marketing research case studies

28 Case Study Examples Every Marketer Should See

Published: March 08, 2023

Putting together a compelling case study is one of the most powerful strategies for showcasing your product and attracting future customers. But it's not easy to create case studies that your audience can’t wait to read.

In this post, we’ll go over the definition of a case study and the best examples to inspire you.

What is a case study?

A case study is a detailed story of something your company did. It includes a beginning — often discussing a conflict, an explanation of what happened next, and a resolution that explains how the company solved or improved on something.

A case study proves how your product has helped other companies by demonstrating real-life results. Not only that, but marketing case studies with solutions typically contain quotes from the customer. This means that they’re not just ads where you praise your own product. Rather, other companies are praising your company — and there’s no stronger marketing material than a verbal recommendation or testimonial. A great case study is also filled with research and stats to back up points made about a project's results.

There are myriad ways to use case studies in your marketing strategy . From featuring them on your website to including them in a sales presentation, a case study is a strong, persuasive tool that shows customers why they should work with you — straight from another customer. Writing one from scratch is hard, though, which is why we’ve created a collection of case study templates for you to get started.

Fill out the form below to access the free case study templates.

Free Case Study Templates

Showcase your company's success using these three free case study templates.

• Data-Driven Case Study Template
• Product-Specific Case Study Template
• General Case Study Template

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There’s no better way to generate more leads than by writing case studies . But without case study examples to draw inspiration from, it can be difficult to write impactful studies that convince visitors to submit a form.

Marketing Case Study Examples

To help you create an attractive and high-converting case study, we've put together a list of some of our favorites. This list includes famous case studies in marketing, technology, and business.

These studies can show you how to frame your company offers in a way that is both meaningful and useful to your audience. So, take a look, and let these examples inspire your next brilliant case study design.

These marketing case studies with solutions show the value proposition of each product. They also show how each company benefited in both the short and long term using quantitative data. In other words, you don’t get just nice statements, like "This company helped us a lot." You see actual change within the firm through numbers and figures.

You can put your learnings into action with HubSpot's Free Case Study Templates . Available as custom designs and text-based documents, you can upload these templates to your CMS or send them to prospects as you see fit.

1. " How Handled Scaled from Zero to 121 Locations with the Help of HubSpot ," by HubSpot

What's interesting about this case study is the way it leads with the customer. That reflects a major HubSpot cornerstone, which is to always solve for the customer first. The copy leads with a brief description of why the CEO of Handled founded the company and why he thought Handled could benefit from adopting a CRM. The case study also opens up with one key data point about Handled’s success using HubSpot, namely that it grew to 121 locations.

Notice that this case study uses mixed media. Yes, there is a short video, but it's elaborated upon in the other text on the page. So while your case studies can use one or the other, don't be afraid to combine written copy with visuals to emphasize the project's success.

Key Learnings from the HubSpot Case Study Example

• Give the case study a personal touch by focusing on the CEO rather than the company itself.
• Use multimedia to engage website visitors as they read the case study.

2. " The Whole Package ," by IDEO

Here's a design company that knows how to lead with simplicity in its case studies. As soon as the visitor arrives at the page, they’re greeted with a big, bold photo and the title of the case study — which just so happens to summarize how IDEO helped its client. It summarizes the case study in three snippets: The challenge, the impact, and the outcome.

Immediately, IDEO communicates its impact — the company partnered with H&M to remove plastic from its packaging — but it doesn't stop there. As the user scrolls down, the challenge, impact, and progress are elaborated upon with comprehensive (but not overwhelming) copy that outlines what that process looked like, replete with quotes and intriguing visuals.

Key Learnings from the IDEO Case Study Example

• Split up the takeaways of your case studies into bite-sized sections.
• Always use visuals and images to enrich the case study experience, especially if it’s a comprehensive case study.

3. " Rozum Robotics intensifies its PR game with Awario ," by Awario

In this case study, Awario greets the user with a summary straight away — so if you’re feeling up to reading the entire case study, you can scan the snapshot and understand how the company serves its customers. The case study then includes jump links to several sections, such as "Company Profile," "Rozum Robotics' Pains," "Challenge," "Solution," and "Results and Improvements."

The sparse copy and prominent headings show that you don’t need a lot of elaborate information to show the value of your products and services. Like the other case study examples on this list, it includes visuals and quotes to demonstrate the effectiveness of the company’s efforts. The case study ends with a bulleted list that shows the results.

Key Learnings from the Awario Robotics Case Study Example

• Create a table of contents to make your case study easier to navigate.
• Include a bulleted list of the results you achieved for your client.

4. " Chevrolet DTU ," by Carol H. Williams

If you’ve worked with a company that’s well-known, use only the name in the title — like Carol H. Williams, one of the nation’s top advertising agencies, does here. The "DTU," stands for "Discover the Unexpected." It generates interest because you want to find out what the initials mean.

They keep your interest in this case study by using a mixture of headings, images, and videos to describe the challenges, objectives, and solutions of the project. The case study closes with a summary of the key achievements that Chevrolet’s DTU Journalism Fellows reached during the project.

Key Learnings from the Carol H. Williams Case Study Example

• If you’ve worked with a big brand before, consider only using the name in the title — just enough to pique interest.
• Use a mixture of headings and subheadings to guide users through the case study.

5. " How Fractl Earned Links from 931 Unique Domains for Porch.com in a Single Year ," by Fractl

Fractl uses both text and graphic design in their Porch.com case study to immerse the viewer in a more interesting user experience. For instance, as you scroll, you'll see the results are illustrated in an infographic-design form as well as the text itself.

Further down the page, they use icons like a heart and a circle to illustrate their pitch angles, and graphs to showcase their results. Rather than writing which publications have mentioned Porch.com during Fractl’s campaign, they incorporated the media outlets’ icons for further visual diversity.

Key Learnings from the Fractl Case Study Example

• Let pictures speak for you by incorporating graphs, logos, and icons all throughout the case study.
• Start the case study by right away stating the key results, like Fractl does, instead of putting the results all the way at the bottom.

6. " The Met ," by Fantasy

What's the best way to showcase the responsiveness and user interface of a website? Probably by diving right into it with a series of simple showcases— which is exactly what Fantasy does on their case study page for the Metropolitan Museum of Art. They keep the page simple and clean, inviting you to review their redesign of the Met’s website feature-by-feature.

Each section is simple, showing a single piece of the new website's interface so that users aren’t overwhelmed with information and can focus on what matters most.

If you're more interested in text, you can read the objective for each feature. Fantasy understands that, as a potential customer, this is all you need to know. Scrolling further, you're greeted with a simple "Contact Us" CTA.

Key Learnings from the Fantasy Case Study Example

• You don’t have to write a ton of text to create a great case study. Focus on the solution you delivered itself.
• Include a CTA at the bottom inviting visitors to contact you.

7. " Rovio: How Rovio Grew Into a Gaming Superpower ," by App Annie

If your client had a lot of positive things to say about you, take a note from App Annie’s Rovio case study and open up with a quote from your client. The case study also closes with a quote, so that the case study doesn’t seem like a promotion written by your marketing team but a story that’s taken straight from your client’s mouth. It includes a photo of a Rovio employee, too.

Another thing this example does well? It immediately includes a link to the product that Rovio used (namely, App Annie Intelligence) at the top of the case study. The case study closes with a call-to-action button prompting users to book a demo.

Key Learnings from the App Annie Case Study Example

• Feature quotes from your client at the beginning and end of the case study.
• Include a mention of the product right at the beginning and prompt users to learn more about the product.

8. " Embracing first-party data: 3 success stories from HubSpot ," by Think with Google

Google takes a different approach to text-focused case studies by choosing three different companies to highlight.

The case study is clean and easily scannable. It has sections for each company, with quotes and headers that clarify the way these three distinct stories connect. The simple format also uses colors and text that align with the Google brand.

Another differentiator is the focus on data. This case study is less than a thousand words, but it's packed with useful data points. Data-driven insights quickly and clearly show how the value of leveraging first-party data while prioritizing consumer privacy.

Key Learnings from the Think with Google Case Study Example

• A case study doesn’t need to be long or complex to be powerful.
• Clear data points are a quick and effective way to prove value.

9. " In-Depth Performance Marketing Case Study ," by Switch

Switch is an international marketing agency based in Malta that knocks it out of the park with this case study. Its biggest challenge is effectively communicating what it did for its client without ever revealing the client’s name. It also effectively keeps non-marketers in the loop by including a glossary of terms on page 4.

The PDF case study reads like a compelling research article, including titles like "In-Depth Performance Marketing Case Study," "Scenario," and "Approach," so that readers get a high-level overview of what the client needed and why they approached Switch. It also includes a different page for each strategy. For instance, if you’d only be interested in hiring Switch for optimizing your Facebook ads, you can skip to page 10 to see how they did it.

The PDF is fourteen pages long but features big fonts and plenty of white space, so viewers can easily skim it in only a few minutes.

Key Learnings from the Switch Case Study Example

• If you want to go into specialized information, include a glossary of terms so that non-specialists can easily understand.
• Close with a CTA page in your case study PDF and include contact information for prospective clients.

10. " Gila River ," by OH Partners

Let pictures speak for you, like OH Partners did in this case study. While you’ll quickly come across a heading and some text when you land on this case study page, you’ll get the bulk of the case study through examples of actual work OH Partners did for its client. You will see OH Partners’ work in a billboard, magazine, and video. This communicates to website visitors that if they work with OH Partners, their business will be visible everywhere.

And like the other case studies here, it closes with a summary of what the firm achieved for its client in an eye-catching way.

Key Learnings from the OH Partners Case Study Example

• Let the visuals speak by including examples of the actual work you did for your client — which is especially useful for branding and marketing agencies.
• Always close out with your achievements and how they impacted your client.

11. " Facing a Hater ," by Digitas

Digitas' case study page for Sprite’s #ILOVEYOUHATER campaign keeps it brief while communicating the key facts of Digitas’ work for the popular soda brand. The page opens with an impactful image of a hundred people facing a single man. It turns out, that man is the biggest "bully" in Argentina, and the people facing him are those whom he’s bullied before.

Scrolling down, it's obvious that Digitas kept Sprite at the forefront of their strategy, but more than that, they used real people as their focal point. They leveraged the Twitter API to pull data from Tweets that people had actually tweeted to find the identity of the biggest "hater" in the country. That turned out to be @AguanteElCofler, a Twitter user who has since been suspended.

Key Learnings from the Digitas Case Study Example

• If a video was part of your work for your client, be sure to include the most impactful screenshot as the heading.
• Don’t be afraid to provide details on how you helped your client achieve their goals, including the tools you leveraged.

12. " Better Experiences for All ," by HermanMiller

HermanMiller sells sleek, utilitarian furniture with no frills and extreme functionality, and that ethos extends to its case study page for a hospital in Dubai.

What first attracted me to this case study was the beautiful video at the top and the clean user experience. User experience matters a lot in a case study. It determines whether users will keep reading or leave. Another notable aspect of this case study is that the video includes closed-captioning for greater accessibility, and users have the option of expanding the CC and searching through the text.

HermanMiller’s case study also offers an impressive amount of information packed in just a few short paragraphs for those wanting to understand the nuances of their strategy. It closes out with a quote from their client and, most importantly, the list of furniture products that the hospital purchased from the brand.

Key Learnings from the HermanMiller Case Study Example

• Close out with a list of products that users can buy after reading the case study.
• Include accessibility features such as closed captioning and night mode to make your case study more user-friendly.

13. " Capital One on AWS ," by Amazon

Do you work continuously with your clients? Consider structuring your case study page like Amazon did in this stellar case study example. Instead of just featuring one article about Capital One and how it benefited from using AWS, Amazon features a series of articles that you can then access if you’re interested in reading more. It goes all the way back to 2016, all with different stories that feature Capital One’s achievements using AWS.

This may look unattainable for a small firm, but you don’t have to go to extreme measures and do it for every single one of your clients. You could choose the one you most wish to focus on and establish a contact both on your side and your client’s for coming up with the content. Check in every year and write a new piece. These don’t have to be long, either — five hundred to eight hundred words will do.

Key Learnings from the Amazon AWS Case Study Example

• Write a new article each year featuring one of your clients, then include links to those articles in one big case study page.
• Consider including external articles as well that emphasize your client’s success in their industry.

14. " HackReactor teaches the world to code #withAsana ," by Asana

While Asana's case study design looks text-heavy, there's a good reason. It reads like a creative story, told entirely from the customer's perspective.

For instance, Asana knows you won't trust its word alone on why this product is useful. So, they let Tony Phillips, HackReactor CEO, tell you instead: "We take in a lot of information. Our brains are awful at storage but very good at thinking; you really start to want some third party to store your information so you can do something with it."

Asana features frequent quotes from Phillips to break up the wall of text and humanize the case study. It reads like an in-depth interview and captivates the reader through creative storytelling. Even more, Asana includes in-depth detail about how HackReactor uses Asana. This includes how they build templates and workflows:

"There's a huge differentiator between Asana and other tools, and that’s the very easy API access. Even if Asana isn’t the perfect fit for a workflow, someone like me— a relatively mediocre software engineer—can add functionality via the API to build a custom solution that helps a team get more done."

Key Learnings from the Asana Example

• Include quotes from your client throughout the case study.
• Provide extensive detail on how your client worked with you or used your product.

15. " Rips Sewed, Brand Love Reaped ," by Amp Agency

Amp Agency's Patagonia marketing strategy aimed to appeal to a new audience through guerrilla marketing efforts and a coast-to-coast road trip. Their case study page effectively conveys a voyager theme, complete with real photos of Patagonia customers from across the U.S., and a map of the expedition. I liked Amp Agency's storytelling approach best. It captures viewers' attention from start to finish simply because it's an intriguing and unique approach to marketing.

Key Learnings from the Amp Agency Example

• Open up with a summary that communicates who your client is and why they reached out to you.
• Like in the other case study examples, you’ll want to close out with a quantitative list of your achievements.

16. " NetApp ," by Evisort

Evisort opens up its NetApp case study with an at-a-glance overview of the client. It’s imperative to always focus on the client in your case study — not on your amazing product and equally amazing team. By opening up with a snapshot of the client’s company, Evisort places the focus on the client.

This case study example checks all the boxes for a great case study that’s informative, thorough, and compelling. It includes quotes from the client and details about the challenges NetApp faced during the COVID pandemic. It closes out with a quote from the client and with a link to download the case study in PDF format, which is incredibly important if you want your case study to be accessible in a wider variety of formats.

Key Learnings from the Evisort Example

• Place the focus immediately on your client by including a snapshot of their company.
• Mention challenging eras, such as a pandemic or recession, to show how your company can help your client succeed even during difficult times.

17. " Copernicus Land Monitoring – CLC+ Core ," by Cloudflight

Including highly specialized information in your case study is an effective way to show prospects that you’re not just trying to get their business. You’re deep within their industry, too, and willing to learn everything you need to learn to create a solution that works specifically for them.

Cloudflight does a splendid job at that in its Copernicus Land Monitoring case study. While the information may be difficult to read at first glance, it will capture the interest of prospects who are in the environmental industry. It thus shows Cloudflight’s value as a partner much more effectively than a general case study would.

The page is comprehensive and ends with a compelling call-to-action — "Looking for a solution that automates, and enhances your Big Data system? Are you struggling with large datasets and accessibility? We would be happy to advise and support you!" The clean, whitespace-heavy page is an effective example of using a case study to capture future leads.

Key Learnings from the Cloudflight Case Study Example

• Don’t be afraid to get technical in your explanation of what you did for your client.
• Include a snapshot of the sales representative prospects should contact, especially if you have different sales reps for different industries, like Cloudflight does.

18. " Valvoline Increases Coupon Send Rate by 76% with Textel’s MMS Picture Texting ," by Textel

If you’re targeting large enterprises with a long purchasing cycle, you’ll want to include a wealth of information in an easily transferable format. That’s what Textel does here in its PDF case study for Valvoline. It greets the user with an eye-catching headline that shows the value of using Textel. Valvoline saw a significant return on investment from using the platform.

Another smart decision in this case study is highlighting the client’s quote by putting it in green font and doing the same thing for the client’s results because it helps the reader quickly connect the two pieces of information. If you’re in a hurry, you can also take a look at the "At a Glance" column to get the key facts of the case study, starting with information about Valvoline.

Key Learnings from the Textel Case Study Example

• Include your client’s ROI right in the title of the case study.
• Add an "At a Glance" column to your case study PDF to make it easy to get insights without needing to read all the text.

19. " Hunt Club and Happeo — a tech-enabled love story ," by Happeo

In this blog-post-like case study, Happeo opens with a quote from the client, then dives into a compelling heading: "Technology at the forefront of Hunt Club's strategy." Say you’re investigating Happeo as a solution and consider your firm to be technology-driven. This approach would spark your curiosity about why the client chose to work with Happeo. It also effectively communicates the software’s value proposition without sounding like it’s coming from an in-house marketing team.

Every paragraph is a quote written from the customer’s perspective. Later down the page, the case study also dives into "the features that changed the game for Hunt Club," giving Happeo a chance to highlight some of the platform’s most salient features.

Key Learnings from the Happeo Case Study Example

• Consider writing the entirety of the case study from the perspective of the customer.
• Include a list of the features that convinced your client to go with you.

20. " Red Sox Season Campaign ," by CTP Boston

What's great about CTP's case study page for their Red Sox Season Campaign is their combination of video, images, and text. A video automatically begins playing when you visit the page, and as you scroll, you'll see more embedded videos of Red Sox players, a compilation of print ads, and social media images you can click to enlarge.

At the bottom, it says "Find out how we can do something similar for your brand." The page is clean, cohesive, and aesthetically pleasing. It invites viewers to appreciate the well-roundedness of CTP's campaign for Boston's beloved baseball team.

Key Learnings from the CTP Case Study Example

• Include a video in the heading of the case study.
• Close with a call-to-action that makes leads want to turn into prospects.

21. " Acoustic ," by Genuine

Sometimes, simple is key. Genuine's case study for Acoustic is straightforward and minimal, with just a few short paragraphs, including "Reimagining the B2B website experience," "Speaking to marketers 1:1," and "Inventing Together." After the core of the case study, we then see a quote from Acoustic’s CMO and the results Genuine achieved for the company.

The simplicity of the page allows the reader to focus on both the visual aspects and the copy. The page displays Genuine's brand personality while offering the viewer all the necessary information they need.

• You don’t need to write a lot to create a great case study. Keep it simple.
• Always include quantifiable data to illustrate the results you achieved for your client.

22. " Using Apptio Targetprocess Automated Rules in Wargaming ," by Apptio

Apptio’s case study for Wargaming summarizes three key pieces of information right at the beginning: The goals, the obstacles, and the results.

Readers then have the opportunity to continue reading — or they can walk away right then with the information they need. This case study also excels in keeping the human interest factor by formatting the information like an interview.

The piece is well-organized and uses compelling headers to keep the reader engaged. Despite its length, Apptio's case study is appealing enough to keep the viewer's attention. Every Apptio case study ends with a "recommendation for other companies" section, where the client can give advice for other companies that are looking for a similar solution but aren’t sure how to get started.

Key Learnings from the Apptio Case Study Example

• Put your client in an advisory role by giving them the opportunity to give recommendations to other companies that are reading the case study.
• Include the takeaways from the case study right at the beginning so prospects quickly get what they need.

23. " Airbnb + Zendesk: building a powerful solution together ," by Zendesk

Zendesk's Airbnb case study reads like a blog post, and focuses equally on Zendesk and Airbnb, highlighting a true partnership between the companies. To captivate readers, it begins like this: "Halfway around the globe is a place to stay with your name on it. At least for a weekend."

The piece focuses on telling a good story and provides photographs of beautiful Airbnb locations. In a case study meant to highlight Zendesk's helpfulness, nothing could be more authentic than their decision to focus on Airbnb's service in such great detail.

Key Learnings from the Zendesk Case Study Example

• Include images of your client’s offerings — not necessarily of the service or product you provided. Notice how Zendesk doesn’t include screenshots of its product.
• Include a call-to-action right at the beginning of the case study. Zendesk gives you two options: to find a solution or start a trial.

24. " Biobot Customer Success Story: Rollins College, Winter Park, Florida ," by Biobot

Like some of the other top examples in this list, Biobot opens its case study with a quote from its client, which captures the value proposition of working with Biobot. It mentions the COVID pandemic and goes into detail about the challenges the client faced during this time.

This case study is structured more like a news article than a traditional case study. This format can work in more formal industries where decision-makers need to see in-depth information about the case. Be sure to test different methods and measure engagement .

Key Learnings from the Biobot Case Study Example

• Mention environmental, public health, or economic emergencies and how you helped your client get past such difficult times.
• Feel free to write the case study like a normal blog post, but be sure to test different methods to find the one that best works for you.

25. " Discovering Cost Savings With Efficient Decision Making ," by Gartner

You don't always need a ton of text or a video to convey your message — sometimes, you just need a few paragraphs and bullet points. Gartner does a fantastic job of quickly providing the fundamental statistics a potential customer would need to know, without boggling down their readers with dense paragraphs. The case study closes with a shaded box that summarizes the impact that Gartner had on its client. It includes a quote and a call-to-action to "Learn More."

Key Learnings from the Gartner Case Study Example

• Feel free to keep the case study short.
• Include a call-to-action at the bottom that takes the reader to a page that most relates to them.

26. " Bringing an Operator to the Game ," by Redapt

This case study example by Redapt is another great demonstration of the power of summarizing your case study’s takeaways right at the start of the study. Redapt includes three easy-to-scan columns: "The problem," "the solution," and "the outcome." But its most notable feature is a section titled "Moment of clarity," which shows why this particular project was difficult or challenging.

The section is shaded in green, making it impossible to miss. Redapt does the same thing for each case study. In the same way, you should highlight the "turning point" for both you and your client when you were working toward a solution.

