Build case studies around a story you can evidence

What this means for your practice

Select a case whose scope, work and outcome can be supported. A clear account of a verified implementation is preferable to an unsupported performance claim.

What to discuss with your agency

Ask the agency to trace every numerical or comparative statement to its record. Distinguish measured outcomes from observations and future expectations. If evidence is limited, focus on what was demonstrably delivered and why it mattered to the client's process. That makes the story easier to trust and maintain.

Put the brief into practice

Choose a project whose initial problem and delivered work can be explained from reliable records. Identify the audience for the case study and the decision it should help them make. A prospective client may learn more from a clear account of a relevant challenge and the implemented response than from a dramatic headline with weak support. Ask the agency to separate scope, completed work, measured results and observations in its evidence notes. Any numerical or comparative claim should have a source and an appropriate period.

If the project lacks outcome measurement, describe the verified implementation honestly rather than estimate benefits after the fact. Keep client-specific material subject to the agreed publication process. Give an unfamiliar reviewer the draft and supporting record and ask what they believe was achieved. Resolve any gap between that interpretation and the evidence before publication. A credible story can be specific and useful without implying that every future client will obtain the same outcome.

How to check the result

Track claims revised or removed because supporting evidence was insufficient.