The collateral debate – case studies, more case studies and even more case studies!

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by jim-piper

As a co-owner of Alchemis, I get to meet hundreds of owner-drivers of marketing and creative communications agencies every year and one question I am frequently asked is ‘What type of collateral do I need to develop to support a proactive new business campaign?’

My response is ‘Case studies, more case studies and even more case studies!’

Case studies are king in new business as they are the one piece of real evidence that you can deliver what you say you can in your positioning statement. Your philosophy, your approach and why you set the agency up in the first place might be quite interesting, but it’s not going to help you win new business. Your understanding of a prospect’s challenges and priorities and/or their target demographic and your proven ability to deliver cost effective solutions will resonate with them far more than your values.

So, your case studies should reflect all of the above elements: who your client is and what market they operate in, the problem/issue/challenge they faced, your activity and any outcomes. You may not have statistical outcomes or ROI figures so you could for example, include a testimonial from your client.

We offer advice to all of our clients about developing supporting collateral, so if you have any questions on the new business challenges you face we are happy to talk this through in greater detail.