How to write a gripping case study - about a client you can’t name

Contract manufacturers have a problem. Their customers don't want the world to know they use third parties to help build their products. But like any business they still need case studies to showcase their skills for prospects. How do you write a compelling narrative when you can't name the hero of your story?

Big names are box office

It's easy to generate excitement and interest in a case study when it's got a big name attached to it. If you've snared Dyson as a client, you'll get a lot of kudos and link juice from publishing a case study about it. 

But they often shun the limelight

The only trouble is that Dyson has a blanket ban on allowing supplier case studies, and many other brands have the same policy.

You may be hitting brick walls when you're looking for permission to write and publish your contract manufacturing case studies. But don't give up on trying to find a way!

Case studies are some of the most powerful arguments to support a pitch in your sales and marketing armoury.

Just consider these stats:

B2B buyers love to read case studies

B2B companies see significant ROI from case studies

For some companies, creating a case study can be so valuable they even offer incentives (such as retainer discounts) for the opportunity to do so.

But when even incentives won't work, promising anonymity is a useful way to get an uncertain client to agree to a case study.

Yet it's still a challenging task to actually write the thing.

The challenge of writing an anonymous case study

As the Marketing Manager at one major UK contract manufacturer points out:

“Saying something like 'our company generated 1000% increase sales for an equipment manufacturer' is so much less credible than saying 'our company generated 1000% increased sales for BRAND NAME.'  and then a quote from an actual person at that brand.”

Meanwhile, it's an ongoing challenge preventing the anonymous from becoming anodyne.

If you provide too much identifiable detail, your client may get cold feet about publication. But If your story sounds too generic and boring, your audience may just switch off.

Still, it's worth persevering to get the scoop. As another B2B manufacturer, with a significant client base puts it:

“It's not necessarily saying a certain company used our technology that's important. The important part is that an organisation used it in a certain way that released value - teaching the readers about potentially relevant use cases. Of course getting a big logo on there helps reinforce trust - but it truly does little to educate and build leads”

9 hot tips for writing a compelling case study - without naming the client

But for the exercise to be worthwhile and for you to get the client's final approval to publish, you need to follow a few key rules.

1. Get Approval

Even if you plan to anonymise the case study, it's essential to inform the client and gain their permission before you start writing. This ensures they are comfortable with sharing their story in a more generalised form and helps to build trust. Without their co-operation and insight, the case study won't contain the insight you need to make an impact.

2. Agree the rules of anonymity

Agree on how you will refer to your client's company, but make sure you give as much of an idea of the client's size and significance as you can. 

So, instead of Bristol-based manufacturer - you could say “a leading European OEM", ‘Fortune 500 company’ or “an innovator in healthcare technology"  

Definitely quote people, but choose generic job titles that give an idea of seniority ‘COO', CEO, Head of Engineering etc. rather than granular positions that might give the game away.

While detail is critical, avoid information that could unintentionally identify the client, such as niche service descriptions or unique business structures.

3. Get an interview

Other than that, treat planning the anonymous version of a case study in exactly the way you would any other case study.

Speak to the client directly. Get them to tell their story in their own words. Record and transcribe the meeting, so you can lift quotes directly. Hearing what they find memorable and valuable about your working relationship will help you tell a more convincing story. Your client should be happy to do this as long as they have the final say about what gets published. 

Even if you can't publish the full details that are disclosed, you'll have gathered important information to share anonymously with future prospects and serve future customers more effectively.

4. Show results

The client may be worried that you're giving sensitive information away, but as long as the rest of the client’s identity is disguised - metrics on their own, are unlikely to give away any trade secrets. Specific numbers, such as percentages or amounts of money made or saved, can all make your story more compelling and believable, so make sure you get agreement on some key figures to foreground when you publish your story. 

Consider this kind of phrasing to make your point:

• Achieved a 25% reduction in overall supply chain costs.
• Decreased average delivery time by 30%.
• Increased on-time delivery rates to 98%.
• Reduced warehouse holding costs by 15%

5. Use real-world quotes

Quotes are really powerful tools, too, particularly in anonymous case studies where other details must be disguised. If the client is nervous about giving niche secrets away, prompt quotes that speak to the power of the relationship you have built instead. A quote about the quality of your customer service and the extra mile you go to deliver - are the critical, human details that will really sell your business to other humans.

6. Use anonymity to reveal greater insight

Sometimes anonymity can draw out more details from your clients.

Anonymity can encourage clients to disclose more sensitive information and metrics than they would otherwise. If you can, use this to your advantage to provide a deeper understanding of the scale of the problem you were attempting to solve - and a more comprehensive view of the solution's impact. 

7. Showcase your confidentiality

Sometimes anonymity can underline your reliability.

Why not explicitly state that the case study has been anonymised at the client's request? This reassures both current and potential clients that you prioritise their confidentiality and that they can trust you to handle sensitive information respectfully. 

8. Remember to tell a story

A great case study should be a good read. It should not just be a procession of facts and figures about your working relationship with a client but a relatable story that shows the transformative journey your customers have made with you. 

Remember, it's not the punishing details of the implementation that will help grab the attention of a prospective customer and make them decide to work with you. It's the promise of change you represent and the partnership you can forge together that will move the decision-making dial.

9. Repurpose the case study

Once you've got the story, make the most of it.

Quotes and links to these case studies will help support existing content such as blog posts, whitepapers, or social media snippets. Focus on the unique challenges and outcomes of the project, and emphasise the strategic approach you took rather than the client's identity. This allows you to maximise the case study’s utility and reach while maintaining confidentiality.

Be the book your clients can't put down

Case studies are a critical part of the stories you share with your prospects and customers. They are ways of piquing interest, demonstrating competence and validating a client's feelings about the power of a potential partnership with you.

As our B2B manufacturing client puts it:

“The target is to create a 'relatable' story that others can reach out to your sales team to discuss. Then, your sales team can get them into their sales filter and begin doing what they do.”

As it happens, we've written this blog post with some key quotes from anonymous B2B specialists. Hopefully, they've enriched your understanding of the topic without your feeling deprived of their brand name.

If your website and its contents are the book your customer can't put down, then your case studies are some of the detailed plot points that keep prospects turning the pages. Naming the source of those case studies isn't necessary as long as the content itself is compelling.