Key Learnings from the Redapt Case Study Example

• Highlight the turning point for both you and your client during the solution-seeking process.
• Use the same structure (including the same headings) for your case studies to make them easy to scan and read.

27. " Virtual Call Center Sees 300% Boost In Contact Rate ," by Convoso

Convoso’s PDF case study for Digital Market Media immediately mentions the results that the client achieved and takes advantage of white space. On the second page, the case study presents more influential results. It’s colorful and engaging and closes with a spread that prompts readers to request a demo.

Key Learnings from the Convoso Case Study Example

• List the results of your work right at the beginning of the case study.
• Use color to differentiate your case study from others. Convoso’s example is one of the most colorful ones on this list.

28. " Ensuring quality of service during a pandemic ," by Ericsson

Ericsson’s case study page for Orange Spain is an excellent example of using diverse written and visual media — such as videos, graphs, and quotes — to showcase the success a client experienced. Throughout the case study, Ericsson provides links to product and service pages users might find relevant as they’re reading the study.

For instance, under the heading "Preloaded with the power of automation," Ericsson mentions its Ericsson Operations Engine product, then links to that product page. It closes the case study with a link to another product page.

Key Learnings from the Ericsson Case Study Example

• Link to product pages throughout the case study so that readers can learn more about the solution you offer.
• Use multimedia to engage users as they read the case study.

Start creating your case study.

Now that you've got a great list of examples of case studies, think about a topic you'd like to write about that highlights your company or work you did with a customer.

A customer’s success story is the most persuasive marketing material you could ever create. With a strong portfolio of case studies, you can ensure prospects know why they should give you their business.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in August 2018 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

Don't forget to share this post!

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Marketing case study 101 (plus tips, examples, and templates)

Summary/Overview

If you’re familiar with content lines like, “See how our fancy new app saved Sarah 10 hours a week doing payroll,” you’ve encountered a marketing case study. That’s because case studies are one of the most powerful marketing tools, showcasing real-world applications and customer success stories that help build trust with potential customers.

More than 42% of marketers use case studies in their marketing strategy. Let’s face it — we love testimonials and reviews. People love hearing customer stories and experiences firsthand. In fact, 88% of consumers view reviews before making a purchase decision. Case studies work similarly by providing prospective customers with real-life stories demonstrating the brand’s success.

Case studies provide a more in-depth view of how your product solves an existing problem — something potential buyers can relate to and learn from.

In this article, we take a closer look at what marketing case studies are, why they’re important, and how you can use them to improve your content marketing efforts. You’ll also learn the key elements of a successful case study and how to turn a good case study into a great case study.

What is a marketing case study?

A case study is a narrative that documents a real-world situation or example. A marketing case study is a detailed examination and analysis of a specific strategy, initiative, or marketing campaign that a business has implemented. It’s intended to serve as an all-inclusive narrative that documents a real-world business situation and its outcome.

Marketing case studies are tools businesses use to showcase the effectiveness of a particular tool, technique, or service by using a real-world example. Companies often use case studies as sales collateral on websites, email marketing, social media , and other marketing materials. They provide readers with a firsthand look into how your product or service has helped someone else and demonstrate the value of your offering while building trust with potential customers.

Some common key components of a marketing case study include:

• Context: A case study begins by describing the business’s situation or problem. This often includes challenges, opportunities, or objectives.
• Strategy: An outline of the tactics or strategy utilized to address the business’s situation. This includes details such as the target audience, messaging, channels used, and other unique aspects of the approach.
• Implementation: Provide information about how the strategy was implemented, including timeline, resources, and budget.
• Results: This is arguably the most crucial part of a marketing case study. Present the results through data, metrics, and key performance indicators (KPIs) to demonstrate the impact of the strategy. The results section should highlight both qualitative and quantitative data.
• Challenges and Solutions: A great case study not only focuses on the successes but addresses any obstacles faced during the campaign. Make sure to address any challenges and how they were overcome or mitigated.
• Customer Feedback: Including testimonials or quotes from satisfied clients is a great way to add credibility and authenticity to a case study. Choose customer feedback that reinforces the positive outcomes of the strategy taken.
• Visuals: Compelling case studies include visuals such as graphs, charts, images, videos, and infographics to make the information presented more engaging and easier to understand.
• Analysis: An optional way to conclude a case study includes discussing key takeaways, insights, and lessons learned from a campaign.

Case studies can help you connect your product to the customer’s needs by providing a real world examples of success and encouraging conversions.

Benefits of marketing case studies

Some of the key benefits of using case studies in your marketing efforts include the following:

• Building trust and credibility. You build trust and credibility with potential clients or customers by demonstrating real world success stories. In-depth looks at how your products or services have helped other businesses or people achieve success can increase customer loyalty and encourage repeat business.
• Learn best practices. Learn from strategies employed in successful case studies and apply similar approaches to future campaigns.
• Enhancing sales and conversions. By highlighting the real world results your products or services have delivered, case studies can be a powerful tool for boosting sales. They can help demonstrate the value of your offering and persuade your target audience to make a purchase.
• Explain how your business generates results. Case studies are a compelling way to share key takeaways with your target audience and showcase your brand.
• Use them as content marketing material. Use case studies as content for marketing purposes on websites, social media, and beyond.

Case studies can help your business stand out and achieve success. By highlighting the real world results you’ve delivered, you can use case studies to boost sales, build customer loyalty, and compellingly showcase your business.

Tips on how to write an effective marketing case study

Are you ready to write a compelling case study? Get started with these tips.

Develop a clear and compelling headline

You have about 10 seconds to communicate your value proposition to keep customer attention. Whether you’re designing a new landing page or making a long-term plan for your brand’s content marketing strategy , the headline is the most crucial part.

A compelling title should capture readers’ attention and make them want to read more. To craft a compelling headline:

• Understand your audience: Before crafting a headline, ensure you know your target audience — what are their pain points, interests, and needs?
• Highlight the most significant result: Focus on the most impactful result achieved in the case study. What was the primary outcome of the strategy implemented?
• Keep it brief: Keep your headline concise and to the point. Try to keep your headline under 12 words.
• Use action words: Incorporate action verbs such as “achieved,” “transformed,” or “boosted” to convey a sense of accomplishment.
• Include data: Numbers make your headline more credible. For example, if the case study achieved a 75% increase in sales, include that in the headline.
• Emphasize benefits: Focus on the positive changes or advantages the implemented strategy brought to the client or business. Use these as selling points in your headline.
• Make it unique and memorable: Avoid generic phrases to make your headline stand out from the competition.
• Use keywords wisely: Incorporate relevant keywords that align with the case study and your target audience’s search interest to improve search engine visibility through search engine optimization (SEO).
• Consider subheadings: If you cannot fit all the necessary information in a headline, consider adding a subheading to provide additional context or details.

Here are some examples of clear and convincing case study headlines:

• “Achieving a 150% ROI: How [XYZ] Strategy Transformed a Startup”
• “How Optimized SEO Tactics Skyrocketed Sales by 80%”
• “Mastering Social Media: How [ABC] Brand Increased Engagement by 50%”
• “The Power of Personalization: How Tailored Content Quadrupled Conversions”

Write relatable content

Almost 90% of Gen Z and millennial shoppers prefer influencers who they consider relatable. Relatability is part of building trust and connection with your target audience.

When writing your case study, make content that resonates with readers and speaks to their pain points. The best marketing doesn’t just increase conversion rates — it also serves your customers’ needs. To write content that really resonates with your target audience, make sure to:

• Understand your audience: To successfully write relatable content, you first need to understand your target audience — their interests, pain points, and challenges. The more you know about your target audience, the better you can tailor your content to their needs.
• Identify pain points: As mentioned above, identify challenges your target audience may face. Make sure to highlight how the product or service in the case study can effectively address these pain points.
• Tell a story: Create a narrative that follows a standard story arc. Start with a relatable struggle that the customer or business faced and describe its associated emotions.
• Use real customer feedback: Incorporate quotes or testimonials from actual customers or clients. Including authentic voices makes the content more relatable to readers because they can see real people expressing their experiences.
• Use relatable language: Write in a tone to which your audience can relate. Only include overly technical terms if your target audience solely consists of experts who would understand them.
• Use social proof: Mention any recognitions, awards, or industry acknowledgments that may have been received by the customer or business in the case study.
• Encourage engagement: Urge readers to share their own challenges or experiences related to the subject matter of the case study. This is a great way to foster a sense of community.

Outline your strategies with corresponding statistics

Whether you’re showing off the results your marketing team achieved with a new strategy or explaining how your product has helped customers, data and research make it easier to back up claims.

Include relevant statistics in your case study to provide evidence of the effectiveness of your strategies, such as:

• Quantitative data: Use numerical data to quantify results.
• Qualitative data: Use qualitative data, such as customer testimonials, to back up numerical results.
• Comparisons: Compare the post-campaign results with the pre-campaign benchmarks to provide context for the data.
• Case study metrics: Include specific metrics relevant to your industry or campaign if applicable. For example, in e-commerce, common metrics could include customer acquisition cost, average order value, or cart abandonment rate.

By incorporating relatable outcomes — such as cost savings from new automation or customer responsiveness from your new social media marketing campaign — you can provide concrete evidence of how your product or service has helped others in similar situations.

Use multiple formats of representation

People love visuals . It doesn’t matter if it’s an infographic for digital marketing or a graph chart in print materials — we love to see our data and results represented in visuals that are easy to understand. Additionally, including multiple representation formats is a great way to increase accessibility and enhance clarity.

When making a case study, consider including various forms of representation, such as:

• Infographics: Use infographics to condense critical information into a visually appealing, easy-to-understand graphic. Infographics are highly sharable and can be used across marketing channels.
• Charts: Use charts (bar charts, pie charts, line graphs, etc.) to illustrate statistical information such as data trends or comparisons. Make sure to include clear labels and titles for each chart.
• Images: Include relevant photos to enhance the storytelling aspect of your case study. Consider including “before and after” pictures if relevant to your case study.
• Videos: Short videos summarizing a case study’s main points are great for sharing across social media or embedding into your case study.
• Tables: Use tables to help organize data and make it easier for readers to digest.
• Data visualizations: Include data visualizations such as flowcharts or heatmaps to illustrate user journeys or specific processes.
• Screenshots: If your case study involves digital products, include screenshots to provide a visual walkthrough of how the product or service works.
• Diagrams: Use diagrams, such as a flowchart, to explain complex processes, decision trees, or workflows to simplify complicated information.
• Timelines: If your case study involves a timeline of specific events, present it using a timeline graphic.

Use a consistent design style and color scheme to maintain cohesion when incorporating multiple formats. Remember that each format you use should serve a specific purpose in engaging the reader and conveying information.

Get your case study in front of your intended audience

What good is a compelling case study and a killer call to action (CTA) if no one sees it? Once you’ve completed your case study, share it across the appropriate channels and networks your target audience frequents and incorporate it into your content strategy to increase visibility and reach. To get your case study noticed:

• Take advantage of your website. Create a dedicated section or landing page on your website for your case study. If your website has a blog section, consider including it here. Optimize the page for search engines (SEO) by including relevant keywords and optimizing the meta description and headers. Make sure to feature your case study on your homepage and relevant product or service pages.
• Launch email marketing campaigns. Send out the case study to your email subscriber list. Be specific and target groups that would most likely be interested in the case study.
• Launch social media campaigns. Share your case study on your social media platforms. Use eye-catching graphics and engaging captions to draw in potential readers. Consider creating teaser videos or graphics to generate interest.
• Utilize paid promotions. Use targeted social media and search engine ads to reach specific demographics or interests. Consider retargeting ads to re-engage visitors who have previously interacted with your website.
• Issue a press release. If your case study results in a significant industry impact, consider issuing a press release to share the exciting news with relevant media outlets or publications.
• Utilize influencer outreach. Collaborate with influencers who can share your case study with their followers to increase credibility and expand your reach.
• Host webinars and presentations. Discuss the case study findings and insights through webinars or presentations. Promote these events through your various marketing channels and make sure to encourage participation.
• Utilize networking events and conferences. Present your case study at industry-related conferences, trade shows, or networking events. Consider distributing printed or digital copies of the case study to attendees.
• Utilize online communities. Share the case study in relevant online forums and discussion groups where your target audience congregates.
• Practice search engine optimization (SEO). Optimize the SEO elements of your case study to improve organic search ranking and visibility.

Remember, the key to successfully promoting your case study is to tailor your approach to your specific target audience and their preferences. Consistently promoting your case study across multiple channels increases your chances of it reaching your intended audience.

Marketing case study examples

Let’s look at some successful marketing case studies for inspiration.

“How Handled Scaled from Zero to 121 Locations with HubSpot”

Right away, they lead with compelling metrics — the numbers don’t lie. They use two different formats: a well-made video accompanied by well-written text.

The study also addresses customer pain points, like meeting a higher demand during the pandemic.

“How AppSumo grew organic traffic 843% and revenue from organic traffic 340%”

This case study from Omniscient Digital leads with motivating stats, a glowing review sharing a real user experience, and a video review from the AppSumo Head of Content.

The case study information is broken down into clearly marked sections, explaining the benefits to their target audience (startups) and providing plenty of visuals, charts, and metrics to back it up.

“How One Ecommerce Business Solved the Omnichannel Challenge with Bitly Campaigns”

Download this Bitly case study from their site to see the details of how this company made an impact.

Not only is it well designed, but it also tackles customer challenges right away. The most compelling types of case studies serve their audience by showing how the product or service solves their problems.

Bitly nails it by listing obstacles and jumping right into how the brand can help.

Marketing case study template

Use this basic template to better understand the typical structure of a business case study and use it as a starting place to create your own:

Case Study Title

Date: [Date]

Client or Company Profile:

• Client/Company Name: [Client/Company Name]
• Industry: [Industry]
• Location: [Location]
• Client/Company Background: [Brief client or company background information.]

Introduction:

• Briefly introduce the client or company and any necessary context for the campaign or initiative.
• Problem statement: Describe the specific challenge or problem faced by the client or company before implementing the campaign or initiative.
• Strategy: Explain the strategy that was implemented to address the challenge. Include details such as target audience, objectives, goals, and tactics.
• Implementation: Provide a timeline of the strategy’s implementation, including key milestones and other notable considerations taken during execution.
• Outcomes: Present the qualitative and quantitative results achieved through the implemented strategy. Include relevant metrics, statistics, and key performance indicators (KPIs).
• Comparative data: Compare the post-campaign results to pre-campaign benchmarks or industry standards.

Analysis and Insights:

• Key insights: Summarize insights and lessons learned from the campaign and discuss the campaign's impact on the client or company’s goals.
• Challenges faced: Address any obstacles encountered during the campaign and how they were mitigated or overcome.

Conclusion:

• Conclusion: Summarize the campaign’s overall impact on the client or company. Highlight the value that was delivered by the implemented strategy and the success it achieved.
• Next Steps: Discuss potential follow-up actions, recommendations, or future strategies.

Testimonials:

• Include quotes or testimonials from the clients or customers who benefitted from the campaign.
• Incorporate relevant visuals to illustrate key points, findings, and results.

The above template is a great way to get started gathering your ideas and findings for a marketing case study. Feel free to add additional sections or customize the template to match your requirements.

Craft a compelling marketing case study for your business

Are you ready to make your marketing case study shine? With Adobe Express, you can make high-quality infographics and presentations that take your case studies to the next level.

Choose from our library of designed templates, or make it yourself with powerful tools and a library of ready-to-use graphic elements.

Get started with Adobe Express today to make compelling marketing case studies that engage your audience and drive conversions.

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Digital Market Research: Definition, Examples and Case Studies

• Shama Hyder
• November 12, 2018

The internet is a treasure-trove to be mined, albeit mindfully. Approximately nine out of ten American adults utilize the internet, and twenty-six percent claim to be online “ almost constantly .”  That kind of activity naturally produces a lot of data. Digital market research helps us decipher that data and use it to our advantage.  At Zen Media, we analyze quantitative discoveries alongside the qualitative. Facts and figures are stage one in digital market research. Stage two is posing questions to real users, questions that are informed by datasets found in stage one. This mix of qualitative and quantitative analysis fully develops our research.

What is digital market research?

We used to receive surveys in the mail and phone calls on the landline for market research. Now, data is garnered from an array of digital platforms, and in real time, too.

What are the top five traffic sources that are driving visitors to my site? What are the top traffic sources that are driving visitors to my competitor’s site? How can we increase response rates? These questions and more can be answered by conducting focused digital market research.

Let’s say you want to gain greater insight into the patterns of repeat customers. The repeat purchase rate can be calculated by using a straightforward formula. One simply divides the number of customers who have made a couple or multiple purchases, in a given time frame, by the total number of customers, in the same time frame.

Repeat purchase rate = number of customers who have made more than one purchase

__________________________________________________

total number of customers

Now that you have determined your repeat purchase rate, you might want to dig deeper and look at the amount time that passes between purchases. If your aim is to condense the amount of time, consider modifying your confirmation emails to include “similar products” from the items your customer purchased. You could also incorporate these recommendations in your packaging with the original purchase, the tangible effect coming from purchaser contact.

Maybe your digital market research has lead you to the conclusion that repeat customers usually wait several weeks in-between purchases. With this awareness, you can match your marketing strategies with the consumer’s personal timeline, giving them advanced notice on items that may be of interest to them.

The more you know from digital market research, the more attuned you are to the connect consumer’s spending and purchasing habits.

Case Studies

Snickers conducted digital market research with an immensely successful type of irreverence. Expanding on their “You’re not you when you’re hungry” campaign, Snickers put forth the concept of typos brought on by hunger as the center of their “You can’t spell when you’re hungry” initiative.

After obtaining a list of Google’s top 500 misspelled words, Snickers used an algorithm to generate a list of 25,381 different misspellings.

Slip-ups such as “wierd,” “publically,” and “buisness” yielded clever ad copy, suggesting the typee relieve their afternoon hunger with a Snickers bar.

Snickers’ clever take on digital market research earned them 558, 589 ad impressions in two days, with an overall click through rate of 1.05 percent. These results were pretty sweet, to say the least.

Neutrogena:

Neutrogena, the #1 dermatologist-recommended skin care brand, sells their products in more than seventy countries. The company was interested in inquiring into their customers’ spending habits. Neutrogena started with an analysis of shopping basket data. There, the company could pinpoint competitor products that their own customers were buying, more precisely, competitor products that were within Neutrogena’s price range.

The beauty product company found that seventy-five percent of their loyal customers were purchasing items from one segment in the Neutrogena range, and that range only. The company wanted their loyal customers to broaden their horizons and purchase items from other Neutrogena segments. The company also wanted to acquire new, first-time customers.

The shopping basket data inspired Neutrogena to create pairings of beauty products that reflected the customer’s past purchases and that inherently went well together, like a face cream with an eye cream, or a liquid eyeliner with eye makeup remover. These product pairings were advertised through banner ads, videos, and coupons.

Neutrogena’s return on ad spend was $5.84, exceeding their own benchmarks by 289%. Ad awareness also rose 5.4%, which exceeded the company’s benchmarks by 182%.

COX Communications

Zen Media started working with COX Communications when they were in the midst of developing FastTrack, an educational app designed for children. The app engages children in math and English exercises while allowing parents and teachers to witness a child’s progress and join-in on the fun.

But creating something completely new always has its risks, and we were well-aware that the FastTrack app was new terrain for COX. We needed to combine generating interest with gathering information, so the launch could be both a success, and provide important learnings for the parent company.

How did we do it?

We combined the power of market research, investigating who the trusted voices in this realm were, and where they were holding court, with the power of growth hacking techniques, such as a focused landing page and the right mix of platforms and content.

The campaign was also able to convert an impressive 6% of the target audience, and Zen was able to demonstrate to COX Communications that despite big names like Sylvan and Kaplan’s dominance in the education market, there was still room for an app that provided kids with a competitive edge and parents with control over their child’s progress and learning, especially if it could partner with reputable content creators.

Digital market research is the gateway to a fine tuned, pragmatic campaign that can yield truly remarkable results. Because so many individuals are spending a large amount of time on the internet, we feel strongly at Zen Media that this is where you and your company should be spending most of your time and strategic focus.

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Products & Methods

We offer expertise across many methodologies as well as unique, innovative products that understand consumer choice and solve business problems.

As thought leaders, speakers, authors, and influencers, we stay engaged with our research community to exchange knowledge, encourage discussions, and keep our edge.

We’re an agile, responsive Philadelphia-based small business of nearly 50 market research professionals, many regarded as thought leaders and experts in the field. Meet us and learn how we work.

Case Studies

Our innovative approaches led to effective research.

Here’s a collection of our client work across many industries. Each study demonstrates our thoughtful response to particular research needs and how our approach made a difference.

Green Marketing

Does 'yummy' play a role in profitability of this alternative-protein source.

Our client was excited about a new plant-based protein that could be marketed to clients. But the “yum” factor played a big part in the demand for it.

Do U.S. consumers believe a tire company can be "green"?

Global tire manufacturer needed to understand sustainability views of their existing U.S. consumer market segments so they could fully develop their green marketing strategy focused on a circular economy.

Health Insurance

Applying an integrated qual-quant approach to unravel the why behind member termination.

Business Challenge A well-known, dominant health insurance company asked TRC for research help to gain clarity as to why members were canceling insurance, despite a history of positive experiences with the plan. Prior research demonstrated that t...

Community Proved Valuable

A health insurance carrier wanted to establish on-demand access to its target audience of current and prospective members.

Digital Wallet Product Uncovers Key Targets Holding Most Growth Opportunity

Well-known FinTech client with digital wallet product needed to understand market share potential, unmet needs, and which features and services provided inroads toward new products.

Food and Beverage

Defining and refining a beverage category.

A beverage company was investing in new product lines, and wanted to determine the best way to configure retail space for the new offerings.

