generate the electricity that then allows us to do things plug in our window units.

So there’s a ton of energy use happening here. But part of what’s also happening is that all of these buildings have been fundamentally designed to consume lots of energy. A lot of these buildings were built during a time, you know, in the ‘50s and the ‘60s and in more recent years, where energy was cheap. The idea that you’re designing a building that demands lots of energy — who cares? We’re not paying a ton of money for the energy.

And in the ‘60s and in the ‘50s, we weren’t particularly thinking about whether or not using energy is going to cause climate change. So because of this, we get this glut of inefficient houses. And this happens not just with houses, but with everything in the built environment.

Think about strip malls, shopping centers, workplaces, even offices — the sort of ubiquitous, tall, boxy, glass-covered office building that we think about in cities all over the country, all over the world — this is a building that is born out of the air conditioning age. That glassy box is designed around air conditioning such that without air conditioning, those kinds of offices don’t make sense.

Right. I’m thinking about the office that you and I call home, the “New York Times” high-rise building in Midtown. That does not feel, for all its virtues, like a building, you’d want to be in without air conditioning.

It’s glass, and tall, and I think it’d be very hot.

Yeah. When you think about tall glass office buildings, they’re basically greenhouses if you’re not controlling the air inside. They’re designed such that not only do you not have to open a window in order to cool off, you couldn’t open a window even if you wanted to. These buildings don’t have windows that open, because they’re designed to be these hermetically sealed environments where we’re going to keep the outside climate out and we’re going to control the climate on the inside. And this idea that the outside doesn’t matter is true in the design of so many of our buildings, our offices, even our homes. And that actually puts people into an incredibly vulnerable situation.

And vulnerable how, exactly?

So let’s assume a storm comes through and the power goes out, or your air conditioning stops working because you’ve been running it all the time, all summer long, or when we have these extreme heat conditions and the electric utility tells you, please try to preserve the amount of air conditioning that you’re using. What happens when, all of a sudden, millions of people who have been living in an environment designed entirely around air conditioning can’t have that air conditioning? We start to see real problems.

And this is an abstract. We have actually seen this happen in the United States even this year, in other recent years, where terrible storms have ripped through the state of Texas and millions of people have been left without power. And when this happens in the middle of a heat wave, people die.

Right. And that seems an example of the multiple ways that air conditioning conspires to make us avoid contending with the realities of heat to return to this idea you introduced earlier on. AC allows more people to go to a place like Texas than they’d ever go if there weren’t AC making them comfortable, and to design and live in homes and offices that become a cauldron without air conditioning when it fails.

Exactly. Air conditioning makes it possible for people to believe that you could be comfortable in Texas in the summer, in Arizona in the summer. And so people move to these places in large numbers. And then, when the air conditioning fails, they’re sort of suddenly thrust into a world where they’re living in the middle of the Arizona desert or they’re living in the middle of Texas on a 110 degree day. And that could be life threatening.

Especially with climate change making it even hotter in these places, it doesn’t really seem sustainable for a lot of people to live in those places without air conditioning, without some kind of artificial tempering of the environment.

Yeah. And it’s not just because of the heat. I mean, is it sustainable for a Metropolitan area of 5 million people to exist in Phoenix in the middle of the desert when there’s also not enough water there for everyone? So air conditioning sort of lulls people into moving to these places, which might be problematic for lots of other reasons, as well. But we’ve sort of convinced ourselves that the climate doesn’t matter. We’re going to control it. We’re going to engineer our way into living with it.

You’re reminding me, Emily, of an episode we did on the show about this very idea. It focused on the water shortage in Arizona and the plans to pipe in — and, as I recall, desalinate ocean water — to deal with the problem of not enough water in Arizona. And it doesn’t really seem fathomable that proposition would ever occur to people if they weren’t living there in the comfort of air conditioning in the first place.

Yeah. So there have been people living in the region of Phoenix for centuries, so it’s not that nobody can ever live there. But what air conditioning does is it enables millions of people to live there who don’t actually want to contend with 100 degree temperatures all summer long. So a place like Phoenix then becomes this perfect example where we now have 5 million people living in the middle of the Arizona desert, and they all have this expectation of comfort there, that any environment that I move into — in my home, in my office, in my car — I should be encased in this cooling, calm, 72 degree humidity controlled environment. And that sense of comfort becomes so deeply entrenched kind of culturally. And this isn’t just about Phoenix. This is about all of us. I think we have set up an expectation or even an entitlement around comfort such that it makes it really difficult to start to ask people, do you really need to turn up your air conditioning today?

