Case Study Research

No one likes case study research. People either love it or hate it. You see, case study research flies against all normal scientific principles. People want hard facts – or at least what looks like facts. They want normative statistics, not qualitative research case studies. That is why, when I decided to specialize in case study marketing research, my advisor was so quick to discourage me. He had a lot of respect for me, something which really helped me in my studies, but he also saw me as somewhat rash and impulsive. He told me that, once I was labeled as a case study researcher, it would close off a lot of doors for me. I told him that I respected his opinion, and then did what I pleased. I knew that I would have a lot of doors open as well!

What makes case study research such a powerful tool in marketing is that it has a much better way of painting a picture than other research methods. Marketers don't have to understand all the rules of business. They need to understand how to make a specific project succeed. Researching case studies can give you that understanding. You can find a situation where another business had to deal with similar marketing branding issues, look at how they dealt with them, and observe whether it worked or not.

Case studies research doesn't give you statistics, but it does give you a story to tell. In most cases, the story is better than statistics. You can't sell a product based on statistics – you need stories as well. Saying that something is 60% likely to succeed is boring, but saying that something will give the product, say, a niche appeal to counterculture youth based on a trick inspired by a marketing campaign from the 1950s, lets them know exactly what you are talking about.  It sucks them into your idea, and makes them see your proposal through your eyes.

Another great thing about case study researchers it is often possible to find services which are willing to write it up for you. Most marketing research requires a lot of number crunching, but case study research just requires a good story. You might think this is a little cynical, but it doesn't even really matter if your conclusions based on the case study research are accurate or true.  All that matters is that it suggests a viable marketing strategy, one that seems worth using.