How to Mix 100+ Product Lines of House Paint

A paint manufacturer wanted to reduce the number of SKUs while ensuring offerings that would appeal to all segments of the paint contractor market. 

Digital Payment Service Optimized Their Strategic Roadmap with Two-Dimensional Max-Diff

Long-established FinTech client looking to evolve their offerings asked us to help identify features and services of greatest importance so they could direct R&D and inform future market strategies.

Segmentation to Optimize Digital Imaging Market

Our robust segmentation methodology identified six new actionable segments.

Choosing the Most Effective Campaign Messaging

A health insurance company needed to understand: Which positioning statements and messaging resonates best with my purchasing audience? Qualitative and quantitative methods gave us a more complete picture.

Not Just Segments, but Deeply Personified Segments

A modern bank wanted to know how to segment and define their target audience, and also how to communicate to each segment mirroring their language, attitudes, feelings, etc.

Van Westendorp Technique and Price Points

With more than 40,000 auto dealer clients, this service provider needed us to help identify potential, optimal price points for their online vehicle remarketing services.

Price Laddering Sized the Market Potential

A pharma company asked: "what price would be the highest price?" at which a consumer would no longer ask about their new drug? Why price laddering worked.

Medical Procedures Priced Correctly?

A major healthcare provider asked us: "evaluate the price sensitivity of 200+ procedural codes" to understand if the fees aligned to patient perceptions.

Guiding Consumers to Build Their Own Health Insurance Plan

Our client wanted to identify the most appealing benefits, and the trade-offs consumers make when considering specific levels of the healthcare benefits, and to profile consumers interested in specific features and levels so that the client could cus...

Global Service Gaps Identified

In-language feedback from consumers across the globe revealed important differences in overall satisfaction levels across countries.

Consumer Pkg Goods

Is this unique enough turning failure into success.

Conjoint and TRC Simulator allowed this CPG heavyweight to understand how their new breakfast product idea could meet consumer preferences in five different markets across four continents.

Would You Buy This?

Idea Audit™ delivered fundamental concept metrics, difficult-to-quantify information, and purchase likelihood estimates for the makers of EVO Oil Sprayer — all at a low cost.

Making the Most of Hospital's Prestigious Brand

Prestigious hospital needed to understand: In a competitive market, what perceptions do the locals recall and use when seeking nearby treatment and care?

One of the more actionable segmentation insights we uncovered: Food is only part of good pet care.

Mixing Emotional and Rational

Discrete-choice created 'gut-feeling' scenarios and delivered emotionally driven results.

Creating a Right Variety of "Yum!"

Consumer packaged goods manufacturers often struggle with selecting the right products or combination of products for their "multi-pack" offerings.

Do We Buy the Product or the Brand?

A well-known, legacy retail giant needed to understand the brand equity (perceived value) of their bestselling power and hand tool brands.

Business-to-Business

Priced to market.

Bracket™ and discrete-choice conjoint analysis helped this legal services provider prioritize the features and benefits that attorneys would pay for.

Object-Based Segmentation Found Four New Audience Segments

This health insurance provider couldn't understand why many in their target didn't even want insurance policies. Qualitative defined the survey. Quantitative revealed four new segments.

Best Combination of Medicare Plans

We identified the best combination of medicare plans using Total Unduplicated Reach and Frequency (TURF) and discrete-choice conjoint.

Designing a Credit Card for High-End Travelers

A growing regional bank is looking to expand its product line by offering a premium credit card, designed for the population of affluent travelers.

Hospitality

Hotel happy.

CHAID segmentation told us which guests checked out happy and why.

Insurance Claims Improved

Key driver analysis identified room for big improvements at the claims level, where it mattered most.

Improving Radisson's Guest Satisfaction

Historical data and a simulator told us that making just one small change in quest satisfaction right away would increase monthly revenue.

Medical Devices

Medical device firm going international.

Discrete-choice conjoint helped Covidien medical device company expand globally with very tough target.

Identifying Consumer Preferences in Healthcare

Bracket™ prioritized a large number (64) of consumer interactions, generated based on the qualitative phase, to identify those most critical to a positive consumer experience.

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Correct. You are (still) able to distinguish between a human and AI. Read our blog for more.

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• David A. Soberman
• Seh-Woong Chung
• January 01, 2003

Masglo: A Media Scandal

• Silvana Dakduk
• Ricardo Di Carlo
• November 30, 2021
• John R. Wells
• Gabriel Ellsworth
• March 31, 2016

Marketing Antidepressants: Prozac and Paxil

• Youngme Moon
• Kerry Herman
• May 14, 2002

Chocolate Remedies: A Healthy Twist, Teaching Note

• Dennis Ceru
• Beth Goldstein
• December 01, 2016

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Marketing Research Case Histories

Below is a list of case studies detailing some of Decision Analyst’s experiences, from innovation and qualitative research to quantitative research, to advanced analytics and predictive analytics. You can view each article by clicking on the title.

A Decision Analyst Proprietary Panel of Users

Category: Tanning Products Methods: Proprietary Panel; Custom Research Panel; Tracking Research; Qualitative Research; Quantitative Research; Attitude, Usage, & Behavior Research Summary: A large consumer packaged-goods company wanted to gain insights into two consumer groups’ attitudes, usage, and behaviors toward tanning products over a period of 16 months.

A Fistful of (Electronic) Dollars

Category: Gift Cards Methods: Market-Share Tracking, Consumer Trends Summary: Decision Analyst recommended using quantitative surveys among both purchasers and recipients to capture gift card market share, as well as a deep dive into the motivations and behaviors surrounding a gift card purchase.

A Hair-Raising Global Tracking Study

Category: Beauty Products Methods: Product Awareness and Usage, International Research, Product Attributes, Incidence, Customer Target Profile Summary: An international innovator of premium beauty products targeted to women wanted to better understand hair care needs and product usage among females in four countries. 

A Model of Customer Loyalty

Category: Insurance Methods: Advanced Analytics, Brand Equity Modeling, Customer Satisfaction & Loyalty, Customer Loyalty Modeling, Customer Loyalty Simulator™ Summary: Decision Analyst’s Customer Loyalty Simulator ™ was integral in empowering the client to make decisions about how to improve the brand.

A Qualitative Approach to Understanding the Path-to-Purchase

Category: Cosmetic Methods: In-Person Focus Groups, Virtual-Ethnography (Remote Desktop Viewing), Path-to-Purchase, Time- Extended™ Qualitative Summary:  Management wanted to identify and understand why cosmetics’ users read reviews, shop and buy online vs. in store and how they might stop or reverse this trend to online, or possibly take better advantage of the online channel.

A Rose of Any Other Color...

Category: Children's Toys Methods: Package Testing, Virtual Shopping, Advanced Analytics, Quantitative Research, Shopper Insights Summary: Consumer research was carefully crafted to understand shoppers’ reactions to the revised packages, and ultimately revealed that the proposed changes would benefit the brand.

Advertising Research: Benchmarking New Ads for a Restaurant

Category: Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) Methods: Quantitative Research, Advertising Research, Benchmarking Summary: The client wanted to understand consumers’ attitudes about the advertisements in order to determine if the advertisements were up to the company’s standards and were communicating the intended messages and positioning.

Advertising Testing Among Hispanics

Category: Retail Methods: Advertising Research (Copy Testing), Hispanic Research Summary: Decision Analyst’s CopyTest® system and proprietary SellingPower™ analytical model calculated overall advertising effectiveness and suggested how to increase the ads’ cultural relevance.

Benefit Pricing: Optimizing The Price Point for a Product Line Extension

Category: Consumer Health and Beauty Products Methods: New Product Concept Testing Summary: A leading global manufacturer of consumer health and beauty products was considering adding a new product to its current line.

Card Sorting and Concept Testing Among Seniors

Category: Insurance Company Methods: Concept Testing, Market Evaluation Summary: Decision Analyst recommended a two-part project: a card-sort survey to determine the market potential and identify the most desired benefits, followed by a concept test to identify the most promising concept and determine the optimal price points.

China: A New World of Possibilities

Category: Skincare System Methods: Time-Extended™ Online Focus Group, Global Research, Research in China Summary: A multinational personal-care products manufacturer was interested in expanding its skincare business in China and wanted to identify the unique needs and applications to deliver a pipeline of skincare products specially designed for Asian consumers.

Changing The Game In The Electric Vehicle Arena Accelerating Consumer Adoption Of The Electric Truck

Category: Automotive Research Methods: Choice Modeling, DecisionSimulator™ Summary: Our client wanted to know what consumers wanted, but more importantly, what they “needed” in an electric light-duty truck that would make it more appealing than competitor models.

Choice Modeling: Testing Product and Service Bundles

Category: Technology Products and Services Methods: Advanced Analytics, Choice Modeling Summary:  Decision Analyst conducted research to develop a consumer-configured list of preferred product and service bundles to offer.

Choosing Advertising Approaches Between Alternative Storyboards

Category: Automotive Parts Manufacturer Methods: CopyTest®, Advertising Research Summary:  Our client asked us to conduct a study that would determine which ads would be the most effective at communicating the message to their target audience.

Combining Survey Choice Modeling With Customer-Database Predictive Modeling

Category: Utilities Methods: Advanced Analytics, Customer-Database Predictive Modeling, Hierarchical Bayes Choice Modeling Summary: Decision Analyst’s client wished to directly predict the receptivity of its customers and prospects to a wide variety of promotion and pricing features of electricity plans.

Category: Automotive Aftermarket Methods: Concept Testing, Purchase Motivation, Brand Positioning Summary: A leading producer and distributor of aftermarket fluids and additives was considering a reformulation of its top-selling, trademarked product. 

Consumer Health-Monitoring Device Optimization

Category: CPG – Health & Beauty Aids) Methods: Discrete Choice Exercise, Hierarchical Bayes Choice Model, Price Elasticities, Optimization Model, Sales Forecast Summary: An company was launching a new, noninvasive health monitoring device and wanted to assess and optimize the product’s features and understand the optimal product’s likely performance in the market via a sales forecast.

Convenience Store Product Assortment Optimization

Category: CPG–Beverages Methods: TURF Summary: A dairy product company was interested in determining the optimal assortment of coffee creamer flavors to maximize reach and usage frequency in the convenience store channel.

Consumer Pulse Tracking In The Paper-Product Market

Category: Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) Methods: Attitude & Usage, Purchase Behavior, Key Drivers Summary: A leading manufacturer of sustainable household products wanted to better understand consumers’ usage and perceptions across four household categories.

CopyCheck® of Animatic Ads

Category: Insurance Methods: CopyCheck®, Advertising Research Summary: A major health insurance provider wanted to know which of its new advertising concepts would resonate the most with potential customers. Decision Analyst recommend our proprietary CopyCheck® system.

Database Analytics: Developing Strategic Value From a Consumer Affairs Database

Category: Food Product Manufacturer Methods: Database Analytics, Predictive Analytics, Geospatial Analysis, Data Cleaning, Customer Loyalty, Customer Satisfaction Summary:  The Consumer Affairs department wanted to develop the strategic value of the database and also wanted to improve methods used to deal with consumer inquiries and potential problems. Using sophisticated data cleaning and exploratory methods, geospatial analysis, and standard market research analysis methods, Decision Analyst was able to illuminate patterns in the data.

Determining the Relationship Between Consumption and Household Income

Category: Utilities Methods: Advanced Analytics, Predictive Modeling, Predictive Analytics Summary: A major utility company wished to understand the relationship between consumption of their product and their clients’ household income in order to address pricing issues raised by the regulatory authority. S

Diary Research

Category: Personal Care Product Manufacturer Methods: In-The-Moment Research ; Diary Panel; Tracking Research ; Market Assessment, Ethnography Summary: A personal-care-product manufacturer wanted to understand and quantify consumers’ personal hygiene routines in order to identify new opportunities or marketing campaigns for an existing product. 

E-Commerce Econometric Modeling of Promotions and Media Mix

Category: E-Commerce, Consumer Goods Methods: Econometric Modeling, Advanced Analytics, Predictive Modeling Summary: A Fortune 1000 consumer-goods firm wished to identify patterns and trends in its retailer’s e-commerce sales and promotions. 

Finding That Revolutionary New Product! Using Choice Modeling to Refine a New Product Concept

Category: Automotive Methods: Choice Modeling, Latent-Class Segmentation, Volumetric Forecasting, Market Simulation Summary:   The OEM asked Decision Analyst to design a consumer research program to help them understand the potential for this new product concept they envisioned.

Food Ingredient Consumer-Opinion Research

Category: Food Manufacturer Methods: Online Consumer Survey Summary: A manufacturer of food and beverage products wanted to gauge consumer reactions to various nutrition and ingredient labels listing different sugars, fibers, and starches.

Forecasting: Alternative-Fuel Vehicle Research

Category: Automotive Methods: Advanced Analytics, DecisionSimulator™, Market Simulation Summary: Forecasting consumer demand for several alternative-fuel technologies within five segments.

Fueling Up: International Advertising Research

Category: Retail Automotive Fuel Products Methods: Global Marketing Research, Advertising Research (Copy Testing) Summary: A global automotive fuel company tested its advertising in multiple countries to improve clarity, recall, brand registration, persuasion, and other key elements. Insights taken from Decision Analyst’s monadic CopyTest® made the ads more successful.

Games People Play

Category: Electronic Games Methods: Focus Groups, Depth Interviews, Projective Techniques, Motivational Research Summary: At the dawn of the digital age, a major international manufacturer of electronic systems and components assigned a team of engineers to develop digital games for the new electronic devices then emerging.

Getting Carded

Category: Gift Cards Methods: Customer Loyalty, Awareness and Usage, Customer Satisfaction, Tracking Study Summary: A multinational food and beverage chain wanted to measure over time the awareness and usage of its frequent user/gift card program and its impact on customer loyalty. 

Global Celebrity Index—An International Star Search

Category: Health and Beauty Aids—Cosmetics Methods: Global Marketing Research, Custom Indexing Methodology Summary: A major multinational cosmetics manufacturer sought a celebrity spokesperson to use across global markets. Decision Analyst developed a comprehensive index score based on over 15 variables and collected data simultaneously in 11 countries and in 9 languages. 

Hospital System Advertising Testing Better And Faster With Big Qual

Category: Hospital System Methods: Sequential-Monadic Testing, Big Qual, Qualitative Research, Advertising Testing Summary: A hospital system was interested in assessing four advertising concepts at the storyboard (post-scripts) phase before moving into final television production of the winning ad.

Hospital System Improvement Qualitative Research Among Hospital Customers

Category: Hospital System Methods: Customer Research, Qualitative Research Summary: A hospital system was interested in conducting exploratory qualitative research among past-5-year customers and potential new customers to understand their hospital-selection process, perceptions of each hospital, and associations and gaps among 3 hospitals within their system and competitor hospitals in the area.

Hotel Services Innovation Program

Category: Hospitality Methods: Qualitative Research, Ideation, Quantitative Research, New Product Concept Development & Refinement, Advanced Analytics, MaxDiff Latent Class Choice Model Summary: A major hotel chain was interested in developing relevant and actionable new products and services designed to target the business traveler, and to project potential market appeal for each concept. 

I Beg Your Pardon? (The Value of Unexpected Research Results)

Category: Business-to-Business (B2B) Electronics Methods: Profiling, International Research, Business-to-Business (B2B) Research, Attitude/Awareness/Usage Research, Diagnostic Research, Problem Solving, Teamwork Summary: A leading device manufacturer discovered that previously-held beliefs about the philosophical differences between U.S. and Italian office workers that were driving marketing simply weren’t accurate at all. The research that was originally designed to identify how to penetrate a market was ultimately used to identify how to encourage switching from a competitor’s product.

Identifying the Product Claims that will Drive Consumer Interest

Category: National Food Manufacturer Methods: MaxDiff, Claims Testing Summary: The client had a list of more than 50 product claims that were applicable to multiple grocery categories. They needed an efficient way to determine which claims their marketing should focus on.

Improving Customer Satisfaction for a Utility Company

Category: Utility Methods: Customer Satisfaction, Customer Segmentation, Business-to-Business Research, Consumer Research Summary: A major national utility company was suffering from low customer satisfaction ratings and needed a plan to identify problems and address the issues in a timely manner.

Ingredients for Success: A Global Look at Health- and Beauty-Care Ingredients

Category: Health and Beauty Care Methods: International Research, Analytical Modeling Summary: A major multinational consumer health-and-beauty product manufacturer wanted to determine and anticipate the next big “ingredient” that could revolutionize its segment of the health-and-beauty industry. Leveraging the American Consumer Opinion® panel an online survey was conducted across several countries. 

Key Drivers of Store Sales

Category: Retail Methods: Advanced Analytics, Predictive Modeling, Sales Predictive Modeling Summary: Decision Analyst developed a predictive model of store sales per square foot from customer-satisfaction surveys, 9.4 million records. The model was used to identify key drivers of sales and indicators of store performance, enabling the client to prioritize stores for improvement initiatives.

Look Before Leaping

Category: Salty Snacks Methods: Concept Testing, Product Testing, In-Home Usage Testing, Pii® Product Improvement Index, Volumetric Forecasting, Sales Forecasting, Conceptor® Forecasting Models Summary:   Decision Analyst conducted a large concept test, followed by in-home usage product tests for each major flavor of the new salty snack, and forecasted in-market sales volume with its Conceptor® forecasting models.

Life & Disability Insurance Abandoners Exploratory Qualitative

Category: Life & Disability Insurance Company Methods: Qualitative Research Summary: An insurance company noticed that an increasing number of potential customers abandoned their new insurance purchase after underwriting and approval but before paying their initial bill to begin their new policy. Qualitative research was leveraged to uncover the reasons for policy abandonment.

Market Evaluation

Category: Automotive Methods: Market Evaluation, Quantitative Research, Market Overview Summary: A multinational automotive manufacturer (OEM) with no previous experience in the U.S. market was considering whether or not to attempt to introduce an all-new vehicle into the U.S. The need was to gain a fundamental understanding of the U.S. owner and intender of vehicles in one particular segment of the market.

Market Mix Modeling: Measuring Return From Advertising in the Fresh-Food Industry

Category: Fresh Food Manufacturer Methods: Advertising Research (Copy Testing), Promotion Research, Marketing Mix Modeling, Econometric Modeling, DecisionSimulator™ Summary: A major manufacturer of a fresh-food product wanted to know how much stimulation of sales could be expected per Target Rating Point of advertising. 

Market Needs Assessment: Qualitative Research Among Physicians

Category: Pharmaceuticals Methods: New Product Development, Qualitative Research, Physician Research Summary: A pharmaceutical company was interested in developing a new product for the treatment of a cronic disease. 

MaxDiff Modeling For Healthy Snack-Food Flavor Optimization

Category: Health Snack Food Manufacturer Methods: MaxDiff Analysis, Analytical Consulting, Choice Modeling Summary:  Decision Analyst used MaxDiff modeling to determine which new flavors would increase sales.

Maximum Difference (MaxDiff) Scaling

Category: Cooking Oil Methods: MaxDiff Analysis, Analytical Consulting, Choice Modeling, Hierarchical Bayes Estimation, Claims Testing Summary: A Choice Modeling project was conducted to identify the table spread products most likely to experience an increase in sales by including the cooking oil as a key ingredient.

Measuring Customer Satisfaction Among Preowned Vehicle Buyers

Category: Vehicle Dealer Methods: Customer Satisfaction Tracking, Online Survey, Preowned Buyer Survey, Quantitative Mail Survey, Tracking Research Summary: As a premium automobile retailer with multiple locations, our client has a very strong customer service culture. Decision Analyst updated and automated their customer satisfaction program for preowned cars.

Millennial Imaginators®: Ideation and Concept Refinement In the Hotel Industry

Category: Hospitality, Tourism, Innovation, Millennials Methods: Concept Refinement, Millennials, Imaginators®, Innovation Summary: A leading, global hotel chain wanted to engage creative, forward-thinking Millennials to cocreate some distinct urban-hotel concepts with them.

Mother Knows Best

Category: Childcare Products and Accessories Methods: Concept Testing, Product Testing, In-Home Usage Testing Summary: The research was designed to help diversify, expand, and improve the product line, and, ultimately, to refine and optimize the growth strategy that would allow the company to develop into a global brand.

Name Generation

Category: Healthcare System Methods: Ideation, Name Generation, Name Testing Summary: A large healthcare system asked Decision Analyst to generate, iterate, and then quantitatively test new names for several new healthcare facilities.

Never Trust an Engineer

Category: Electronic Calculators, Mathematics Training Methods: Focus Groups, Depth Interviews, Ethnography, Telephone Survey Summary: A large, worldwide manufacturer of electronic components and devices developed handheld calculators and mathematics training program for children in the first, second, and third grades. 

New Car Clinic

Category: Automotive Methods: Advanced Analytics, Discrete-Choice Modeling, Focus-Group Qualitative Research, Quantitative Static Clinic Summary: A multinational automobile manufacturer sought to introduce a new vehicle into a segment of the market that technically did not exist at that time. 

New Employee Onboarding: Measuring Training Satisfaction

Category: Package Goods Company – Human Resources, Employee Retention Methods: Online Quantitative, Employee Research, Tracking Research Summary: The overarching objective was to help optimize the onboarding process and reduce turnover. Decision Analyst designed a 2 phase research program to help improve the training and onboarding program and increase employee retention.

New Therapy Development & Optimization Research

Category: Medical Device Methods: Feature Optimization, Conjoint Modeling, Choice Modeling, Multi-Phase, Multi-Audience (Consumers & HCPs) Summary: A cross-functional team of academics, scientists, and researchers from a private research university received an NIH grant to develop a new medication. To help the new medication be successful and widely adopted in the marketplace, research was conducted to decide which features needed to be included in the product.

New Product Concept Test: Discovering Key Drivers of Product Preference

New product development.

