1. Kaemmerer Group, LLC • www.kaemmerergroup.com • info@kaemmerergroup.com • 612.293.5448 • www.linkedin.com/in/carolkaemmerer
Pai nl e ss Inter views, Power ful Case Studies
Carol J. Kaemmerer,*
Principal, Kaemmerer Group, LLC
A case study can be one of the most powerful tools in a marketer’s bag of tricks. It
puts a face on a problem and identifies your product as the winning solution. It tells
a memorable story. It can highlight aspects of your product’s use that are not clearly
detailed in technical, scientific or product literature, and can provide a solid rationale for
product adoption.
But case study development is not as simple transcribing your key customer’s recorded
words. Without careful planning and execution, case studies can backfire: 1) by irritating
your key customer or subject matter expert who is interviewed or 2) by failing to deliver the key marketing
messages the case study is intended to carry. The first adverse outcome alienates a once-key ally and tarnishes
the company’s reputation. The second results in a waste of time and money with the piece falling short of its
potential. Writing a case study is not a project to assign to a novice.
I’ve developed and refined an approach that ensures that my case studies tell the story
powerfully, pleasing both my corporate clients and their subject matter experts. Whether
the person to be interviewed is timid or loquacious, thorough preparation and the ability
to establish rapport by phone or in person are key to achieving excellent results. Here’s
how I deliver a powerful story:
1. Understand client motivation and expectations: Dig deeply into the client’s reason for
producing a case study now. What marketing message(s) should it convey? What are
the gaps it needs to fill? Why was this particular key customer (or other subject matter
expert) chosen for the interview? What is the target audience for this study? Identify
marketing messages that are to be reinforced by the case study so that the questions
asked of the interviewee will yield the desired information.
While case studies generally follow a similar story arc (statement of the problem, intervention, result), client
expectations regarding length and tone vary by assignment. Thoroughly understand client expectations before
proceeding.
2. Prepare, prepare, prepare: The key customer or subject matter expert to be interviewed is one of the client’s
most important assets and should be treated as such. Excellent interviewer preparation shows respect for the
interviewee’s time and allows them to tell their story without interruptions. Preparation may include reading
product literature and pertinent journal articles, talking with the client and others within the company, and
learning the technical words, concepts and acronyms likely to be used by the interviewee. At the conclusion
of this preparation, a list of questions to be posed to the interviewee should be written and the measures of
success should be identified.
3. Submit questions for review: Client review of the questions to be asked in the interview assures that the
information elicited will be sufficient to address all the marketing messages the case study is to convey.
Measures of success can be verified. When client suggestions have been incorporated, the questions should
be forwarded to the subject matter expert so they can also prepare. Suggest that the interviewee have the
questions and their notes at hand at the time of the interview.
4. Establish rapport and conduct interview: At the outset of the interview, tell the interviewee that he or she
will have the opportunity to approve the write up before publication. Elicit the spelling of their name and
credentials, their title and institution, etc. before turning to the interview questions they have previously
received. End the interview with an open-ended question: “Is there anything else we haven’t discussed that is
important to the telling of your story?”
5. Write – and seek approval: Using the information gained in the previous steps, the case study should be
written and the graphic element that will accompany the case study should be developed (for subsequent
refinement by a graphic artist). The case study should be submitted first to the client, noting that the
interviewee has not yet approved. When client-recommended revisions have been made, the writer should
send the draft to the interviewee with a standard corporate sign-off form and follow-up as necessary to assure
the client receives permission to publish.
Wishing you powerful communications!
* Carol J. Kaemmerer writes compelling marketing communications for medical device companies and other high-tech corporations. With a knack for making the
complex understandable, she helps clients tell their stories through white papers, case studies, and marketing collateral, especially for new product launches.
“Understanding the key marketing
messages to be conveyed and thorough
preparation prior to the interview
are essential to the development of a
powerful case study.”