Case Studies

In this blog post you will learn all about case studies. What they are, how they can help your business and how to find them.

What is a case study?

Case studies are people. People who have tried out, can vouch for or speak about your brand, product or service in a positive and interesting way. Journalists love them because they add the sparkle of human interest to even the most mundane story, helping the reader engage with the piece. Case studies can elevate even the most seemingly boring business. Putting a person with a compelling story behind a product makes the brand more relatable to the consumer and to a journalist. It’s important to have a case study ready to go when contacting journalists, it will look unprofessional and probably annoy the journalist if you say you have one and then don’t get back to them with it pronto!

Where do I find a case study?

Case studies can be people who:

a.       Already use or buy your product or service.

b.       Could be interested in using your product or service.

If they are already a customer you should be able to contact them via your existing customer database, but if you don’t already have something established you could reach them via your website. Do you have people who are already leaving testimonials on your website or through social media? Could you add a button onsite or a link to your blog asking for people who would be happy to talk about your product or brand?

Alternatively use your own social media feed to reach out and ask. It’s a good idea to create a bank of case studies, you never know when the right opportunity may come up in the media to pitch your case studies out.

Will I need to get them photographed?

There’s no doubt that a good photo can help a case study get placed, but in general editors will want a clear head-shot in the initial stages and will then arrange for further photography if they need it, so there’s no need to pay out on an expensive shoot. However, it is important to send relevant photography to the journalist. For example, If yours is a service or product in the health, diet, fitness or wellness industry where a ‘before’ and ‘after’ shot will be helpful, then you should absolutely ensure you have close ups and full body shots of your case study before pitching to an editor.

Dos and don’ts:

ALWAYS ensure you have the case study’s full permission in writing before proceeding.  They might have agreed to have their story featured but want to remain anonymous, so you could request a name change.  They may want parts of their personal details, such as the names of their children left out or they may or may not agree to a photograph being used. You should ensure you detail exactly what is expected of them and get them to agree in a signed, dated agreement.

ALWAYS ensure all parties involved in a feature give consent.

ALWAYS be extra careful when children are involved, to get the signed consent of all parents and or guardians involved in the child’s care.

ALWAYS ensure the case study is happy to be photographed. Journalists almost always require the case study to be identified, so ensure the case study is happy with that.

NEVER place a case study with more than one rival title. Editors hate to see identical or similar copy popping up in the competition as it devalues their content. You should avoid offering a case study to rival titles at the same time and state if a rival title has previously featured it.

NEVER ignore a journalist’s calls if a case study you have put forward lets you down or changes their mind. Let the journalist know as soon as possible and offer to help find someone else in order to maintain a good relationship.

At Sunny Bird PR we use case studies with pretty much all our clients. Whether that be for a domestic abuse charity, The Hampton Trust or for Just Shutters, a plantation window shutter company. Case studies have helped to propel our clients into the press with real life stories.

You can find our how Sunny Bird PR has used case studies to successfully get clients onto TV and radio as well as other media titles here!

If you would like to find out more how case studies could work for you and how to do your own PR, you can book onto our PR and Publicity Course on the 29th November at our Bournemouth offices - Sunny Bird PR, The Garden Studio, Pine Grange, Bath Road, Bournemouth, BH1 2PF

Follow this link to book your place!

The Sunny Bird PR Team's Best PR Campaigns

As a fully integrated PR and communications agency, we certainly work on a wide variety of clients and PR campaigns. Whether we’re flying influencers to Bali, creating a killer social strategy or securing features in the national press, we’ve got it covered. With the team working on such a diverse range of clients and accounts, we’ve asked them to whittle it down and choose their favourite PR Campaigns. Get ready to feel inspired, there are some awesome ones coming your way!

Laura

“By far my favourite campaign has been working on Bliss Sanctuary for Women in Bali – a luxury women’s only retreat! Bliss came to us to promote the opening of its third sanctuary, organise celebrity stays, book press trips and increase its social media followers. By using Bliss’ USPs, such as unlimited food, spa treatments and yoga and the brand’s ethos of following ‘bliss on your terms’ we have attracted both media and celebrity attention. As a result, we secured TOWIE stars Lydia Bright, Debbie Bright and Georgia Bright to take a mother-daughter trip to Bliss, as well as Love Island 2018 stars Zara McDermott, Ellie Brown and Samira Mighty for a ‘Love Island girls’ reunion trip’. We also have also booked in Vicky Pattison and several high-profile US celebs to visit the retreat later in the year. Having celebrities and influencers share their stay on social media increased Bliss’ Instagram following by 20,000 followers in just three months. The buzz around the celebrity visits and the organised press trips has so far this year generated 47 pieces of coverage in top titles such as The Metro, Mail Online, The Independent, The Telegraph, Woman & Home, Feel Good You, Marie Claire, Stella - The Sunday Telegraph, Soul & Spirit and OK! magazine. This has reached over 33 million people which, if the same space was bought in advertising, would have cost Bliss £1.4 million! Best. Campaign. EVER.”

 Rachael

“A campaign that I really loved working on was helping organise the Eco Garden launch of The Green House Hotel. The Bournemouth boutique hotel had recently partnered with premium ethical vodka brand Black Cow Vodka to renovate its outdoor space using sustainable materials to make it a useable and enjoyable space for hotel guests and wildlife. To encourage people to use the space and increase passing trade, we wanted to position the Eco Garden as the perfect spot for a mid-morning coffee or sundown drinks.  In just one week, we had organised an exclusive evening launch event attended by over 100 local businesses, residents, press and influencers. At the event there was a gorgeous selection of Black Cow Vodka cocktails from the premium Dorset-based brand served alongside platters of Black Cow Vodka infused canapés and local cheese which all of the guests, and of course the team, thoroughly enjoyed! The launch created a buzz in regional and trade press in key titles such as Boutique Hotelier, Dorset Living magazine and the Bournemouth Daily Echo as well as social media coverage from local influencers and foodies which increased footfall to the hotel and made for a very happy client!”

Annabel  

“One of my favourite projects I’ve worked on has been the model search for the Perfect Dress Company’s launch. Delving into the core of the Perfect Dress Company’s ethos and researching models and influencers who share the same values and beliefs as the company has been so interesting, I have spoken to so many different women from a huge variety of backgrounds. Not only has sourcing, casting and meeting the models been exciting, it has also been hugely informative for the Perfect Dress Company brand – hearing the models’ stories and experiences from within the fashion industry has deepened our perspective and made clear to us the importance of Perfect Dress Company’s mission to empower women.”

Alex

 “One of the PR campaigns I enjoyed working on the most was promoting author and explorer Alice Morrison’s walk along the length of Morocco’s longest river. Alice asked the SBPR team to raise awareness of her adventure and her latest book My 1001 Nights by securing print and broadcast media. We approached national newspapers, women’s titles, supplements and travel magazines, carefully tailoring each pitch to highlight what would resonate most with the publication and its readers, whether that be the female explorer angle or the effects of global water shortage. In three short months the SBPR team secured 19 pieces of national coverage, including an interview on Radio 4’s The Today Programme which is broadcast to over 12 million people. The team also secured interview pieces in The Sunday Times, iNews, Lonely Planet and Conde Nast Traveller to name a few. In total, the coverage reached more than 14 million people which would have cost over £90,000 if the same space was bought in advertising, which Alice was very pleased with!”