Category: Medical Devices Methods: New Product Development Research, Concept Testing, Physician Research, Needs Assessment Research Summary: An implantable device manufacturer was interested in bolstering its new product development process by conducting unmet-needs research among implanting physicians.

New Product Positioning and Name Testing Among Professionals

Category: Medical Devices Methods: New Product Development, Positioning Test, Name Testing Summary: A global healthcare company that develops products and systems for in-home use and testing was planning a new product introduction. The company wanted to determine the best product name and to identify a compelling positioning statement to use in marketing the product.

New Vehicle Launch Evaluation

Category: Automotive OEM Methods: Automotive Research, Quantitative Research, Intender Survey, New Buyer Survey, Competitive Buyer Survey Summary: A global automotive OEM was launching a redesigned version of its best-selling vehicle in the U.S. In order to provide a holistic view of the market reaction, Decision Analyst partnered in designing and implementing a research program that provided insights.

Niche Market Opportunities Research Among Healthcare Professionals

Category: Health & Wellness Product Methods: Market Perception Study, Needs Assessment Survey, Healthcare Professionals Survey Summary: A leading maker of health and wellness products wanted to identify barriers and opportunities in a niche market in order to improve its market position in the industry.

Not-So-Secret Identity

Category: Premium Packaged Goods Methods: Depth Interviews, Projective Techniques, Motivational Research, Survey Research, Advanced Analytics, Qualitative Research, Quantitative Research, Packaged Goods Summary: Our client’s brand was among the first of its kind, had been on the market for decades, and had maintained market share, yet our client wanted the brand to do more than just survive. Our consumer research identified “key pillars” for the brand, which have helped propel it far beyond previous success and into new markets around the world.

Omnichannel Shopper Experience: Multiphased Qualitative Research

Category: Beauty Products Manufacturer Methods: In-Person Focus Groups, Qualitative Research, Remote Desktop Viewing, Screen Sharing, Time-Extended™ Online In-Depth Interviews, Virtual Ethnography Summary:   A multiphase qualitative approach was used to gain a deep understanding of consumers’ needs, desires, shopping experiences, and shopping decision-making behaviors, both in store and online.

On the Right Track: Consumer Packaged Goods Brand Tracking

Category: Consumer Packaged Goods Methods: Advertising Research (Copy Testing), Analytical Consulting, Choice Modeling, Attitudinal Research, Brand Equity Monitor™, Key Driver Analysis, Tracking Research Summary: A domestic tool manufacturer wanted to track the category’s (and its own) brand and advertising awareness, in addition to attitudes and usage. 

Online Qualitative, Time-Extended™: Acheiving Deeper Insights After Quantitative Research

Category: Casual Dining Methods: Casual Dining Positioning, Menu Evaluation, Online Depth Interviews, Time-Extended™ Online Qualitative Research Summary: Time-Extended™ online depth interviews were conducted to provide an intimate understanding of the consumer relationship with the brand and its current menu offerings.

Package Testing With A Shelf Set

Category: Packaged Goods (CPG) Methods: Online Survey With Shelf Set, Package Testing, Shopper Research Summary: The brand was very successful at retail, and changing the packaging could potentially have a negative impact on sales if consumers were confused by the change. The company was planning for the next sales cycle and needed to quickly determine in an efficient way which package option they should move forward with in manufacturing.

Paving the Path to Purchase: Identifying the Decision-Making Process for B2B Customers

Category: Manufacturer Methods: Business-to-Business Research, Key Driver Analysis, Qualitative Research, Quantitative Research, Path to Purchase, Time-Extended™ Online Research Summary: A manufacturer of products for workplace usage wanted to increase its knowledge about the path to purchase—how and why business customers buy their products—in order to effectively reach them with the right content at the right place and time.

Physicians Insurance Brand Equity Segmentation

Category: Insurance Company Methods: Physician Research, Brand Equity, Market Segmentation Summary:   In addition to understanding awareness, attitudes, and usage habits, brand equity analysis and a market segmentation were also needed to fully assess the company’s current place in the market, and which groups of physicians may be the best targets for certain products and messages.

Plush Perceptions

Category: Retail—Toys Methods: Qualitative Research, In-Person Qualitative Research Summary: An American production and distribution company needed to explore consumer attitudes, usage, and perceptions of its line of plush toys that accompanied its popular children’s TV show. Insights from the focus groups improved the toy, its marketing, and the show, and the client even gained merchandising opportunities.

Point of Presence Research

Category: Telecommunications Methods: In-Store, Digital Display Testing, Customer Experience Optimization, Promotion Testing Summary: Decision Analyst’s client was introducing informational and advertising-oriented, digital display kiosks in its stores nationwide. Prior to rolling out these free-standing digital fixtures, management wanted to test the overall impact of their digital display screen content, as well as the effectiveness and operations of display orientation, sound, and interactivity.

Positioning Test With Segmentation

Category: Kitchen Appliance System Methods: Positioning Test, Market Segmentation, Latent Class Cluster Analysis Summary: A major consumer-packaged-goods company and a large appliance manufacturer sought to identify a compelling, differentiating positioning for its kitchen system. Decision Analyst’s segmentation technique enabled the client to select an attractive, ownable positioning for the product’s successful launch.

Predicting and Optimizing Website Lead Generation

Category: Online Lead Generation Methods: Correlation/Cluster Analysis, Predictive Modeling, Cross-Validation, Simulation Modeling, Advanced Analytics Summary:  Predictive analytics was applied to data obtained from forms filled out on the website, page views, and lead generation. The resulting predictive models were used to adjust relative spending on different clusters of web pages, maximizing ROI in terms of lead generation.

Predicting Patient Noncompliance Based On Geographic Location

Category: Healthcare Methods: Predictive Modeling, Logistic Regression, Random Forest™, Advanced Analytics Summary: Decision Analyst explored the use of self-reported behavior from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), published by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) to develop predictive models of noncompliant patients.

Product Line Extension

Category: Over-The-Counter Medicine Methods: Choice Modeling, Advanced Analytics, DecisionSimulators™ Summary: An over-the-counter drug manufacturer was interested in understanding the market implications of offering a new, higher-strength product to supplement their product line.

Product Line Optimization

Category: Personal Care Manufacturer Methods: Choice Modeling, DecisionSimulator™, Product Line Optimization Summary: A global manufacturer of specialty personal-care products needed to develop a response to major changes made to the category leader's product line.

Proprietary Panel for Customer Satisfaction

Category: Managed-Care Company Methods: Customer Satisfaction, Private Online Panel Summary:  Decision Analyst created, managed, and hosted an online survey panel for the managed care company. The panel allowed easy access to representatives in the PPN and provided a mechanism for feedback on a variety of planned changes and improvements in the ways that providers interact with the company.

Purchase Probability Modeling: Lead Classification System for a Cloud-Based Product

Category: B2B Software Methods: Purchase Probability Modeling, Predictive Modeling, Business-to-Business (B2B) Research, Sales Lead Classification, International Research Summary:  A logistic regression model was developed that predicted the likelihood that a prospect would consider subscribing to the hosted service. The model was incorporated into an interactive scoring tool that allowed the sales force to enter prospect responses for each of the model predictors and forecast the likelihood of prospects to accept an offer of service.

Qualitative Research Among Unacculturated Hispanics in U.S.

Category: Prepaid Services Industry Methods: Qualitative Research, Hispanic Research, In-person In-Depth Interviews Summary: A large U.S. company believed that unacculturated Hispanics might represent a viable target market for its services, but marketing efforts to this segment had largely failed. The firm asked Decision Analyst to propose research that would lead to an improved marketing strategy to reach and convert unacculturated Hispanics in the U.S.

Reaching Young, Tech-Savvy Investors

Category: Financial Services, Investing Methods: New Product Development, Qualitative Research, In-Person Focus Groups, Depth Interviews, Quantitative Surveys Summary: Decision Analyst executed a two-phase research program, including quantitative concept screening as well as qualitative discussions, designed to help refine the final communication strategy. 

Real Estate Site Selection With Predictive Modeling in the Open-Source R Language

Category: Retail Methods: Advanced Analytics, Decision Tree, Linear Regression, Predictive Modeling, Random Forest™, R Language, Real Estate Site Selection Summary: We explored the use of the open-source R Language to develop alternative types of predictive models for retail-site sales forecasting. Alternative model types included decision tree, linear regression, and Random Forest™.

Rebate Offer Ad Test

Category: Optical Products Methods: Promotion Testing, Marketing Communications, Medical Research Summary: A leading maker of optical products wanted to gauge likely consumer response to several product discount offers.

Retail Point-of-Sale Tracking

Category: Retail Methods: Point-of-Sale Surveys, Tracking, Customer Satisfaction Monitoring Summary: A major retailer needed a way to better understand the experiences of their customers in a timely and cost-efficient manner.

Retail Sales Forecasting: Using Spatial Analytics to Identify New Market Opportunities

Category: Fashion Retailing Methods: Retail Store Location Analysis, Spatial Analytics, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Summary: A national retail apparel chain sought help from Decision Analyst in identifying new market opportunities. Decision Analyst combined survey research, competitive analyses, and geographic analyses and modeling to forecast sales of new stores in smaller markets.

Segmentation Re-Analysis

Category: Restaurant Methods: Segmentation Analysis, Key Driver Analysis, Gap Analysis, Spatial Analysis, Media Analysis Summary: A major U.S. restaurant chain derived substantial added value from its market segmentation study by commissioning Decision Analyst to re-analyze the segmentation data and conduct additional analyses.

Sell Those MBAs

Category: Graduate Education Methods: Syndicated Data Analysis, Secondary Data Analysis, Geographical Information Systems (GIS), Spatial Analytics, GeoMapping, Site Selection, Sales Forecasting, Concept Optimization, Choice Modeling, DecisionSimulator™ Summary: A major university in a large midwestern metropolitan area offered an array of MBA graduate degrees at its downtown campus. Decision Analyst was asked to help identify optimal locations for satellite classrooms to offer the EMBA degree. The results revealed complex interactions among the site-location variables.

Skincare Product Claims Development Research

Category: CPG Via Dermatologists Methods: Claim Ratings, Brand Usage & Awareness Summary: A manufacturer of skincare products was interested in assessing the behaviors and opinions of dermatologists in order to develop claims for its brand.

Socially Distanced Menu-Item Testing

Category: Restaurant Methods: Menu Evaluation, Central-Location Test Summary: An upper-end casual-dining chain with limited locations sought to increase its delivery footprint, and came to Decision Analyst for help in testing new versions of several menu items that could be more easily executed in ghost kitchens. Decision Analyst designed an in-person taste test that was COVID compliant and safe for the particiapants and the researchers.

Strategic Global Research: Qualitative Research in China

Category: International Retail Methods: International Research, Strategic Research, Depth Interviews, Ethnographic Research, Focus Groups, Quantitative Research, Qualitative Research Summary: A U.S.-based retailer wanted to evaluate an emerging market as part of their long-term expansion strategy. This research was undertaken to provide strategic direction for markets in China.

Strategic Market-Entry Optimization Plan Research

Category: Vision Care Methods: Choice Task, Optimization, Eye Care Professional Summary: A manufacturer of lenses wanted to gauge how their current eye care professional customers would react if the manufacturer’s brands became available in other competitive channels.

Taking Advertising to the Next Level

Category: Discount Retailer Methods: Quantitative Research, Brand Awareness, Advertising Research (Copy Testing), Tracking Research Summary: A large discount retail chain wanted to track company, brand, and advertising awareness as well as consumer attitudes to help increase advertising effectiveness. 

Time-Extended™ Online Qualitative Research

Category: Vehicle Loan Financing & Services Methods: Time-Extended™ Online Qualitative Research, Online Qualitative Research in a Bulletin Board Format Summary: An industry-leading company specializing in auto loans wanted to develop a targeted advertising campaign. The insights from Decision Analyst’s online, Time-Extended™ depth interviews became the foundation for the advertisements and new communication strategies.

Time-Series Econometric Forecasting: Global Forecast of the Price of a Raw Material

Category: International Manufacturer Methods: Autoregressive Time-Series Regression, Decision Tool, Econometrics, Ensemble Model, Model Validation, Time-Series, Forecasting, Variable Selection Summary: A client company (an international manufacturer) had experienced unprecedented volatility in the price of a primary raw-material input used to produce several of its products. Decision Analyst build an ensemble of Autoregressive Time-Series Models to predict future prices. 

To Launch, Or Not To Launch: What Is A Marketer To Do? Leveraging Concept Testing for Optimal “Payback”

Category: Organic Food Manufacturer Methods: Concept Testing, Brand Name Testing, Packaging Research Summary: A large organic-foods manufacturer had to decide how to package, name, and introduce a healthier product formulation targeted to moms with young children. 

Too Much Of A Good Thing Costs Too Much: Choice Modeling for Health Insurance Products

Category: Health Insurance Methods: Choice Modeling, Simulation Modeling, Concept Testing Summary: A large health insurer sought to increase profitability for a specified group insurance segment by reducing the number of insured health products and the overhead and low profit margins associated with them.

Turning Providers Into “Patient Satisfiers” Measuring Satisfaction Using Mail Surveys

Category: Health Insurance Methods: Automated Reporting, Mail Survey, Customer Satisfaction, Tracking Research Summary: A health insurance carrier wanted to incorporate patient satisfaction measurements as a quality outcome indicator when recredentialing each member of its network.

Uncovering the Paramount of Grooming

Category: Personal Care and Grooming Methods: Time-Extended™ Online Forums, Home Usage, Online Journaling Summary: A multinational personal care manufacturer had developed a revolutionary home grooming product. Decision Analyst was tasked with designing and conducting a two-phased research approach. Striving to surpass the competition, the company made testing competitors’ similar products the focus of the research. 

Using Automated Reporting to Track Restaurant Performance Across the U.S.

Category: Restaurant Industry Methods: Automated Reporting, Tracking Research Summary: A regional restaurant chain with locations in 8 markets across the Southwest asked Decision Analyst to conduct quarterly tracking studies for each of its 50 eateries. Automated reporting technology was used to efficiently and accurately create the reports for the multiple markets, taking into consideration the local competitors for each unit.

Using MaxDiff to Understand Investors’ Decision to Hire A Financial Advisor

Category: Financial Services Methods: Maximum Difference (MaxDiff) Analysis Summary: A financial advisory firm wanted to understand the reasoning behind investors’ decisions to hire (or to not hire) a financial advisor. Decision Analyst conducted an online quantitative survey featuring MaxDiff analysis to determine the attributes that have the most impact on potential customers’ decision to hire (or not hire) a financial advisor.

Using Exploratory Research to Formulate Quantitative Research and a Discrete Choice Modeling Design

Category: Auto/Captive Financial Services Methods: Exploratory Research, Quantitative Research, Discrete Choice Modeling, In-Person Focus Groups, Simulated Purchasing Decisions Summary: The Captive Finance arm of a Global Auto Manufacturer had historically relied on a traditional approach to developing new business, utilizing the value of its automotive products as the primary conduit for attracting customers. The client was looking for new ways in which to grow and add value to its business.

Using a MaxDiff Analysis to Make Decisions

Category: Insurance Company Methods: MaxDiff Analysis, Message Evaluation Summary: Our client, a health-insurance provider, wanted to know how best to communicate with their customers about the Affordable Care Act and what messages they need to use. Decision Analyst conducted a MaxDiff analysis on the proposed message statements to determine which messages consumers preferred.

Virtual Shelf-Set Research Among Children

Category: CPG Manufacturing Methods: Online/Virtual Shelf Set, Research with Children, In-Store Display Research Summary: A manufacturer created a new product line that was targeted to children aged 6 to 12. For this new product line, they created several merchandising-display options and wanted to know which one would resonate most with children and their parents.

Vision Product: Global Messaging Optimization Research

Category: Lens Manufacturer Methods: Message Testing, Choice-Task, MaxDiff, International Research Summary: A lens manufacturer wanted to measure unbranded preference for potential messages (including both current messages and potential new messages) across two key products. They also wanted to optimize messages for each product when branded.

Volumetric Concept Testing

Category: Toy Industry Methods: Volumetric Concept Testing, Latent Class Choice Modeling, Calibration, DecisionSimulator™, Online Simulated Shopping Summary:   During an online survey, respondents were taken through two shopping exercises and made purchase decisions based on the available toys. Several latent-class choice models were developed, measuring price and product utilities. 

What Do The Members Really Need? Customer Needs Assessment

Category: Health Insurance Methods: Focus Groups, Affinity Diagramming, Multivariate Analysis, Needs Assessment, Loyalty Measurement Summary: A health insurance carrier sought to get closer to its members by understanding more about their needs related to the consumer experience and the employer experience. They also wanted to know how well they were meeting the needs they identified versus how well their competition was meeting similar needs for its customers.

When Customer Service Needs A Boost Measuring Consumer Expectations of Customer Service

Category: Health Insurance Methods: Focus Groups, Telephone Survey, Nonlinear Regression Analysis, Quadrant Mapping Summary: A national health insurance carrier established a task force to optimize consumers’ experience with its customer service operation. Prior to developing a change plan, it was important for the task force to understand the customers’ expectations and needs.

Why Can’t We Compete? An Ethnographic Evaluation of the Brand Image

Category: Automotive OEM Methods: Ethnography , Extended Drive Experience with In-Vehicle Mounted Video Camera, In-Depth Post-Drive Interview, Online Follow-Ups, Qualitative Research Summary: Decision Analyst conducted a multistage qualitative study for a Premium division of an OEM to determine their position relative to the competition and to identify action steps for tangible improvement.

Contact Decision Analyst

If you would like more information on Marketing Research, please contact Jerry W. Thomas by emailing [email protected] or calling 1-817-640-6166.

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Marketing Research

40 case studies in branding.

[Apple: Innovation and Design as Brand Identity]

[Nike: Building a Global Brand Through Storytelling and Innovation]

[Tesla: Revolutionizing the Automotive Industry Through Innovation and Sustainability]

[Amazon: Transforming Retail and Beyond]

[Zoom: Connecting the World Through Video Communications]

[Beyond Meat: A Plant-Based Revolution]

[TikTok: A Dance with Global Success]

[Coca-Cola: Quenching the World’s Thirst for Over a Century]

[Netflix: Redefining the Future of Entertainment]

[Airbnb: Disrupting the Hospitality Industry]

[Starbucks: Brewing Success Through Innovation and Responsibility]

[The Walt Disney Company: A Kingdom of Creativity and Innovation]

[McDonald’s: Serving Success with a Side of Innovation]

[Dove (Unilever): Crafting Beauty and Confidence]

[IKEA: A Symphony of Design, Affordability, and Sustainability]

[LEGO: Building Blocks of Innovation and Success]

[Slack: Revolutionizing Workplace Communication]

[Patagonia: A Case Study in Sustainable Business Practices]

[Spotify: Transitioning from music sales to subscription streaming]

[Warby Parker: Disrupting the traditional eyewear market with an online-first approach]

[Allbirds: A Case Study in Sustainable Footwear Innovation]

40.1 Apple : Innovation and Design as Brand Identity

• Introduction:

Apple Inc., known for its revolutionary technology and design, has built its brand on innovation and a unique user experience. What began as a garage startup in 1976 has become one of the world’s most valuable companies. Let’s explore how Apple achieved this success.

• Background:

Founding and Early Years: Founded by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne, Apple started as a computer manufacturer. The launch of the Apple I computer in 1976 marked the company’s debut, and the subsequent Apple II became a significant success.

Rise to Prominence: With the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984, Apple emphasized graphical user interface, leading the way in user-friendly computing. The iPod, iPhone, iPad, and MacBook line have since become iconic products.

• Product Development: Regularly updating products to include the latest technology.
• Software Ecosystem: Creating a seamless software environment that ties different Apple products together.
• Aesthetic Appeal: Sleek and modern design across all products.
• User Experience: Emphasizing intuitive interfaces.
• Apple Ecosystem: The interoperability of products encourages customers to stay within the Apple brand.
• Customer Service: Apple’s customer support, including the Genius Bar in Apple Stores, provides personalized service.
• Store Design: Apple Stores are known for their minimalist design and layout.
• In-Store Experience: Offering hands-on experience with products and one-on-one customer service.
• High Pricing Strategy: Apple’s premium pricing limits accessibility for many consumers.
• Dependence on Key Products: A significant reliance on the iPhone, which generates a large portion of revenue.
• Manufacturing Practices: Criticisms regarding working conditions in factories.
• Environmental Concerns: Issues related to recycling and waste management.
• Cultural Impact and Legacy:

Apple’s marketing has not only sold products but also shaped culture.

Think Different Campaign: This campaign emphasized Apple’s image as a company for creative and unconventional thinkers.

Influence on Music Industry: With the iPod and iTunes, Apple changed how people buy and listen to music.

Smartphone Revolution: The iPhone transformed mobile communication.

• Conclusion:

Apple’s brand is more than just a logo; it’s a symbol of innovation, quality, and a unique customer experience. By consistently focusing on design and innovation, Apple has maintained a strong brand identity that resonates with consumers globally. Its success offers essential insights into how a focus on innovation, design, and customer experience can build a powerful and enduring brand. The company’s challenges and criticisms also provide a nuanced understanding of the complexities of operating at the forefront of technology.

• Further Exploration:

Apple’s Advertising: Analyzing various Apple advertising campaigns over the years.

Competitor Analysis: Understanding how Apple’s branding strategies compare with competitors like Samsung, Google, and Microsoft.

Future Outlook: Speculating on Apple’s future in an ever-changing technology landscape.

This extended case study provides a comprehensive view of Apple’s branding, suitable for students who want to delve deeply into branding’s multifaceted nature. It includes various aspects of branding, marketing, challenges, and impact, allowing for a rich understanding of how a brand can shape not only a company’s success but also influence broader culture and industry trends.