So that makes me wonder how people are ever going to get off the air conditioning hamster wheel that we’re describing here. I mean, why would anyone?

Well, we have to figure out how to do something if we want to address climate change. So there are a number of different things that are going to happen here. Air conditioning is going to become more efficient. We’re going to have more renewable energy sources to power it in the future. And I think we’re increasingly going to see architects and builders trying to rediscover these lost ideas that we used to have about how to design buildings with the climate in mind, how to shade them, how to ventilate them in a more natural way.

But I also have talked to some people who say that all of that is not going to be enough. One of them is Daniel Barber, who’s an architectural historian who has thought a lot about life after air conditioning or, as he puts it, after comfort — life in a world where we’re not depending on air conditioning so much. And the point that he makes is that there are difficult things and changes that we would have to do going forward if we know that our buildings are responsible for a lot of greenhouse gas emissions.

Our dependence on air conditioning is responsible for a large share of that, and we have to reduce it in some way. What we all need to do is change our own behavior. We need to think anew about our relationship to comfort. And are we willing to be uncomfortable some of the time? Am I willing to wait until July to turn my air conditioning on? Am I willing to turn it off at night when it’s not really necessary to use it? Am I willing to sleep at 80 degrees instead of 72 degrees?

Or 68 or 65. And he’s talking about asking people to do something really difficult. He is asking people to be uncomfortable.

You are, of course, by conveying this message, putting this problem on individuals, not governments, not states. And lots of people might hear this and think the real solutions have to come from regulators, have to come from institutions, have to come from the people who have a lot more control over how this all works.

I think that there are some ways in which that will happen, too. When we think about new buildings that are being designed or renovated today that are trying to adopt some of these techniques to be less reliant on indoor air conditioning. They’re often institutional buildings you will see cities commit to when we rebuild our schools, when we build a new library, when we build a new civic center, we are going to embody these things that we are asking other people to do, too.

And, obviously, there are government incentives in the United states, for instance, to better insulate your home, to do things that would make your home greener. So there’s certainly a role for government. But what Daniel Barber at least would argue is that we all bear some responsibility. And air conditioning has lulled us into thinking that we’re not impacted by how hot it is outside. But it’s also maybe lulled us into thinking like, I’m not the one who needs to particularly change my behavior in any way.

But, fundamentally, what we’re talking about is people embracing a kind of different cultural idea about what it means to be comfortable. The idea that existing in a room that is artificially cooled to 68 to 72 degrees fahrenheit, that that’s the ideal temperature — that’s not some true fact about the human body. It’s a cultural idea that’s been created over decades by the air conditioning industry, by architects, and builders, and culture, and shopping malls, and movie theaters. And the idea that comfort means this one particular thing is an idea that we have constructed ourselves. And so what if we culturally came up with a different idea about comfort?

What if more people came to accept the idea that going and sitting out on my front porch in the evening is where I get comfort from? And it’s also, by the way, how I interact with my neighbors. And I had stopped doing that when we were all retreating inside to air conditioning. What if we revived the idea that it’s actually quite lovely in the summertime to sleep with an open window and to have fresh air? It’s not impossible to change ideas about this because we created these ideas in the first place.

Well, Emily, thank you very much. We really appreciate it.

Yeah. Thanks, Michael.

Here’s what else you need to know today. On Thursday, the White House said that its newfound authority to use the Medicare program to negotiate prices of prescription drugs with pharmaceutical companies is likely to save taxpayers about $6 billion a year. That power came from President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, which became law two years ago. Under it, regulators have now lowered the price of widely used treatments, including blood thinners and medications for arthritis and diabetes, some by up to 79 percent.

And both vice presidential nominees, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Ohio Senator JD Vance, have agreed to debate each other on October 1 during a televised face-off hosted by CBS News. That means there will be three debates before election day — one vice presidential debate and two presidential debates between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris.

Finally, remember to catch a new episode of “The Interview” right here tomorrow. This week, David Marchese speaks with the singer Jelly Roll about addiction recovery and putting his whole self into his music.

