A case study is an ideal opportunity for your company to show off how it has solved a unique issue and can be as long or short a text as you feel suits the work involved. A case study defines a problem that was solved by your company by either one of your products or services and highlights how your customer has benefited from your solution. Webpackaging recommends the use of case studies to highlight your company's expertise.
Case study written structure
Your article title should mention your company name, your customer's name (where possible) and the benefit(s) achieved by your customer because of your company.
- Example: Webpackaging helps Packaging Co increase sales inquiries by 20% during 2024 — this title includes your company name, the customer's name plus the benefit achieved.
- Bad title example: Webpackaging Case Study 1 — there is no information about the content of this case study. The only information given is that it is a case study and it is related to Webpackaging.
Your first paragraph should then define the problem which your company has solved for the customer.
- Example: Packaging Co is a well-known packaging manufacturer in the beauty sector, however, following the COVID pandemic, the number of sales inquiries received by the company had dropped with no sign of increase. Packaging Co turned to Webpackaging, the world's most comprehensive online packaging platform, in order to generate more exposure in front of global brands and packaging buyers.
- Bad first paragraph example: Packaging Co is a well-known packaging manufacturer in the beauty sector. The ISO-certified company manufactures plastic bottles and sells them to luxury brands across Europe and North America. The company's flagship product is its Star-bottle, a reusable bottle that can be refilled at any Star-compatible refill station.
In the first example, the scenario is given that Packaging Co wanted to increase its sales leads and therefore turned to webpackaging to help solve the issue. Note that how webpackaging solved the issue is not mentioned at this point.
The bad first paragraph example only mentions the customer and therefore does not fulfil the requirement of the introductory paragraph. The content included about the customer is good though, and the information given would be better used as the second paragraph as it enables the reader to find out more information about Packaging Co, rather than the actual problem, or case.
Content and subsequent paragraphs
Once the problem has been defined in the first paragraph, the subsequent paragraphs should then highlight the steps taken by the company to solve the problem. The second paragraph can be used to provide more information about the customer, providing background information or supplementary details about how the problem occurred.
Each paragraph should provide specific detail about one aspect of how the problem was solved. Here is a written structure that you could use to write your own case study.
- Packaging Co has a problem and wants webpackaging to solve it
- More information about Packaging Co (this paragraph is optional. Another optional choice is to include a paragraph at the end of the text under the heading "About Packaging Co.)
- Webpackaging analyzes Packaging Co's problem
- Webpackaging suggests solution to the problem
- Webpackaging implements solution to the problem
- Customer is happy with the solution, including information about why the customer is happy (benefits achieved). Many companies like to use a quotation from their customer to further highlight the experience of working together and how they have since benefited.
- Summary including any further information about the solution and how it was implemented
- Call to action whereby potential customers are invited to contact Webpackaging to achieve the same solution, or solve a similar problem
For a shorter article, the structure may go directly from paragraph 1 where the problem is defined, to the implementation of the solution followed by the summary.
Should sub-headings be used in a case study text?
Sub-headings are ideal for structuring case study texts as it gives a clear indication of the content within that section. For example, the sub-heading "Solution" makes it clear that the following text relates to how your company solved the problem and the finished result.
Should a quotation be used?
It is very common to use a quotation for the 'customer is happy with the solution' paragraph and the summary paragraph. A quotation can also be used to reinforce the content in each of these paragraphs by reiterating it. A quotation is not a requirement of a case study.
How can a case study be written without mentioning the customer?
Many customers require a non-disclosure agreement to be signed or do not allow for a collaboration to be mentioned in any marketing and publicity material. However, this does not mean that your company's work solutions cannot be highlighted as both the 'problem' and the 'solution' remain the same.
To avoid naming a brand or company, use definitions such as 'well-known global brand', 'food company' or 'American company' that are fairly generic and give very little indication about the actual company.
Equally, you may not be permitted to use a photograph or image of the finished product. In this instance Webpackaging suggests the use of a standard product from your line before it is tailored to the brand's requirements, or a similar product (or service) which you offer instead of the actual completed pack. Images and photographs help to clarify and highlight the work you have done and inspire future projects.
Which webpackaging article type should be used for a case study?
Webpackaging has a special article type for case studies relating to products: Brand launch. Choose the brand launch option when your case study describes how your company has solved a problem for a brand by producing its new pack. It does not matter if you are unable to name the company you worked with because the case study is still highlighting that you worked with a brand to solve its packaging problem.