40.2 Nike: Building a Global Brand Through Storytelling and Innovation

Nike, Inc. is a household name synonymous with athleticism, performance, and innovation. Through its creative marketing strategies and commitment to design, Nike has become a leader in the sports apparel industry. This case study will explore Nike’s rise to prominence and the branding strategies that have kept it at the forefront of the sports industry.

• Founding and Early Years: Founded as Blue Ribbon Sports in 1964 by Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight, the company changed its name to Nike, Inc. in 1971. The famous swoosh logo and the “Just Do It” slogan became integral parts of the brand’s identity.
• Growth and Expansion: With an initial focus on running shoes, Nike expanded into various sports, including basketball, soccer, and golf, becoming a multi-sport brand.
• Historical Partnerships: Nike’s collaboration with athletes like Michael Jordan led to the creation of the Air Jordan line.
• Global Ambassadors: Associating with top athletes like Serena Williams, Cristiano Ronaldo, and LeBron James.
• Emotional Connection: Creating ads that resonate emotionally with consumers, such as the “Find Your Greatness” campaign.
• Social Commentary: Engaging in cultural conversations, like the Colin Kaepernick campaign.
• Technological Advancements: Such as Nike Air cushioning technology and Flyknit fabric.
• Customization: Allowing consumers to personalize products through the NIKEiD platform.
• Nike Run Clubs: Building a community around the brand through running clubs and apps.
• Sustainability Initiatives: Such as the “Move to Zero” campaign focusing on reducing environmental impact.
• Market Competition: Competition from brands like Adidas and Under Armour.
• Pricing Strategies: Balancing premium pricing with accessibility for a broader audience.
• Labor Practices: Historical criticisms regarding factory working conditions.
• Sustainability Challenges: Managing environmental impacts across the supply chain.

Nike’s influence goes beyond sports apparel.

Influence on Streetwear: Collaborations with designers like Virgil Abloh have made Nike relevant in fashion circles.

Promotion of Women’s Sports: Marketing campaigns focusing on female athletes.

Global Reach: Establishing a presence in various global markets and sports.

Nike’s brand success lies in its ability to intertwine sports, culture, and personal aspiration. Its collaborations with athletes, investment in storytelling, and commitment to innovation have made it a leader in the sports apparel industry. The challenges and criticisms it has faced provide insight into the complexities of maintaining a global brand. Understanding Nike’s branding strategies offers an exciting exploration into how a brand can connect with consumers on multiple levels and across diverse markets.

Analyzing Advertising Campaigns: Students may explore various campaigns to understand how Nike connects with different demographics.

Competitor Analysis: Comparing Nike’s strategies with competitors to understand market dynamics.

Future of Sports Branding: Speculating on the future of branding in the sports industry and how Nike may continue to innovate.

This comprehensive case study provides a deep understanding of Nike’s branding strategies and allows students to appreciate the multifaceted nature of branding in the modern market. The connections between sports, culture, innovation, and marketing weave together to create a compelling story that offers valuable insights for anyone interested in branding, marketing, or the sports industry.

40.3 Tesla: Revolutionizing the Automotive Industry Through Innovation and Sustainability

Tesla, Inc. is not just a car manufacturer; it’s a technology company with a mission to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy. Founded by a group of engineers, including Elon Musk, who became the public face of the company, Tesla has become a symbol of innovation and environmental responsibility. This case study explores how Tesla achieved this status.

• Founding and Early Years: Founded in 2003 by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning, and later joined by Elon Musk, JB Straubel, and Ian Wright, Tesla started with a vision to create electric cars that didn’t compromise on performance.
• Road to Success: The launch of the Tesla Roadster in 2008 proved that electric cars could be both stylish and powerful. Subsequent models, including the Model S, Model X, Model 3, and Model Y, diversified the product line.
• Autopilot: Developing self-driving technology.
• Battery Technology: Pioneering advancements in battery efficiency and lifespan.
• Clean Energy Products: Including solar panels and the Powerwall for energy storage.
• Sustainable Manufacturing: Efforts to minimize environmental impact in production.
• Online Sales: Bypassing traditional dealerships, selling directly to consumers online.
• Customer Experience: Creating unique showrooms and offering test drives.
• Elon Musk’s Twitter Presence: Utilizing social media to promote and defend the brand.
• Product Launches: Hosting grand events to unveil new products.
• Production Challenges: Meeting demand and managing quality control.
• Market Competition: Growing competition from traditional automakers entering the EV market.
• Labor Practices: Controversies related to factory conditions.
• Autopilot Safety Concerns: Debates over the safety of Tesla’s self-driving technology.

Changing Automotive Industry: Pushing the entire automotive industry towards electric vehicles.

Energy Conversation: Shaping dialogues about renewable energy and climate change.

Stock Market Phenomenon: Tesla’s unique position in the stock market as a technology/automotive company.

Tesla’s brand represents a fusion of technology, sustainability, and luxury. Through innovative products, a focus on environmental responsibility, and disruptive sales models, Tesla has not only built a successful brand but has also changed the landscape of the automotive industry. Analyzing Tesla’s strategies, challenges, and impacts provides valuable insights into how a brand can be a catalyst for industry-wide change.

Comparative Analysis: Understanding how Tesla’s branding strategies differ from traditional automotive brands.

Future of Mobility: Speculating on the future of electric vehicles, autonomous driving, and Tesla’s role in shaping that future.

Global Expansion: Exploring Tesla’s efforts to expand into various global markets, such as China and Europe.

40.4 Amazon: Transforming Retail and Beyond

Amazon, founded by Jeff Bezos in 1994, started as an online bookstore and quickly expanded into a vast e-commerce platform that sells virtually everything. Beyond retail, Amazon has also entered cloud computing, entertainment, and even healthcare. This case study will explore Amazon’s diverse business activities and how they’ve contributed to its colossal success.

• Early Years: Started in a garage, focusing on books, before expanding into other categories.
• Global Expansion: Rapid growth into international markets and diversified product offerings.
• Customer Experience: One-click ordering, personalized recommendations, and fast shipping.
• Amazon Prime: Subscription model offering free shipping, video streaming, and more.
• Amazon Marketplace: Allowing third-party sellers to reach Amazon’s vast customer base.
• Amazon Web Services (AWS): A leading provider of cloud computing services.
• Voice Technology: Introduction of Alexa and Echo smart speakers.
• Amazon Studios: Producing and distributing original content.
• Twitch Acquisition: Engaging the gaming community.
• Whole Foods Acquisition: Entering the brick-and-mortar retail space.
• Amazon Pharmacy: Expanding into the healthcare sector.
• Market Power: Criticisms related to monopolistic practices.
• Tax Practices: Scrutiny over tax strategies and contributions.
• Working Conditions: Concerns over conditions in warehouses and treatment of employees.
• Environmental Impact: Criticisms related to packaging and carbon footprint.
• Changing Retail Landscape: Influencing consumer expectations and competitors’ strategies.
• Innovation Leader: Setting standards in technology, logistics, and customer service.

Amazon’s success story is a testament to innovation, diversification, and relentless focus on customer experience. By continuously expanding into new areas, Amazon has not only transformed retail but also various other industries. Examining Amazon’s strategies, challenges, and cultural impact provides a deep understanding of modern business dynamics and the role of branding in shaping industry landscapes.

Competitive Analysis: Understanding Amazon’s position among global tech giants.

Future Projections: Exploring potential new markets and technologies for Amazon.

Regulatory Landscape: Analyzing potential legal and regulatory challenges.

This extensive case study offers students a multifaceted exploration of one of the world’s most impactful brands. From e-commerce to entertainment, Amazon’s influence is felt across multiple sectors. Understanding its success and challenges provides insights into innovation, strategy, ethics, and the complex dynamics of modern business environments.

40.5 Zoom: Connecting the World Through Video Communications

Zoom Video Communications, known simply as Zoom, played a pivotal role in connecting people during a time of global upheaval. Founded by Eric Yuan in 2011, Zoom quickly rose to prominence as a leading platform for video conferencing, webinars, and collaboration. This case study explores Zoom’s exponential growth, the strategies that propelled it, and the challenges it faced along the way.

• Founding Vision: Eric Yuan, a former Cisco executive, founded Zoom with a mission to make video communication frictionless and reliable.
• Early Growth: Despite entering a competitive market, Zoom differentiated itself through ease of use and robust performance.
• Ease of Use: Simple interface, quick setup, and no user account required for joining meetings.
• Quality and Reliability: Consistent video and audio quality across various devices and internet connections.
• Business and Enterprise Solutions: Offering scalable solutions for organizations of all sizes.
• Education Sector: Customized features for virtual classrooms and administrative meetings.
• Healthcare Integration: Compliance with healthcare regulations for telemedicine use.
• Localization: Tailoring offerings to different regions and languages.
• Strategic Partnerships: Collaborating with hardware vendors and integrators for seamless user experience.
• Free Access for Schools: Providing free access to educational institutions during lockdowns.
• Scaling Infrastructure: Rapidly expanding server capacity to handle surging demand.
• Security Enhancements: Addressing early security concerns with significant updates and transparency.
• “Zoombombing” Incidents: Unwanted intrusions into meetings raised questions about security.
• Data Privacy Concerns: Scrutiny over encryption and data handling practices.
• Competing Platforms: Navigating competition from established players like Microsoft and new entrants like Google.
• Sustaining Growth: Challenges in maintaining growth rates as restrictions lift and in-person meetings resume.
• Changing Work Culture: Enabling remote work, hybrid models, and global collaboration.
• Social Connections: Facilitating social interactions, virtual family gatherings, and online events.
• Redefining Communication: Setting new standards for video communication and online engagement.

Zoom’s journey is a compelling study in understanding customer needs, agile adaptation, and effective scaling. From a startup competing against tech giants to becoming a household name, Zoom’s story offers valuable lessons in innovation, strategic planning, crisis management, and ethical considerations. Analyzing Zoom’s branding, growth strategies, challenges, and cultural impact provides rich insights into the dynamics of technology-driven market disruption and the responsibilities that come with rapid success.

Competitive Landscape Analysis: Understanding Zoom’s position in a fast-evolving market.

Ethical and Regulatory Considerations: Analyzing Zoom’s response to security and privacy concerns.

Long-term Strategy and Sustainability: Evaluating Zoom’s plans to sustain growth and diversify offerings.

40.6 Beyond Meat: A Plant-Based Revolution

Beyond Meat has become a synonym for the plant-based food movement, leading the way in creating meat alternatives that cater to a growing global demand for sustainable and ethical eating. This case study explores the company’s journey, its innovative products, market strategies, and the broader impact on the food industry.

• Founding Vision: Established by Ethan Brown in 2009, Beyond Meat aimed to address environmental, health, and ethical concerns related to animal agriculture.
• Product Innovation: The development of plant-based meat substitutes that mimic the taste, texture, and appearance of traditional meat.
• Not Just for Vegetarians: Positioning products to appeal to meat-eaters looking to reduce meat consumption.
• Retail and Food Service Partnerships: Collaborations with supermarkets, fast-food chains, and restaurants.
• Celebrity Endorsements: Engaging well-known advocates of plant-based diets, such as Bill Gates and Leonardo DiCaprio.
• Sustainability Messaging: Emphasizing the environmental and health benefits of plant-based foods.
• Adaptation to Local Tastes: Developing products tailored to various global markets and cuisines.
• Regulatory Compliance: Navigating complex food regulations in different countries.
• Rising Competitors: Facing competition from both traditional food companies and new entrants in the plant-based sector.
• Product Differentiation: Striving to stand out in an increasingly crowded market.
• Taste and Texture Expectations: Meeting consumer expectations for flavors and textures similar to traditional meat.
• Price Barriers: Addressing price competitiveness with animal-based products.
• Transparency in Ingredients: Providing clear information about ingredients and processing methods.
• Life Cycle Analysis: Assessing the full environmental impact of products, from production to consumption.
• Changing Consumer Habits: Influencing a shift in dietary preferences towards plant-based options.
• Industry Collaboration: Collaborations with traditional meat producers and food service providers.
• Impact on Animal Agriculture: Contributing to debates about the sustainability and ethics of conventional meat production.

Beyond Meat’s story represents a transformative moment in the food industry, reflecting a broader cultural shift towards sustainability and conscious consumption. By analyzing Beyond Meat’s product innovation, market strategies, challenges, and cultural impact, students can gain insights into how a company can both lead and adapt to changing consumer values and industry dynamics. This case encourages critical thinking about innovation, branding, competition, ethics, and the interplay between business and societal needs.

Comparative Analysis with Competitors: Examining strategies and approaches of other players in the plant-based food market.

Consumer Behavior Study: Investigating consumer attitudes towards plant-based alternatives.

Sustainability Assessment: Conducting a comprehensive analysis of the sustainability aspects of plant-based foods.

40.7 TikTok: A Dance with Global Success

TikTok, a social media app developed by Chinese tech company ByteDance, has quickly become a sensation, particularly among younger users. This case study examines TikTok’s rapid growth, innovative content delivery, competition, and the complex regulatory landscape it navigates.

• Launch and Growth: TikTok was launched in 2016 and merged with Musical.ly in 2018 to expand its reach in the U.S. market.
• Algorithm Magic: TikTok’s unique algorithm offers personalized content, leading to higher engagement and user retention.
• Short Video Format: Users create engaging 15-second videos with a wide array of editing tools.
• Personalized Feed: The “For You Page” algorithm provides a customized content feed, enhancing user experience.
• Hashtag Challenges: Promoting user-generated content through viral challenges.
• Collaborations and Duets: Enabling collaboration between users to foster community.
• Music and Dance Focus: Strong emphasis on music and dance-related content.
• Influencer Partnerships: Collaborating with youth influencers to drive adoption.
• Local Content Adaptation: Encouraging content that resonates with local cultures and trends.
• Strategic Advertising: Utilizing in-app advertising and partnerships with brands.
• Data Security Issues: Ongoing debates over data privacy and national security.
• Regulatory Scrutiny: Challenges related to compliance with international regulations.
• Competing for Attention: A battle with platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube.
• Intellectual Property Concerns: Issues related to copyright and content ownership.
• Democratizing Content Creation: Empowering individuals to become content creators.
• Cultural Influence: Fostering global cultural exchange and trends.

TikTok’s story is a fascinating example of how a social media platform can become a global phenomenon through innovative technology, strategic targeting, community engagement, and adaptability to local cultures. This case allows students to explore various aspects of social media business, including algorithms, user engagement, competition, regulation, and cultural impact.

Algorithm Analysis: Delve into how TikTok’s algorithm works and compare it with other platforms.

Regulatory Compliance Study: Investigate TikTok’s compliance with different countries’ regulatory frameworks.

Cultural Impact Research: Explore how TikTok influences and reflects cultural trends across the globe.

40.8 Coca-Cola: Quenching the World’s Thirst for Over a Century

Coca-Cola, founded in 1886, has grown to become one of the world’s leading beverage companies. This case study explores Coca-Cola’s brand legacy, marketing innovations, product diversity, sustainability initiatives, and the challenges and opportunities in an ever-changing global beverage market.

• Founding and Early Years: From a pharmacy concoction to a global brand.
• Iconic Advertising Campaigns: A look at some of Coca-Cola’s most memorable marketing efforts.
• Logo and Packaging: The evolution of Coca-Cola’s iconic logo and bottle design.
• Sponsorships and Partnerships: Coca-Cola’s association with sports events, entertainment, and charities.
• Local Market Adaptation: Customizing products and campaigns to fit regional tastes and cultures.
• Digital Engagement: Leveraging social media and technology for customer engagement.
• Beverage Portfolio: Introduction to Coca-Cola’s diverse product line, including soft drinks, water, and juices.
• Health-Conscious Offerings: Response to changing consumer preferences towards healthier options.
• Water Stewardship: Initiatives to reduce water usage and support community water projects.
• Recycling and Packaging: Commitment to reducing plastic waste through recycling and innovative packaging.
• Market Competition: An overview of competitors like PepsiCo and changing consumer tastes.
• Health and Regulatory Scrutiny: Challenges related to sugar content and obesity concerns.
• Emerging Markets: Strategies and challenges in entering and thriving in new markets.
• Economic Sensitivities: How global economic fluctuations affect sales and operations.

Coca-Cola’s story offers an inspiring journey into the world of branding, marketing, innovation, and corporate responsibility. The brand’s ability to adapt, innovate, and remain socially responsible provides valuable insights for anyone interested in business, marketing, and sustainability.

Marketing Analysis: Investigate how Coca-Cola has maintained its brand appeal over time.

Sustainability Evaluation: Examine Coca-Cola’s efforts in promoting environmental stewardship.

Global Business Study: Analyze Coca-Cola’s strategies in adapting to different cultures and markets.

This student version of the Coca-Cola case study serves as an engaging educational resource for courses related to business, marketing, branding, sustainability, and global commerce. Through exploration, discussion, and critical analysis, students can uncover the multifaceted dynamics that have shaped Coca-Cola’s success and its continued relevance in today’s competitive and evolving marketplace. It invites learners to reflect on the power of branding, the importance of innovation, the challenges of global expansion, and the growing significance of corporate social responsibility in modern business.

40.9 Netflix: Redefining the Future of Entertainment

Netflix, founded in 1997, has transformed from a DVD rental service to a global streaming giant. With over 200 million subscribers worldwide, Netflix has redefined the way people consume entertainment. This case study explores Netflix’s growth, innovation, content strategy, and the challenges it faces in a competitive market.

• Founding and Early Growth: From a mail-order DVD service to streaming pioneer.
• Subscription Model: Introduction of the subscription model that revolutionized content consumption.
• Streaming Technology: Development of cutting-edge streaming technology to deliver content seamlessly.
• Personalized Recommendations: Utilization of algorithms to tailor content suggestions to individual viewers.
• Original Content Creation: Investment in exclusive shows and movies to differentiate from competitors.
• Content Licensing: Acquiring rights to popular shows and movies to broaden the content library.
• Localization Strategy: Adapting content to suit diverse cultural tastes and regulatory requirements.
• Emerging Markets Growth: Expanding into developing regions with unique pricing and content strategies.
• Streaming Wars: Competition with other streaming platforms like Amazon Prime, Disney+, and HBO Max.
• Regulatory and Legal Hurdles: Navigating complex international laws and content regulations.
• Content Piracy Concerns: Efforts to combat unauthorized sharing and illegal streaming of content.

Netflix’s story is a testament to innovation, adaptability, and the power of a customer-centric approach. The lessons drawn from Netflix’s success and ongoing challenges provide valuable insights for those interested in technology, media, marketing, and global business strategy.

Technology Analysis: Investigate how Netflix’s technological advancements have shaped its success.

Content Strategy Evaluation: Examine how Netflix’s original content creation has redefined the entertainment industry.

Global Business Study: Analyze Netflix’s strategies for entering and thriving in diverse global markets.

40.10 Airbnb: Disrupting the Hospitality Industry

Airbnb, established in 2008, has emerged as a disruptive force in the global hospitality industry. This platform connects hosts and travelers, providing unique accommodations and experiences. This case study examines Airbnb’s innovation, growth, and the challenges it faces, providing comprehensive insights for students interested in entrepreneurship, technology, law, and global business.

• Founding Story: How an idea to rent air mattresses turned into a revolutionary business concept.
• Peer-to-Peer Model: Airbnb’s model of connecting hosts with travelers and its impact on traditional lodging.
• Platform Design: Exploration of the user-friendly design, including search functionality, booking process, and communication between hosts and guests.
• Trust and Community Building: Methods of establishing trust through reviews, verification processes, host education, community guidelines, and conflict resolution.
• Revenue Model: Understanding Airbnb’s commission-based revenue model, pricing strategies, and value proposition for hosts and guests.
• Global Growth Strategy: Airbnb’s rapid expansion into various cities and countries, including marketing strategies, partnerships, and local engagement.
• Experiences and Diversification: Introduction of Airbnb Experiences, business travel accommodations, and other extensions of the platform.
• Challenges in Scaling: Examination of the obstacles faced during rapid growth, including maintaining quality, customer support, and local adaptation.
• Local Regulations and Compliance: Encounters with legal issues, zoning laws, city ordinances, and ongoing battles with regulators and the traditional hotel industry.
• Impact on Housing Markets: Exploration of criticisms and studies on Airbnb’s effect on local housing prices, availability, gentrification, and neighborhood dynamics.
• Safety and Liability Concerns: Analysis of safety measures, insurance policies, host responsibilities, and incidents that have raised concerns.
• Sustainable Travel Initiatives: Airbnb’s efforts to promote eco-friendly travel practices, partnerships with local communities, and support for responsible hosting.
• Community Outreach and Disaster Response: Airbnb’s involvement in community development and providing emergency accommodations during natural disasters or crises.
• Brand Identity and Positioning: Examination of Airbnb’s brand evolution, advertising campaigns, social media presence, and efforts to differentiate itself from competitors.
• Customer Segmentation and Personalization: Strategies for targeting different customer segments and personalizing the user experience through algorithms and data analysis.

Airbnb’s transformation of the hospitality industry offers an in-depth look into technology-driven disruption, entrepreneurial innovation, community engagement, legal complexities, and social impact. The multifaceted nature of Airbnb’s journey provides a rich context for exploring diverse business concepts.

• Further Exploration and Assignments:

Platform Analysis Project: Students analyze Airbnb’s platform functionality, user experience, and technological innovations.

Regulatory Environment Study: Research and debates on the legal and ethical aspects of Airbnb’s operations in different regions.

Global Strategy Simulation: Group exercise to plan Airbnb’s entry into a new market, considering cultural, legal, and market dynamics.

Social Impact Assessment: Critical evaluation of Airbnb’s social responsibility efforts, community impact, and sustainability initiatives.

40.11 Starbucks: Brewing Success Through Innovation and Responsibility

Starbucks, founded in 1971 in Seattle, Washington, has become a global coffee icon, known for its premium quality coffee, unique store ambiance, and commitment to social responsibility. This case study examines Starbucks’ journey from a single store to an international chain, focusing on its strategic decisions, marketing practices, innovations, and challenges.