I think of everything as a going out of business sale, and I give everything I got everything I do every time I do it right now.

Today’s episode was produced by Shannon Lin and Diana Nguyen with help from Michael Simon Johnson. It was edited by Devon Taylor, contains research help from Susan Lee, original music by Marion Lozano, Dan Powell, Rowen Niemisto, and Will Reid, and was engineered by Alyssa Moxley. Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly.

That’s it for “The Daily.” I’m Michael Barbaro. See you on Monday.

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case study of a success story

Hosted by Michael Barbaro

Featuring Emily Badger

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Air-conditioning has become both our answer to a warming planet and a major obstacle to actually confronting it.

Emily Badger, who covers cities and urban policy for The Times, explains the increasingly dangerous paradox of trying to control the temperature.

On today’s episode

case study of a success story

Emily Badger , who covers cities and urban policy for The New York Times.

A brown brick apartment block in New York. Air conditioning units can be seen in several of the windows.

Background reading

From 2017: How air-conditioning conquered America .

Air-conditioning use will surge in a warming world , the U.N. has warned.

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The Daily is made by Rachel Quester, Lynsea Garrison, Clare Toeniskoetter, Paige Cowett, Michael Simon Johnson, Brad Fisher, Chris Wood, Jessica Cheung, Stella Tan, Alexandra Leigh Young, Lisa Chow, Eric Krupke, Marc Georges, Luke Vander Ploeg, M.J. Davis Lin, Dan Powell, Sydney Harper, Michael Benoist, Liz O. Baylen, Asthaa Chaturvedi, Rachelle Bonja, Diana Nguyen, Marion Lozano, Corey Schreppel, Rob Szypko, Elisheba Ittoop, Mooj Zadie, Patricia Willens, Rowan Niemisto, Jody Becker, Rikki Novetsky, Nina Feldman, Will Reid, Carlos Prieto, Ben Calhoun, Susan Lee, Lexie Diao, Mary Wilson, Alex Stern, Sophia Lanman, Shannon Lin, Diane Wong, Devon Taylor, Alyssa Moxley, Olivia Natt, Daniel Ramirez and Brendan Klinkenberg.

Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly. Special thanks to Sam Dolnick, Paula Szuchman, Lisa Tobin, Larissa Anderson, Julia Simon, Sofia Milan, Mahima Chablani, Elizabeth Davis-Moorer, Jeffrey Miranda, Maddy Masiello, Isabella Anderson, Nina Lassam and Nick Pitman.

Emily Badger writes about cities and urban policy for The Times from Washington. She’s particularly interested in housing, transportation and inequality — and how they’re all connected. More about Emily Badger

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    4. Industrial One Pager Case Study. Make your success stories stand out with this engaging case study template. Featuring a unique layout, colorful text and eye-catching visuals, this template is sure to capture readers' attention and keep them engaged until the very end. The logo and social media icons highlight your company's branding.

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    One of its keys to success is its focus on the user experience. By allowing people to rent out their homes, the company gives the average person a way to earn an additional stream of income. Netflix

  24. UX Research Case Study Examples for 2024

    Success Stories: Practical Applications of 2024 UX Insights. ... Case Study 1: Revolutionizing E-Commerce UX. In 2024, e-commerce platforms are undergoing significant transformations to enhance user experience (UX). Businesses are prioritizing customer insights to tailor their offerings and improve navigation. By integrating user-centric design ...

  25. Milton Ranch Restoration: A Case Study for Successful Collaboration

    Bill Milton agrees, noting that "these restoration projects are good for everybody. It is good for ranchers to have partnerships and organizations to tell a good story to increase appreciation for ranching and how it can be beneficial for landscapes. Collaboration is our superpower." About the Author

  26. Chewsy Success Story

    Chewsy and Microsoft Advertising worked closely to develop a strategy designed for success by: Highlighting their new creative designed by Rally On. Launching the campaign in less saturated markets like Austin and Dallas versus a large city to maximize spend and impact.

  27. adslab

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  28. Cisco Secure Endpoint (Formerly AMP for Endpoints)

    Read the Pima Community College story. Strengthening security resilience This cybersecurity management service provider protects customers and its own environment with the same integrated security solutions from Cisco. Procellis Technology. Read the Procellis Technology story.

  29. How Air-Conditioning Conquered America

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