• Founding and Early Years: How Starbucks transformed from a single store selling quality coffee beans into a global coffeehouse chain.
• Mission and Vision: An examination of Starbucks’ commitment to inspiring and nurturing the human spirit, one cup at a time.
• Retail Innovation: An exploration of Starbucks’ unique store designs, customer experience, and the introduction of the “third place” concept.
• Product Diversification: Starbucks’ expansion into various products, including specialty beverages, food, packaged products, and even non-coffee items.
• Global Expansion: Strategies and challenges in entering new markets across different continents.
• Brand Building and Positioning: How Starbucks built a strong brand that emphasizes quality, community, and ethical sourcing.
• Loyalty Programs: The impact and success of Starbucks’ rewards program in enhancing customer loyalty and retention.
• Digital Engagement: Utilizing mobile apps, social media, and digital marketing to engage customers.
• Ethical Sourcing: Commitment to sourcing ethically produced coffee through fair trade practices and farmer support.
• Environmental Initiatives: Efforts in reducing waste, conserving energy, and promoting reusable products.
• Community Engagement: Investing in local communities through education, volunteerism, and support for local causes.
• Market Saturation: The challenge of maintaining growth amid increasing competition and market saturation.
• Cultural Sensitivity: Navigating cultural differences in global markets and occasional backlashes.
• Economic Factors: Responding to economic downturns and changes in consumer spending habits.
• Mobile Ordering: Implementing mobile ordering and payment systems to enhance convenience.
• Data Analytics: Leveraging data to personalize marketing and enhance customer experiences.
• Partnerships with Technology Companies: Collaborations to expand reach and offer new products.

Starbucks’ story offers valuable insights into brand building, global expansion, innovation, social responsibility, and resilience in the face of challenges. Its journey from a single store to a global chain showcases the importance of strategic decision-making, adaptability, and commitment to core values.

Supply Chain Analysis: Investigate Starbucks’ complex supply chain and its approach to ensuring quality and ethical practices.

Competitive Landscape Study: Analyze Starbucks’ competitive positioning and the dynamics of the coffeehouse industry.

Crisis Management Review: Examine Starbucks’ response to various challenges and crises over the years.

40.12 The Walt Disney Company: A Kingdom of Creativity and Innovation

The Walt Disney Company, founded in 1923 by Walt and Roy O. Disney, has grown from a small animation studio to a global entertainment conglomerate. This case study delves into Disney’s storied history, business diversification, technological leadership, and strategies that have made it a symbol of creativity and imagination.

• Founding and Early Success: The birth of Mickey Mouse, the creation of the first synchronized sound and full-color cartoons, and the groundbreaking “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.”
• Expanding the Magic Kingdom: Disney’s foray into theme parks, beginning with Disneyland in 1955 and followed by a global expansion.
• Diversification: Exploration of Disney’s diversification into various entertainment sectors, including movies, television, theme parks, merchandise, and media networks.
• Content Creation and Distribution: Examination of Disney’s strategies in producing and distributing content through various channels, including streaming services like Disney+.
• Global Expansion: Analysis of Disney’s strategies to enter and thrive in international markets, including China and Europe.
• Brand Building: How Disney built a universally loved brand based on storytelling, characters, and immersive experiences.
• Synergy: Understanding how Disney leverages its characters and stories across multiple business segments.
• Digital Engagement: Exploration of Disney’s digital marketing efforts, social media presence, and engagement with younger audiences.
• Revolutionizing Animation: Disney’s pioneering role in animation technology, including the introduction of CGI.
• Immersive Experiences: The integration of technology in theme parks for personalized and interactive experiences.
• Strategic Acquisitions: Insight into Disney’s acquisitions, including Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, and 21st Century Fox.
• Collaborations and Partnerships: Exploration of Disney’s collaborations with other companies to enhance its product offerings and reach.
• Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): Disney’s efforts in environmental conservation, community support, and ethical sourcing.
• Content and Cultural Sensitivity: Balancing storytelling with cultural respect and inclusiveness.
• Market Saturation and Competition: Navigating an increasingly competitive media and entertainment landscape.
• Regulatory and Legal Challenges: Adhering to varying regulations across global markets.
• Pandemic Response: Adaptation and response to the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on various business segments.

The Walt Disney Company’s journey offers a captivating exploration of creativity, innovation, strategic thinking, and adaptability. From pioneering animation to building global theme parks, launching streaming services, and acquiring leading entertainment brands, Disney’s story is a rich lesson in entrepreneurship, marketing, technology, and global business strategies.

Leadership Analysis: Investigate Disney’s leadership strategies and the role of key leaders in shaping the company.

Competitive Landscape Study: Analyze Disney’s competitive positioning and the dynamics of the entertainment industry.

Crisis Management Review: Examine Disney’s response to various challenges, including economic downturns and unexpected crises.

40.13 McDonald’s: Serving Success with a Side of Innovation

McDonald’s is more than just a fast-food chain; it’s a global phenomenon that has shaped the way people eat around the world. Founded in 1940 by Richard and Maurice McDonald, the company has since evolved into a multi-billion-dollar giant with thousands of locations worldwide. This case study examines the key ingredients behind McDonald’s success.

• Founding and Early Growth: A look at McDonald’s beginnings, from a single drive-in to the creation of the Speedee Service System, a precursor to the modern fast-food restaurant.
• Global Expansion: How McDonald’s turned the Golden Arches into an international symbol, adapting to various cultures and tastes.
• Franchising: Exploration of McDonald’s franchising model and how it fueled the company’s rapid growth.
• Menu Innovation: How McDonald’s constantly innovates its menu to meet consumer demands and local preferences.
• Supply Chain Management: Examination of McDonald’s logistical prowess in sourcing and distributing ingredients across the globe.
• Sustainability Efforts: An insight into McDonald’s initiatives to reduce environmental impact and promote sustainable practices.
• Iconic Branding: Understanding how the Golden Arches and characters like Ronald McDonald became global icons.
• Advertising and Promotions: A review of memorable ad campaigns and marketing strategies that resonate with various demographics.
• Customer Experience: How McDonald’s focuses on customer satisfaction through services like McDelivery and the recent digital transformation.
• Digital Ordering and Mobile Apps: Exploration of McDonald’s embrace of technology to enhance customer convenience.
• Smart Restaurants: How technology is changing the in-store experience, from kiosks to AI-powered drive-thrus.
• Health Concerns: Analysis of criticisms regarding the nutritional content of McDonald’s food and the company’s response.
• Labor Practices: Discussion of challenges related to employee wages, benefits, and working conditions.
• Competitive Landscape: Examination of the fast-food market competition and how McDonald’s maintains its edge.
• Adaptation to Changing Consumer Preferences: The shift towards healthier options and how McDonald’s is responding.
• Investments in Technology: Future technological innovations that may shape the McDonald’s experience.
• Sustainability Goals: Long-term objectives in minimizing environmental impact and promoting social responsibility.

McDonald’s journey offers a multifaceted case study in entrepreneurship, innovation, marketing, global expansion, and adaptability. From flipping burgers in a single location to flipping the script on fast food worldwide, the company continues to evolve, facing new challenges and seizing opportunities.

40.14 Dove (Unilever): Crafting Beauty and Confidence

Dove, a personal care brand owned by Unilever, has become synonymous with beauty and self-esteem through its innovative products and socially conscious campaigns. This case study invites you to explore Dove’s journey and its commitment to promoting a more inclusive and positive depiction of beauty.

• Dove’s Inception: A look at the brand’s origins in 1957 with the launch of the Dove Beauty Bar.
• Product Portfolio: Overview of Dove’s wide range of personal care products, including body wash, hair care, and skincare.
• The “Real Beauty” Campaign: Examination of Dove’s groundbreaking campaign that challenged conventional beauty standards.
• Customer Engagement: Insights into Dove’s interaction with customers through social media, events, and community outreach.
• Global Expansion: Strategies behind Dove’s growth into various international markets and adaptation to different cultures.
• Research and Development: A look at how Dove constantly innovates its product line through scientific research and consumer insights.
• Sustainability Initiatives: Understanding Dove’s efforts in reducing environmental impact and promoting ethical sourcing.
• Promoting Self-Esteem: Analysis of Dove’s initiatives to enhance self-esteem, particularly among young women, through education and advertising.
• Partnerships and Collaborations: How Dove collaborates with NGOs, influencers, and other stakeholders to amplify social messages.
• Market Competition: Assessment of the competitive landscape and how Dove differentiates itself.
• Advertising Backlash: Discussion of certain advertising missteps and how the brand managed the fallout.
• Trend Adaptation: Exploration of how Dove aligns with emerging beauty and wellness trends.
• Technology Integration: How Dove leverages technology, including AI and data analytics, for product development and personalized experiences.
• Sustainability Goals: Examination of Dove’s long-term commitment to environmental sustainability and ethical practices.

Dove’s journey presents an engaging case study that goes beyond products and marketing to encompass social values, consumer connection, innovation, and global reach. The brand’s commitment to challenging beauty norms and promoting self-esteem has set it apart in a crowded market.

40.15 IKEA: A Symphony of Design, Affordability, and Sustainability

• Founding and Mission: Founded in Sweden in 1943 by Ingvar Kamprad, IKEA’s mission is to “create a better everyday life for many people.” It emphasizes affordability, design, and functionality.
• Overview of Offerings: IKEA offers a wide range of home furnishings, including furniture, kitchen appliances, decor, and accessories.
• Global Presence: With over 400 stores in 50 countries, IKEA has become a global leader in the home furnishing industry.
• Product Design and Development: IKEA’s products are known for minimalist design, functionality, and ease of assembly. Collaboration with designers worldwide keeps its offerings fresh and innovative.
• Supply Chain and Manufacturing: A well-integrated supply chain with close relationships to over 1,000 suppliers allows IKEA to maintain low costs while ensuring quality and sustainability.
• Retail Experience: The IKEA in-store experience is distinctive with showrooms, self-service warehouses, and in-store restaurants offering Swedish cuisine.
• Pricing Strategy: IKEA’s cost-conscious approach means designing products from the price tag up, ensuring affordability without compromising on quality.
• Digitalization and E-commerce: With a strong online presence, IKEA provides customers with online shopping options, planning tools, and virtual product previews.
• Advertising Campaigns: IKEA uses creative and often humorous advertising to appeal to a broad customer base, focusing on life improvement and solutions.
• Online Engagement: Digital catalogs, apps, and social media keep IKEA’s audience engaged and provide valuable customer insights.
• In-store Promotions: Seasonal displays and in-store events promote new products and encourage customer interaction.
• Brand Identity and Values: IKEA’s brand emphasizes sustainability, inclusiveness, and accessibility.
• Environmental Practices: Commitment to sustainable sourcing, waste reduction, and energy efficiency are core to IKEA’s operations.
• Renewable Energy Projects: IKEA invests in wind and solar energy, aiming to produce as much renewable energy as it consumes in its operations by 2030.
• Social Responsibility: The IKEA Foundation supports initiatives related to children’s education, refugee support, and climate change.
• Sustainable Product Lines: IKEA offers products that promote sustainable living, from energy-efficient appliances to recycled materials.
• Cultural Adaptation: IKEA adapts its product lines and marketing to reflect local tastes, customs, and living conditions.
• Market Entry Strategies: IKEA studies each market carefully, adapting its store format and product selection to local needs.
• Challenges in Different Markets: Navigating regulations, cultural differences, and local competition has posed challenges in some markets.
• Competition and Market Pressures: IKEA faces competition from both traditional furniture stores and online platforms.
• Cultural Missteps: Some global marketing campaigns have been criticized for insensitivity to local cultures.
• Quality Concerns: IKEA’s emphasis on low cost has sometimes led to perceived quality issues.
• Emerging Markets: Expansion into new markets like India and South America presents opportunities and challenges.
• Technological Innovations: IKEA is exploring augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and smart home technologies.
• Sustainability Goals: Commitment to further sustainability through its entire value chain.
• Collaborations and Partnerships: IKEA’s collaboration with designers, tech companies, and even other retailers fuels innovation.

IKEA’s unique blend of design, affordability, sustainability, and global reach has made it a standout brand in the home furnishing industry. The company’s multifaceted approach offers a rich study of modern retail, branding, international business, and corporate responsibility. The complexities and successes of IKEA’s model provide invaluable insights and inspiration for students across various disciplines.

40.16 LEGO: Building Blocks of Innovation and Success

• Founding and History: LEGO was founded in 1932 by Ole Kirk Christiansen in Billund, Denmark. The LEGO brick, as we know it today, was launched in 1958.
• Product Portfolio: Beyond the iconic bricks, LEGO’s products include themed sets, video games, movies, and educational tools.
• Mission and Values: LEGO’s mission is to “Inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow” through creative play and learning.
• Innovation in Design: LEGO constantly innovates its product line, incorporating new themes and licensed partnerships (e.g., Star Wars, Marvel).
• Quality and Precision: The manufacturing process emphasizes precision and quality, ensuring compatibility across generations of LEGO bricks.
• Digital Expansion: LEGO has embraced digital gaming and augmented reality experiences, extending the brand into the digital realm.
• Brand Building: LEGO’s brand revolves around creativity, imagination, learning, and fun.
• Advertising and Promotion: Utilizing various channels, LEGO engages customers through inventive advertising campaigns and social media.
• Community Engagement: LEGO Ideas invites fans to submit and vote on new product ideas. The LEGO community is actively engaged in product development, events, and online forums.
• Retail Experience: LEGO stores offer hands-on experiences with play areas, workshops, and exclusive products.
• Online Shopping: The online store provides an extensive product selection, customization options, and exclusive membership benefits.
• Global Distribution: LEGO products are available in more than 140 countries through various retail channels.
• LEGO Education: Through LEGO Education, the company offers learning solutions that encourage hands-on, playful learning in schools.
• Charitable Activities: The LEGO Foundation supports children’s development and learning through various global initiatives.
• Environmental Sustainability: LEGO is committed to reducing its environmental impact, including the goal to produce all products and packaging with sustainable materials by 2030.
• Market Pressures: Facing competition from both traditional toys and digital games, LEGO has had to continuously innovate and adapt.
• Intellectual Property Issues: LEGO has faced legal challenges around patents and copyrights, particularly concerning the design of its bricks.
• Economic Fluctuations: Economic downturns and shifts in consumer behavior have influenced LEGO’s sales and growth strategies.
• Adaptation to Local Markets: LEGO tailors its marketing and product strategies to different cultures and consumer preferences.
• Challenges in Emerging Markets: Entering new markets such as China has presented both opportunities and challenges, including issues related to counterfeiting.
• Technological Innovation: LEGO continues to explore new technologies, such as 3D printing and artificial intelligence.
• Collaborations and Licensing: Partnerships with entertainment franchises and designers fuel creativity and market reach.
• Focus on Adult Fans: LEGO has been expanding its appeal to adult fans through complex sets and themes that cater to various interests.

LEGO’s journey from a small carpentry shop to a global brand is a study in innovation, adaptability, community engagement, and brand stewardship. Its commitment to quality, creativity, and social responsibility offers a multifaceted case study with insights into product development, marketing, sustainability, global business strategy, and more. The story of LEGO inspires aspiring entrepreneurs, marketers, designers, and leaders to think creatively and act with purpose and integrity.

40.17 Slack: Revolutionizing Workplace Communication

• Founding and Background: Launched in 2013 by Stewart Butterfield, Eric Costello, Cal Henderson, and Serguei Mourachov, Slack has quickly become one of the leading tools for team communication.
• Business Model: Slack offers a freemium model where basic features are free, with paid plans for more functionality.
• Key Features: Slack provides channels, direct messaging, file sharing, integrations with other tools, and more to enhance team communication.
• Innovation and Updates: Continual updates and feature enhancements have kept Slack at the forefront of workplace communication tools.
• User-Centric Design: Slack’s interface is designed for ease of use and collaboration, reducing email overload.
• Target Audience: Primarily targeting businesses, both small and large, Slack has also found usage in communities and other groups.
• Growth Strategies: Referral programs, partnerships, and effective content marketing have contributed to Slack’s rapid adoption.
• Customer Engagement: Slack has utilized community engagement, feedback, and customer support to foster loyalty and improve its product.
• Competitors: Major competitors include Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and others offering communication and collaboration tools.
• Differentiation: Slack’s integrations, customization, and user experience have been key differentiators.
• Security Concerns: As with many digital platforms, security and privacy have been challenges, and Slack has implemented measures to ensure data protection.
• Freemium to Premium: The free version attracts users, while additional features and support drive customers to paid plans.
• Enterprise Solutions: Slack’s Enterprise Grid offers solutions tailored to large organizations, including advanced security and administrative features.
• Localization and Cultural Adaptation: Slack has localized its product for various markets and cultures to drive global adoption.
• Challenges in Emerging Markets: Issues such as local compliance, competition, and connectivity can present challenges in various regions.
• Pandemic Response: The shift to remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic led to a surge in Slack usage, adapting to new work patterns.
• Long-term Trends: Remote and hybrid work trends may shape Slack’s future development and market positioning.
• Strategic Acquisitions: Acquiring companies like Rimeto added capabilities to Slack’s portfolio.
• Partnerships: Collaborations with companies like Google, Salesforce, and others have extended Slack’s functionality.
• Salesforce Acquisition: The pending acquisition by Salesforce as of the cut-off knowledge date may significantly shape Slack’s future direction.
• Continued Innovation: Slack continues to explore new features, integrations, and market opportunities.

Slack’s story offers insights into the fast-paced world of technology startups, product development, global expansion, and market competition. Its response to changing work patterns and its strategic acquisitions and partnerships make it a rich subject for study. The lessons from Slack’s journey are relevant to aspiring entrepreneurs, product managers, marketers, and others interested in technology, innovation, and the future of work.

40.18 Patagonia: A Case Study in Sustainable Business Practices

• Background: Patagonia, founded in 1973 by Yvon Chouinard, is an outdoor clothing and gear retailer known for its commitment to environmental sustainability.
• Mission: “Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.”
• Innovation: Patagonia has been a leader in developing sustainable fabrics and materials.
• Quality & Durability: Emphasizing long-lasting products to reduce consumerism.
• Recycling & Repairing: Offering repair services and encouraging recycling of products through programs like “Worn Wear.”
• Transparency: Publicly sharing supply chain information and environmental impacts.
• Activism Marketing: Taking strong stances on environmental and social issues.
• Community Engagement: Collaborating with NGOs and community organizations.
• Supply Chain: Focusing on ethical production, fair labor practices, and organic materials.
• Environmental Activism: Regularly donating to environmental causes and supporting conservation efforts.
• B Corp Certification: Patagonia is a certified B Corporation, aligning profit with purpose.
• Profit vs. Purpose: Balancing strong financial growth with a commitment to environmental and social responsibility.
• Investing in Sustainability: Reinvesting profits in sustainable initiatives and environmental causes.
• Market Competition: Navigating a competitive market while maintaining ethical standards.
• Scale and Growth: Balancing growth and scalability with sustainability commitments.
• Greenwashing Accusations: Managing perceptions and criticisms related to authenticity and impact.
• International Expansion: Adapting sustainable practices across diverse markets and cultures.
• Global Partnerships: Collaborating with global organizations to expand environmental initiatives.
• Employee Engagement: Fostering a workplace culture that aligns with company values.
• Leadership and Governance: Maintaining leadership that embodies the brand’s ethos.
• Influencing Other Brands: Patagonia’s practices have influenced other companies to consider sustainability.
• Industry Collaboration: Working with competitors on common goals such as responsible sourcing.
• Adaptation to Climate Change: Developing strategies to mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change.
• New Market Opportunities: Exploring new product lines and markets while adhering to core values.

Patagonia serves as a compelling example of a company that has successfully integrated sustainability, ethical considerations, and environmental activism into every aspect of its business. From innovative product development to bold marketing strategies and influential industry leadership, Patagonia’s case study offers valuable insights for those interested in business ethics, environmental stewardship, social entrepreneurship, and innovative brand management. The brand’s ongoing challenges and successes provide rich material for analysis and reflection on the future of sustainable business practices.

40.19 Spotify: Transitioning from music sales to subscription streaming

• Background: Spotify, founded in 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon, transformed the way people access and enjoy music.
• Mission: “To unlock the potential of human creativity—by giving a million creative artists the opportunity to live off their art and billions of fans the opportunity to enjoy and be inspired by it.”
• Streaming Model: Spotify’s on-demand streaming model allows users to access millions of songs and podcasts.
• Algorithm & Personalization: The use of algorithms to create personalized playlists and recommendations.
• Freemium Model: Free, ad-supported tier alongside premium subscriptions.
• Revenue Streams: Subscriptions, advertising, and partnerships.
• User Engagement: Innovative playlists like “Discover Weekly” engage users.
• Collaborations: Partnerships with artists, labels, and other brands.
• International Reach: Spotify has expanded to numerous countries, adapting to various markets and regulations.
• Localized Content: Offering content that resonates with local cultures and tastes.
• Market Competitors: Facing competitors like Apple Music, Amazon Music, and YouTube Music.
• Royalty Disputes: Navigating complex relationships with labels, artists, and rights holders.
• Environmental Footprint: Efforts to reduce carbon footprint and promote sustainable practices.
• Supporting Artists: Initiatives to support emerging artists and creatives.
• New Features: Continual innovation in features and user experience.
• Podcasts and Original Content: Investing in podcasts and original content to diversify offerings.
• Technology Investments: Exploring technologies like AI to enhance user experience.
• Changing Consumer Behavior: Transforming the way people consume and interact with music.
• Influence on the Music Industry: Affecting record labels, artists, and music distribution.

Spotify’s rise as a leading music streaming platform offers a multifaceted case study encompassing technology innovation, marketing strategies, global expansion, and industry impact. From navigating complex licensing agreements to crafting personalized user experiences, Spotify’s journey provides valuable insights into digital transformation, competitive strategy, customer engagement, and the future of entertainment. It serves as a valuable example for understanding modern business dynamics in the digital age, including the ongoing challenges and opportunities of operating in a rapidly evolving industry.

40.20 Warby Parker: Disrupting the traditional eyewear market with an online-first approach

• Background: Founded in 2010, Warby Parker aimed to offer designer eyewear at a fraction of the price through a direct-to-consumer model.
• Mission: “To offer designer eyewear at a revolutionary price, while leading the way for socially conscious businesses.”
• Design: In-house design leading to unique and affordable eyewear.
• Home Try-On: A free program allowing customers to try on glasses at home before purchasing.
• Direct-to-Consumer: Selling directly to customers through e-commerce and physical stores, cutting out intermediaries.
• Social Responsibility: “Buy a Pair, Give a Pair” program donates glasses to those in need.
• Digital Marketing: Effective use of social media and content marketing.
• Community Engagement: Building brand loyalty through community events and collaborations.
• Physical Stores: Combining e-commerce with brick-and-mortar stores for an omnichannel experience.
• International Growth: Expanding to Canada and other markets, adapting to local regulations and preferences.
• Traditional Competitors: Competition with traditional eyewear brands and retailers.
• Copycat Brands: Managing competition from similar direct-to-consumer eyewear startups.
• Environmentally Conscious Manufacturing: Commitment to using sustainable materials.
• Carbon Neutrality: Efforts to reduce and offset carbon emissions.
• Virtual Try-On: Use of augmented reality for virtual try-ons via mobile app.
• Telehealth Services: Offering eye exams and prescriptions through telehealth technology.
• Disrupting Traditional Retail: Changing the way people shop for glasses.
• Promoting Social Responsibility: Encouraging other brands to adopt socially responsible practices.

Warby Parker’s innovative approach to eyewear retail has not only disrupted traditional industry practices but also set new standards in customer experience, social responsibility, and sustainability. Through its unique business model, commitment to social causes, and use of technology, Warby Parker has carved out a unique position in the market. The case study of Warby Parker offers valuable insights into how innovative thinking, customer-centric approaches, and ethical business practices can create a strong brand identity and successful business in today’s competitive retail landscape. It’s an exemplary story for understanding modern entrepreneurship, retail strategies, marketing, and social entrepreneurship.

35 Content Marketing Statistics You Should Know

Stay informed with the latest content marketing statistics. Discover how optimized content can elevate your digital marketing efforts.

Content continues to sit atop the list of priorities in most marketing strategies, and there is plenty of evidence to support the reasoning.

Simply put, content marketing is crucial to any digital marketing strategy, whether running a small local business or a large multinational corporation.

After all, content in its many and evolving forms is indisputably the very lifeblood upon which the web and social media are based.

Modern SEO has effectively become optimized content marketing for all intents and purposes.

This is when Google demands and rewards businesses that create content demonstrating experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness (E-E-A-T) for their customers – content that answers all of the questions consumers may have about their services, products, or business in general.

Content marketing involves creating and sharing helpful, relevant, entertaining, and consistent content in various text, image, video, and audio-based formats to the plethora of traditional and online channels available to modern marketers.

The primary focus should be on attracting and retaining a clearly defined audience, with the ultimate goal of driving profitable customer action.

Different types of content can and should be created for each stage of a customer’s journey .

Some content, like blogs or how-to videos, are informative or educational. Meanwhile, other content, like promotional campaign landing pages , gets to the point of enticing prospective customers to buy.

But with so much content being produced and shared every day, it’s important to stay updated on the latest trends and best practices in content marketing to keep pace and understand what strategies may be most effective.

Never has this been more true than in 2024, when we’re in the midst of a content revolution led by generative AI , which some feel represents both an opportunity and a threat to marketers.

To help you keep up, here are 35 content marketing statistics I think you should know:

Content Marketing Usage

How many businesses are leveraging content marketing, and how are they planning to find success?

• According to the Content Marketing Institute (CMI), 73% of B2B marketers, and 70% of B2C marketers use content marketing as part of their overall marketing strategy.
• 97% of marketers surveyed by Semrush achieved success with their content marketing in 2023.
• A B2B Content Marketing Study conducted by CMI found that 40% of B2B marketers have a documented content marketing strategy; 33% have a strategy, but it’s not documented, and 27% have no strategy.
• Half of the surveyed marketers by CMI said they outsource at least one content marketing activity.

Content Marketing Strategy

What strategies are content marketers using or finding to be most effective?

• 83% of marketers believe it’s more effective to create higher quality content less often. (Source: Hubspot)
• In a 2022 Statista Research Study of marketers worldwide, 62% of respondents emphasized the importance of being “always on” for their customers, while 23% viewed content-led communications as the most effective method for personalized targeting efforts.
• With the increased focus on AI-generated search engine results, 31% of B2B marketers say they are sharpening their focus on user intent/answering questions, 27% are creating more thought leadership content, and 22% are creating more conversational content. (Source: CMI)

Types Of Content

Content marketing was synonymous with posting blogs, but the web and content have evolved into audio, video, interactive, and meta formats.

Here are a few stats on how the various types of content are trending and performing.

• Short-form video content, like TikTok and Instagram Reel, is the No. 1 content marketing format, offering the highest return on investment (ROI).
• 43% of marketers reported that original graphics (like infographics and illustrations) were the most effective type of visual content. (Source: Venngage)
• 72% of B2C marketers expected their organization to invest in video marketing in 2022. (Source: Content Marketing Institute – CMI)
• The State of Content Marketing: 2023 Global Report by Semrush reveals that articles containing at least one video tend to attract 70% more organic traffic than those without.
• Interactive content generates 52.6% more engagement compared to static content. On average, buyers spend 8.5 minutes viewing static content items and 13 minutes on interactive content items. (Source: Mediafly)

Content Creation

Creating helpful, unique, engaging content can be one of a marketer’s greatest challenges. However, innovative marketers are looking at generative AI as a tool to help ideate, create, edit, and analyze content quicker and more cost-effectively.

Here are some stats around content creation and just how quickly AI is changing the game.

• Generative AI reached over 100 million users just two months after ChatGPT’s launch. (Source: Search Engine Journal)
• A recent Ahrefs poll found that almost 80% of respondents had already adopted AI tools in their content marketing strategies.
• Marketers who are using AI said it helps most with brainstorming new topics ( 51%) , researching headlines and keywords (45%), and writing drafts (45%). (Source: CMI)
• Further, marketers polled by Hubspot said they save 2.5 hours per day using AI for content.

Content Distribution

It is not simply enough to create and publish content.

For a content strategy to be successful, it must include distributing content via the channels frequented by a business’s target audience.

• Facebook is still the dominant social channel for content distribution, but video-centric channels like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram are growing the fastest .  (Source: Hubspot)
• B2B marketers reported to CMI that LinkedIn was the most common and top-performing organic social media distribution channel at 84% by a healthy margin. All other channels came in under 30%.
• 80% of B2B marketers who use paid distribution use paid social media advertising. (Source: CMI)

Content Consumption

Once content reaches an audience, it’s important to understand how an audience consumes the content or takes action as a result.

• A 2023 Content Preferences Study by Demand Gen reveals that 62% of B2B buyers prefer practical content like case studies to inform their purchasing decisions, citing “a need for valid sources.”
• The same study also found that buyers tend to rely heavily on content when researching potential business solutions, with 46% reporting that they increased the amount of content they consumed during this time.
• In a recent post, blogger Ryan Robinson reports the average reader spends 37 seconds reading a blog.
• DemandGen’s survey participants also said they rely most on demos ( 62% ) and user reviews (55%) to gain valuable insights into how a solution will meet their needs.

Content Marketing Performance

One of the primary reasons content marketing has taken off is its ability to be measured, optimized, and tied to a return on investment.

• B2C marketers reported to CMI that the top three goals content marketing helps them to achieve are creating brand awareness, building trust, and educating their target audience.
• 87% of B2B marketers surveyed use content marketing successfully to generate leads.
• 56% of marketers who leverage blogging say it’s an effective tactic, and 10% say it generates the greatest return on investment (ROI).
• 94% of marketers said personalization boosts sales.

Content Marketing Budgets

Budget changes and the willingness to invest in specific marketing strategies are good indicators of how popular and effective these strategies are at a macro level.

The following stats certainly seem to indicate marketers have bought into the value of content.

• 61% of B2C marketers said their 2022 content marketing budget would exceed their 2021 budget.
• 22% of B2B marketers said they spent 50% or more of their total marketing budget on content marketing. Furthermore, 43% saw their content marketing budgets grow from 2020 to 2021, and 66% expected them to grow again in 2022.

Content Challenges

All forms of marketing come with challenges related to time, resources, expertise, and competition.

Recognizing and addressing these challenges head-on with well-thought-out strategies is the best way to overcome them and realize success.

• Top 3 content challenges included “attracting quality leads with content” ( 45% ), “creating more content faster” (38%), and “generating content ideas” (35%). (Source: Semrush’s The State of Content Marketing: 2023 Global Report)
• 44% of marketers polled for CMI’s 2022 B2B report highlighted the challenge of creating the right content for multi-level roles as their top concern. This replaced internal communication as the top challenge from the previous year.
• Changes to SEO/search algorithms ( 64% ), changes to social media algorithms (53%), and data management/analytics (48%) are also among the top concerns for B2C marketers.
• 47% of people are seeking downtime from internet-enabled devices due to digital fatigue.
• While generative AI has noted benefits, it also presents challenges for some marketers who fear it may replace them. In Hubspot’s study, 23% said they felt we should avoid using generative AI.
• Another challenge with AI is how quickly it has come onto the scene without giving organizations time to provide training or to create policies and procedures for its appropriate and legal use. According to CMI, when asked if their organizations have guidelines for using generative AI tools, 31% of marketers said yes, 61% said no, and 8% were unsure.

Time To Get Started

As you can clearly see and perhaps have already realized, content marketing can be a highly effective and cost-efficient way to generate leads, build brand awareness, and drive sales. Content, in its many formats, powers virtually all online interactions.

Generative AI is effectively helping to solve some of the time and resource challenges by acting as a turbo-powered marketing assistant, while also raising a few procedural concerns.

However, the demand for content remains strong.

Those willing to put in the work of building a documented content strategy and executing it – by producing, optimizing, distributing, and monitoring high-value, relevant, customer-centric content, with the help of AI or not – can reap significant business rewards.

More resources:

• 6 Ways To Humanize Your Content In The AI Era
• Interactive Content: 10 Types To Engage Your Audience
• B2B Lead Generation: Create Content That Converts

Featured Image: Deemak Daksina/Shutterstock 

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• Open access
• Published: 09 April 2024

Creating culturally-informed protocols for a stunting intervention using a situated values-based approach ( WeValue InSitu ): a double case study in Indonesia and Senegal

• Annabel J. Chapman 1 ,
• Chike C. Ebido 2 , 3 ,
• Rahel Neh Tening 2 ,
• Yanyan Huang 2 ,
• Ndèye Marème Sougou 4 ,
• Risatianti Kolopaking 5 , 6 ,
• Amadou H. Diallo 7 ,
• Rita Anggorowati 6 , 8 ,
• Fatou B. Dial 9 ,
• Jessica Massonnié 10 , 11 ,
• Mahsa Firoozmand 1 ,
• Cheikh El Hadji Abdoulaye Niang 9 &
• Marie K. Harder 1 , 2  

BMC Public Health volume  24 , Article number:  987 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

Metrics details

International development work involves external partners bringing expertise, resources, and management for local interventions in LMICs, but there is often a gap in understandings of relevant local shared values. There is a widespread need to better design interventions which accommodate relevant elements of local culture, as emphasised by recent discussions in global health research regarding neo-colonialism. One recent innovation is the concept of producing ‘cultural protocols’ to precede and guide community engagement or intervention design, but without suggestions for generating them. This study explores and demonstrates the potential of an approach taken from another field, named WeValue InSitu , to generate local culturally-informed protocols. WeValue InSitu engages stakeholder groups in meaning-making processes which ‘crystallize’ their envelope of local shared values, making them communicable to outsiders.

Our research context is understanding and reducing child stunting, including developing interventions, carried out at the Senegal and Indonesia sites of the UKRI GCRF Action Against Stunting Hub. Each national research team involves eight health disciplines from micro-nutrition to epigenetics, and extensive collection of samples and questionnaires. Local culturally-informed protocols would be generally valuable to pre-inform engagement and intervention designs. Here we explore generating them by immediately following the group WeValue InSitu crystallization process with specialised focus group discussions exploring: what local life practices potentially have significant influence on the environments affecting child stunting, and which cultural elements do they highlight as relevant. The discussions will be framed by the shared values, and reveal linkages to them. In this study, stakeholder groups like fathers, mothers, teachers, market traders, administrators, farmers and health workers were recruited, totalling 83 participants across 20 groups. Themes found relevant for a culturally-informed protocol for locally-acceptable food interventions included: specific gender roles; social hierarchies; health service access challenges; traditional beliefs around malnutrition; and attitudes to accepting outside help. The concept of a grounded culturally-informed protocol, and the use of WeValue InSitu to generate it, has thus been demonstrated here. Future work to scope out the advantages and limitations compared to deductive culture studies, and to using other formative research methods would now be useful.

Peer Review reports

Although progress has been made towards the SDG of ‘Zero Hunger by 2025’, the global rates of malnutrition and stunting are still high [ 1 ]. Over the past 20 years, researchers have implemented interventions to reduce undernutrition, specifically focussing on the first 1000 days of life, from conception to 24 months [ 2 ]. However, due to both differing determinants between countries [ 3 , 4 ] as well as varying contextual factors, it is clear that no single fixed approach or combination of approaches can be relied on when implementing stunting interventions [ 5 , 6 , 7 ]. Furthermore, when external researchers design interventions for local areas in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) they can often overlook relevant local cultural factors that consequently act as barriers to intervention uptake and reduce their effectiveness, such as geographical factors and the levels of migration in certain populations [ 8 , 9 ], or social norms or perceptions relating to accepting outside help, and power dynamics related to gender [ 10 , 11 , 12 ]. The inclusion of cultural level factors in behaviour change interventions has been proposed as a requirement for effective interventions [ 13 ]. However, despite the breadth of literature highlighting the negative impacts from failing to do this, the lack of integration or even regard of local culture remains a persistent problem in Global Health Research [ 14 ], possibly hindering progress towards the SDGs. Thus, there is a need for approaches to integrate local cultural elements into intervention design.

This lack of understanding of relevant local culture, social norms and shared values also has ethical implications. The field of Global Health Ethics was predominantly developed in the Global North, in High Income Countries (HICs), embedding values common in those countries such as the prominence of individual autonomy [ 15 , 16 ]. Researchers from HICs carrying out research in LMICs may wrongly assume that values held in the Global North are universal [ 14 ] and disregard some local values, such as those related to family and collective decision making, which are core to many communities in LMICs. It is therefore important for outside researchers to have an understanding of relevant local values, culture and social norms before conducting research in LMICs so as not to impose values that do not align with local culture and inadvertently cause harm or offence [ 16 , 17 ]. The importance of this is compounded by the colonial history that is often present in relationships between research communities in HICs and LMICs, and the fact that the majority of the funding and leading institutions are still located in the Global North [ 18 , 19 ]. Thus, conscious steps must be taken to avoid neo-colonialism in Global Health Research [ 20 ]. From a health-equity perspective, it is essential to ensure that those in vulnerable communities are not hindered from involvement in interventions to improve nutrition. Encouraging uptake by such communities could be provided if salient local shared values, norms and culture were taken into account [ 21 ].

In a recent paper, Memon et al., (2021) highlight the usefulness of first creating a cultural protocol that can precede and guide subsequent stages of community engagement or intervention design to ensure that salient local values are known to external researchers coming into the community [ 16 ]. We adopt the use of the concept of a cultural protocol, referring to locally-generated guidance about key values, norms, behaviours and customs relevant to working with the local community. However, we prefer the term, ‘culturally-informed protocol’ since this relates to only cultural elements deemed salient by the researchers, and locally, rather than any comprehensive notion of culture, nor extending beyond the research context.

Memon et al. (2021), point out links between the creation of such a protocol and existing codes of practice that have already been created for some cultures such as the Te Ara Tika, a Guideline for Māori Research Ethics [ 22 ]. Currently, research and interventions in Global Health can be informed by a stage of formative research involving one-to-one interviews, focus groups or direct observations, which can sometimes be ethnographic in nature such as within Focussed Ethnographic Studies or Rapid Assessment Procedures [ 23 , 24 , 25 ]. Although these methods can be effective to inform intervention designs, they have disadvantages like: can take long periods to complete [ 26 ], can be resource intensive [ 26 ] and can lack cultural acceptability [ 27 ]. These limitations may account for the frequent neglect of their use generally, highlighted by Aubel and Chibanda (2022) [ 14 ]. Additionally, none of these methods work towards making explicit local values, or towards the creation of a culturally-informed protocol. In brief, the literature suggests a need to develop alternative methods of Formative Research for understanding locally relevant cultural elements, that are less time-consuming and can generate data that is more easily translatable to intervention design. In addition, these approaches must be applicable in different cultures. Additionally, the protocols produced must be actionable and practical not only for guiding interactions between research teams but also for guiding the initial stages of intervention design.

The work presented here aims to address several of these needs. It includes an exploration of the usefulness of the WeValue InSitu ( WVIS ) approach because that has previously been shown, in environmental management domains, to offer a way to gather in-depth values-based perspectives from a target population [ 28 , 29 ] It was first created through action research, and co-designed to enable civil society organisations to better understand and measure the values-based aspects of their work [ 30 ]. The core WeValue InSitu process (detailed in Table 1 ) involves the crystallization of shared values, with a facilitator guiding a group of participants with shared experiences, through cycles of tacit meaning-making (using a stage of photo-elicitation and triggering) [ 31 ], until they can articulate more explicitly their shared values, in concise and precise statements. These statements are then linked together in a framework by the participants. In an example case in Nigeria, the results of the WVIS approach hinted at the creation of a culturally-informed protocol through an analysis of the shared values frameworks to find cultural themes for the creation of an indicator tool that was used to evaluate several development scenarios based on their social acceptability [ 29 ].

Furthermore, it has been found that if a group of WVIS participants take part in a specialised focus group discussion (FGD), named Perspectives EXploration (PEX:FGD) immediately afterward the main workshop, then they easily and articulately express their perspectives on the topics raised for discussion - and with allusions to the shared values they had crystallised just prior. In an example from Shanghai, the PEX:FGDs focussed on eliciting perspectives on climate change, which were shown to be closely linked with the cultural themes existing within the shared values frameworks produced immediately prior [ 32 ]. In that case, the PEX:FGDs allowed the cultural themes generated during the main WVIS workshop to be linked more closely to the research question. Those results suggested that the WVIS plus PEX:FGD approach could be used to create a specialised culturally-informed protocol for improved intervention design.

In the study presented here, the WVIS approach was explored for the purpose of creating culturally-informed protocols to inform the planning of interventions within two localities of the UKRI GCRF Action Against Stunting Hub [ 33 ]. The work was carried out in two parts. Firstly, the WVIS main workshop was used to elicit cultural themes within the target communities, indicating key elements to consider to ensure ethical engagement. Secondly, the PEX focus group discussions focussed on life practices related to stunting which we explored for the purpose of tailoring the culturally-informed protocols to the specific purpose of improving the design of an example intervention. The Action Against Stunting Hub works across three sites where stunting is highly prevalent but via different determinants: East Lombok in Indonesia (estimated 36% of under-fives stunted), Kaffrine in Senegal (estimated 16% of under-fives stunted) and Hyderabad in India (estimated 48% of under-fives stunted) [ 34 ]. We propose that, the information about local shared values in a given site could be used to inform the design of several interventions, but for our specific exploration the focus here is a proposed ‘egg intervention’, in which pregnant women would be provided with an egg three times per week as supplement to their diet. This study proposes that identifying shared values within a community, alongside information about local life practices, provides critical cultural information on the potential acceptability and uptake of this intervention which can be used to generate culturally-informed protocols consisting of recommendations for improved intervention design.

In this paper we aim to explore the use of the WVIS approach to create culturally-informed protocols to guide engagement and inform the design of localised egg interventions to alleviate stunting in East Lombok, Indonesia and Kaffrine, Senegal. We do this by analysing data about local shared values that are crystallized using the WeValue InSitu ( WVIS ) process to provide clear articulation of local values, followed by an analysis of life practices discussed during PEX:FGD to tailor the culturally-informed protocols for the specific intervention design.

Study setting

This research was exploratory rather than explanatory in nature. The emphasis was on demonstrating the usefulness of the WeValue InSitu ( WVIS ) approach to develop culturally-informed protocols of practical use in intervention design, in different cultural sites. This study was set within a broader shared-values workstream within the UKRI GCRF Action Against Stunting Hub project [ 33 ]. The Hub project, which was co-designed and co-researched by researchers from UK, Indonesia, Senegal and India, involves cohorts of 500 women and their babies in each site through pregnancy to 24 months old, using cross-disciplinary studies across gut health, nutrition, food systems, micro-nutrition, home environment, WASH, epigenetics and child development to develop a typology of stunting. Alongside these health studies are studies of the shared values of the communities, obtained via the WVIS approach described here, to understand the cultural contexts of that diverse health data. In this study the data from East Lombok, Indonesia and Kaffrine, Senegal were used: India’s data were not yet ready, and these two countries were deemed sufficient for this exploratory investigation.

The WVIS approach

The WVIS approach is a grounded scaffolding process which facilitates groups of people to make explicit their shared values in their own vocabulary and within their own frames (details in Fig. 1 and activities in Table 1 ). The first stage of the WVIS is Contextualisation, whereby the group identifies themselves and set the context of their shared experiences, for example, as ‘mothers in East Lombok, Indonesia’. Subsequently, there is a stage of Photo Elicitation, in which the group are first asked to consider what is important, meaningful or worthwhile to them about their context (e.g., ‘being mothers in East Lombok, Indonesia’) and then asked to choose photos from a localised set that they can use as props to help describe their answer to the group [ 29 ]. After this, a localised Trigger List is used. This Trigger List consists of 109 values statements that act as prompts for the group. Examples of these values statements are included below but all the statements begin with “it is important to me/us that…”. The group are asked to choose which statements within the trigger list resonate with them, and those are taken forward for group intersubjective discussion. After a topic of their shared values has been explored, the group begin to articulate and write down their own unique statements of them. These also all begin with “It is important to me/us that…”. After discussing all pressing topics, the group links the written statements on the table into a unique Framework, and one member provides a narrative to communicate it to ‘outsiders’. The WVIS provides a lens of each group’s local shared values, and it is through this lens that they view the topics in the focus group discussions which immediately follow, termed Perspectives EXplorations (PEX:FGDs).

Schematic of the macro-level activities carried out during the WeValue InSitu ( WVIS ) main workshop session

This results in very grounded perspectives being offered, of a different nature to those obtained in questionnaires or using external frameworks [ 31 ]. The specific PEX:FGD topics are chosen as pertinent to stunting contextual issues, including eating habits, food systems and environments, early educational environments, and perceptions of stunting. The local researchers ensured that all topics were handled sensitively, with none that could cause distress to the participants. The data for this study were collected over 2 weeks within December 2019–January 2020 in workshops in East Lombok, Indonesia, and 2 weeks within December 2020 in Kaffrine, Senegal.

The PEX:FGDs were kept open-ended so that participants could dictate the direction of the discussion, which allowed for topics that may not have been pre-considered by the facilitators to arise. Sessions were facilitated by local indigenous researchers, guided in process by researchers more experienced in the approach, and were carried out in the local languages, Bahasa in East Lombok, Indonesia and French or Wolof in Kaffrine, Senegal.

Development of localised WVIS materials

Important to the WVIS approach is the development of localised materials (Table 1 ). The main trigger list has been found applicable in globalised places where English is the first language, but otherwise the trigger lists are locally generated in the local language, incorporating local vocabulary and ways of thinking. To generate these, 5–8 specific interviews are taken with local community members, by indigenous university researchers, eliciting local phrases and ways of thinking. This is a necessary step because shared tacit values cannot be easily accessed without using local language. Examples of localised Trigger Statements produced this way are given below: (they all start with: “It is important to me/us that…”):

…there is solidarity and mutual aid between the people

…I can still be in communication with my children, even if far away

…husbands are responsible for the care of their wives and family

…the town council fulfils its responsibility to meet our needs

…people are not afraid of hard, and even manual work

Study participants

The group participants targeted for recruitment, were selected by local country Hub co-researchers to meet two sets of requirements. For suitability for the WVIS approach they should be between 3 and 12 in number; belong to naturally existing groups that have some history of shared experiences; are over 18 years old; do not include members holding significantly more power than others; and speak the same native language. For suitability in the PEX:FGD to offer life practices with relevance to the research topic of stunting, the groups were chosen to represent stakeholders with connections to the food or learning environment of children (which the Action Against Stunting Hub refer to as the Whole Child approach) [ 33 ]. The university researchers specialising in shared values from the UK, and Senegal and Indonesia respectively, discussed together which stakeholder groups might be appropriate to recruit. The local researchers made the final decisions. Each group was taken through both a WVIS workshop and the immediately-subsequent PEX:FGD.

Data collection and analysis

Standard data output from the WeValue session includes i) the jointly-negotiated bespoke Statements of shared values, linked together in their unique Framework, and ii) an oral recording of a descriptive Narrative of it, given by the group. These were digitized to produce a single presentation for each group as in Fig. 2 . It represents the synthesised culmination of the crystallisation process: a portrait of what was ‘important’ to each stakeholder group. Separately, statements from the group about the authenticity/ownership of the statements are collected.

An illustrative example of one digitized Shared Values Framework and accompanying Narrative from a teacher’s group in East Lombok, Indonesia. The “…” refers to each statement being preceded by “It is important to us that…”

When these Frameworks of ‘Statements of Shared Values’ are viewed across all the groups from one locality (Locality Shared Values Statements), they provide portraits of ‘what is important’ to people living there, often in intimate detail and language. They can be used to communicate to ‘outsiders’ what the general cultural shared values are. In this work the researchers thematically coded them using Charmaz constructionist grounded theory coding [ 35 ] to find broad Major Cultural Themes within each separate locality.

The second area of data collection was in the post- WVIS event: the PEX:FGD for each group. A translator/interpreter provided a running commentary during these discussions, which was audio recorded and then transcribed. The specific topics raised for each group to discuss varied depending on their local expertise. This required completely separate workstreams of coding of the dataset with respect to each topic. This was carried out independently by two researchers: one from UK (using NVivo software (Release 1.3.1)) and one from the local country, who resolved any small differences. All the transcripts were then collated and inductively, interpretively analysed to draw out insights that should be relayed back to the Action Against Stunting Hub teams as contextual material.

The extracts of discussion which were identified as relevant within a particular Hub theme (e.g. hygiene) were then meta-ethnographically synthesised [ 36 ] into ‘Hub Theme Statements’ on each topic, which became the core data for later communication and interrogation by other researchers within the Action Against Stunting Hub. These statements are interpretations of participants’ intended meanings, and links from each of them to data quotes were maintained, enabling future interpretations to refer to them for consistency checks between received and intended meaning.

In this investigation, those Hub Theme Statements (derived from PEX:FGD transcripts) were then deductively coded with respect to any topics with potential implications of the egg intervention. Literature regarding barriers and facilitators to nutrition interventions indicated the following topics could be relevant: attitudes to accepting help; community interactions; cooking and eating habits; traditional beliefs about malnutrition; sharing; social hierarchies [ 12 , 37 , 38 ] to which we added anything related to pregnancy or eggs. This analysis produced our Egg Intervention Themes from the data.

The Major Cultural Themes and Egg Intervention Themes were then used to create a set of culture-based recommendations and intervention specific recommendations respectively for each locality. These recommendations were then combined to form specialized culturally-informed protocols for the egg intervention in each locality: East Lombok, Indonesia and Kaffrine, Senegal. The process is displayed schematically in Fig.  3 .

Schematic representation of the method of production of the culturally-informed protocol for each locality

The preparation of the localised WVIS materials at each site took 6 hours of interview field work, and 40 person hours for analysis. The 10 workshops and data summaries were concluded within 10 workdays by two people (80 person hours). The analysis of the PEX:FGD data took a further 80 person hours. Thus, the total research time was approximately 200 person hours.

The stakeholder group types are summarised in Table 2 . The data is presented in three parts. Firstly, the Major Cultural Themes found in East Lombok, Indonesia and in Kaffrine, Senegal are described – the ones most heavily emphasised by participants. Then, the Egg Intervention Themes and finally, the combined set of Recommendations to comprise a culturally-informed protocol for intervention design for each location. Quotations are labelled INDO or SEN for East Lombok, Indonesia and Kaffrine, Senegal, respectively.

Major cultural themes from frameworks and narratives

These were derived from the Locality Shared Values Statements produced in the WVIS .

East Lombok, Indonesia

Religious values.

Islamic values were crucially important for participants from East Lombok, Indonesia and to their way of life. Through living by the Quran, participating in Islamic community practices, and teaching Islamic values to their children, participants felt they develop their spirituality and guarantee a better afterlife for themselves and their children. Participants stated the Quran tells them to breastfeed their children for 2 years, so they do. Despite no explicit religious official curriculum in Kindergarten, the teachers stated that it was important to incorporate religious teaching.

“East Lombok people always uphold the religious values of all aspects of social life.”

“It is important for me to still teach religious values even though they are not clearly stated in the curriculum.” – Workshop 1 INDO (teachers).

“In Quran for instance, we are told to breastfeed our kids for 2 years. We can even learn about that ” – Workshop 3 INDO (mothers).

Related to this was the importance of teaching manners to children and preventing them from saying harsh words. Teachers stated that it was important to create a happy environment for the children and to ensure that they are polite and well-behaved. Similarly, mothers emphasised the need to teach their children good religious values to ensure they will be polite and helpful to their elders.

“Children don’t speak harsh words.”

“My children can help me like what I did to my parents”.

– Workshop 8 INDO (mothers).

Togetherness within families and the community

The Locality Shared Values Frameworks stressed the importance of togetherness, both within family and community. Comments mentioned it being important that people rely heavily on their family and come together in times of need to support each other and provide motivation. This was also important more broadly, in that people in society should support each other, and that children grow up to contribute to society. This was also reflected in comments around roles within the family. Despite women being primary care givers, and men working to finance the family, participants stated that they follow a process of consultation to make decisions, and when facing hardships.

“that we have the sense of kinship throughout our society”.

“We have togetherness as mothers”.

“For the family side, whatever happens we need to be able to be united as a whole family. We need to have the [sense of] forgiveness for the sake of the children” – Workshop 2 INDO (mothers).

Attitudes about extra-marital pregnancy

In East Lombok, Indonesia, it was essential to both mothers and fathers that pregnancy happened within a marriage, this was to ensure that the honour of the family was upheld and that the lineage of the child was clear. The potential danger to health that early pregnancies can cause was also acknowledged.

“If they don’t listen to parents’ advice, there will be the possibility of pre-marital pregnancy happening, which will affect the family [so much].

The affect is going to be ruining the good name, honour and family dignity. When the children [are] born outside [of] marriage, she or he will have many difficulties like getting a birth certificate [and] having a hard time when registering to school or family” - Workshop 4 INDO (mothers).

“ To make sure that our children avoid getting married at a very young age and moreover [avoid] having free sex so that they will not get pregnant before the marriage” - Workshop 9 INDO (fathers).

Kaffrine, Senegal

The Major Cultural Themes which emerged from the Kaffrine data are described below. As these are grounded themes, they are different than those seen in East Lombok, Indonesia.

Access to healthcare

A recurring theme amongst the groups in Kaffrine were aspirations of affordable and easy-to-access healthcare. Community health workers stated the importance of encouraging women to give birth in hospitals and spoke of the importance of preventing early pregnancy which result from early marriages. Giving birth in hospitals was also a concern for Public Office Administrators who highlighted that this leads to subsequent issues with registering children for school. Mothers and fathers stated the importance of being able to afford health insurance and access healthcare so that they could take care of themselves.

“That the women give birth in the hospital” – Workshop 11 SEN (CHWS).

“To have affordable health insurance ” – Workshop 10 SEN (mothers).

“To have access to health care ” – Workshop 3 SEN (fathers).

“It is important that women give birth in the hospital in order to be able to have a certificate that allows us to establish the civil status” – Workshop 9 SEN (administrators).

Additionally, Community health workers spoke of their aspiration to have enough supplements to provide to their community so as to avoid frustration at the lack of supply, and mothers spoke of their desire to be provided with supplements.

“To have dietary supplements in large quantities to give them to all those who need them, so as not to create frustration” – Workshop 11 SEN (CHWS).

Another aspect of access to healthcare, was mistrust between fathers and community health workers. Community health workers explained that sometimes men can blame them when things go wrong in a pregnancy or consider their ideas to be too progressive. Thus, to these community health workers the quality of endurance was very important.

“Endurance (Sometimes men can accuse us of influencing their wives when they have difficulties in conceiving)” – Workshop 5 SEN (CHWs).

Another recurring theme was the importance of having secure employment and a means to support themselves; that there were also jobs available for young people, and that women had opportunities to make money to help support the family. This included preventing early marriages so girls could stay in school. Having jobs was stated as essential for survival and important to enable being useful to the community and society.

“To have more means of survival (subsistence) to be able to feed our families”.

“To have a regular and permanent job”.

“We assure a good training and education for our children so that they will become useful to us and the community”.

“ Our women should have access to activities that will support us and lessen our burden” – Workshop 3 SEN (fathers).

It was considered very important to have a religious education and respect for religious elders. Moreover, living by, and teaching, religious values such as being hard working, humble and offering mutual aid to others, was significant for people in Kaffrine.

“Have an education in the Islamic Culture (Education that aligns with the culture of Islam)”.

“Respect toward religious leaders” – Workshop 3 SEN (fathers).

“ To organize religious discussions to develop our knowledge about Islam ” - Workshop 10 SEN (mothers).

“ Have belief and be prayerful and give good counselling to people ” - Workshop 4 SEN (grandmothers).

Egg intervention themes from each country from perspectives EXplorations focus group discussion data

Below are results of analyses of comments made during the PEX:FGDs in East Lombok, Indonesia and Kaffrine, Senegal. The following codes were used deductively: attitudes to accepting outside help, traditional gender roles, food sharing, traditional beliefs, social hierarchies and understanding of stunting and Other. These topics were spoken about during open discussion and were not the subject of direct questions. For example, topics relating to traditional gender roles came up in East Lombok, during conversations around the daily routine. Thus, in order to more accurately reflect the intended meaning of the participants, these were labelled food practices, under the “Other” theme. If any of the themes were not present in the discussion, they are not shown below.

Attitudes to accepting outside help

Few mentions were made that focussed on participants attitudes to accepting outside help, but participants were sure that they would not make changes to their menus based on the advice of outside experts. Additionally, teachers mentioned that they are used to accepting help from local organisations that could to help them to identify under-developed children.

“ We don’t believe that [the outsiders are] going to change our eating habits or our various menus ” – Workshop 3 INDO (Mothers).

Traditional gender roles

In East Lombok, mothers spoke about how their husbands go to work and then provide them with daily money to buy the food for the day. However, this was discussed in relation to why food is bought daily and is thus discussed below in the topics Other – Food practices.

Food sharing

In East Lombok, Indonesia, in times when they have extra food, they share it with neighbours, in the hope that when they face times of hardship, their neighbours will share with them. Within the household, they mentioned sharing food from their plate with infants and encouraging children to share. Some mothers mentioned the importance of weekly meetings with other mothers to share food and sharing food during celebrations.

“ Sometimes we share our food with our family. So, when we cook extra food, we will probably send over the food to our neighbour, to our families. So, sometimes, with the hope that when we don’t have anything to eat, our neighbour will pay for it and will [share with] us.” – Workshop 3 INDO (Mothers).

“Even they serve food for the kids who come along to the house. So, they teach the kids to share with their friends. They provide some food. So, whenever they play [at their] house, they will [eat] the same.” – Workshop 2 INDO (Mothers).

Understanding of stunting

The teachers in East Lombok were aware of child stunting through Children’s Development Cards provided by local healthcare organizations. They stated that they recognise children with nutrition problems as having no patience period, no expression, no energy for activities and less desire to socialise and play with other children. The teachers said that stunted children do not develop the same as other children and are not as independent as children who are the proper height and weight for their development. They also stated that they recognise stunted children by their posture, pale faces and bloated stomachs. They explained how they usually use the same teaching methods for stunting children, but will sometimes allow them to do some activities, like singing, later, once the other children are leaving.

“ They have no patience period, don’t have any energy to do any of the activities. No expression, only sitting down and not mingling around with the kids. They are different way to learn. They are much slower than the other kids .” – Workshop 1 INDO (teachers).

“ When they are passive in singing, they will do it later when everyone else is leaving, they just do it [by] themselves ” – Workshop 1 INDO (teachers).

Specific views on eggs

In East Lombok, Indonesia, there were no superstitions or traditional beliefs around the consumption of eggs. When asked specifically on their views of eggs, and if they would like to be provided with eggs, women in East Lombok said that they would be happy to accept eggs. They also mentioned that eggs were a food they commonly eat, feed to children and use for convenience. Eggs were considered healthy and were common in their house.

“ We choose eggs instead. If we don’t have time, we just probably do some omelettes or sunny side up. So, it happens, actually when we get up late, we don’t have much time to be able to escort our kids to the school, then we fry the eggs or cook the instant noodles. And it happens to all mothers. So, if my kids are being cranky, that’s what happens, I’m not going to cook proper meals so, probably just eggs and instant noodles.” – Workshop 3 INDO (Mothers).

Other important topics – food practices

Some detailed themes about food practices were heard in East Lombok, Indonesia. The women were responsible for buying and preparing the food, which they purchased daily mainly due to the cost (their husbands were paid daily and so provided them with a daily allowance) and lack of storage facilities. They also bought from mobile vendors who came to the street, because they could buy very small amounts and get occasional credit. The mother decided the menu for the family and cooked once per day in the morning: the family then took from this dish throughout the day. Mothers always washed their fruits and vegetables and tried to include protein in their meals when funds allowed: either meat, eggs, tofu or tempeh.

“ One meal a day. They [the mothers] cook one time and they [the children] can eat it all day long. Yes, they can take it all day long. They find that they like [to take the food], because they tend to feel hungry.” – Workshop 6 INDO (Mothers).

“ They shop every day because they don’t have any storage in their house and the other factor is because the husband has a daily wage. They don’t have monthly wage. In the morning, the husband gives the ladies the money and the ladies go to the shop for the food. ” – Workshop 4 INDO (Mothers).

In Kaffrine, the following themes emerged relating to an egg intervention: they were different in content and emphasis to Lombok and contained uniquely local cultural emphases.

Mothers were welcoming of eggs as a supplement to improve their health during pregnancy and acknowledged the importance of good nutrition during pregnancy. However, they also mentioned that their husbands can sometimes be resistant to accepting outside help and provided an example of a vaccination programme in which fathers were hesitant to participate. However, participants stated that the Government should be the source of assistance to them (but currently was not perceived to be so).

“But if these eggs are brought by external bodies, we will hesitate to take it. For example, concerning vaccination some fathers hesitate to vaccinate their children even if they are locals who are doing it. So, educating the fathers to accept this is really a challenge” – Workshop 11 SEN (CHWs).

Some traditional gender roles were found to be strong. The participants emphasised that men are considered the head of the household, as expected in Islam, with the mother as primary caregiver for children. This is reflected in the comments from participants regarding the importance of Islam and living their religious values. The men thus made the family decisions and would need to be informed and agree to any family participation in any intervention – regardless of the education level of the mother. The paternal grandmother also played a very important role in the family and may also make decisions for the family in the place of the father. Community Health Workers emphasised that educating paternal grandmothers was essential to improve access to healthcare for women.

“There are people who are not flexible with their wives and need to be informed. Sometimes the mother-in-law can decide the place of the husband. But still, the husband’s [permission] is still necessary.” – Workshop 1 SEN (CHWs).

“[We recommend] communication with mothers-in-law and the community. Raise awareness through information, emphasizing the well-being of women and children.” – Workshop 1 SEN (CHWs).

“The [grand]mothers take care of the children so that the daughters in-law will take care of them in return So it’s very bad for a daughter in law not to take care of her mother in-law. Society does not like people who distance themselves from children.” – Workshop 4 SEN (grandmothers).

Social hierarchies

In addition to hierarchies relating to gender/position in the family such as grandmothers have decision making power, there was some mention of social hierarchies in Kaffrine, Senegal. For example, during times of food stress it was said that political groups distribute food and elected officials who choose the neighbourhoods in which the food will be distributed. Neighbourhood leaders then decide to whom the food is distributed, meaning there is a feeling that some people are being left out.

“ It’s political groups that come to distribute food or for political purposes…organizations that often come to distribute food aid, but in general it is always subject to a selection on the part of elected officials, in particular the neighbourhood leaders, who select the people they like and who leave the others ” – Workshop 11 SEN (CHWs).

Participants explained that during mealtimes, the family will share food from one large plate from which the father will eat first as a sign of respect and courtesy. Sometimes, children would also eat in their neighbour’s house to encourage them to eat.

“ Yes, it happens that we use that strategy so that children can eat. Note that children like to imitate so that’s why we [send them to the neighbour’s house]” – Workshop 11 SEN (CHWs)”.

Traditional beliefs about malnutrition

In Kaffrine, Senegal, some participants spoke of traditional beliefs relating to malnutrition, which are believed by fewer people these days. For example, uncovered food might attract bad spirits, and any person who eats it will become ill. There were a number of food taboos spoken of which were thought to have negative consequences for the baby, for example watermelon and grilled meat which were though to lead to birth complications and bleeding. Furthermore, cold water was thought to negatively impact the baby. Groups spoke of a tradition known as “bathie” in which traditional healers wash stunted children with smoke.

“ There are traditional practices called (Bathie) which are practiced by traditional healers. Parents are flexible about the practice of Bathie ” – Workshop 1 SEN (CHWs).

Causes of malnutrition and stunting were thought to be a lack of a balanced diet, lack of vitamin A, disease, intestinal worms, poor hygiene, socio-cultural issues such as non-compliance with food taboos, non-compliance with exclusive breastfeeding and close pregnancies. Malnutrition was also thought by some to be hereditary. Numerous signs of malnutrition were well known amongst the groups in Kaffrine. For example, signs of malnutrition were thought to be a big bloated belly, diarrhoea, oedema of the feet, anaemia, small limbs and hair loss as well as other symptoms such as red hair and a pale complexion. Despite this, malnutrition was thought to be hard to identify in Kaffrine as not all children will visit health centres, but mothers do try to take their babies heights and weights monthly. The groups were aware of the effect of poverty on the likelihood of stunting as impoverished parents cannot afford food. Furthermore, the groups mentioned that there is some stigma towards stunted children, and they can face mockery from other children although most local people feel pity and compassion towards them. Malnourished children are referred to as Khiibon or Lonpogne in the local language of Wolof.

“ It is poverty that is at the root of malnutrition, because parents do not have enough money [and] will have difficulty feeding their families well, so it is the situation of poverty that is the first explanatory factor of malnutrition here in Kaffrine” – Workshop 9 SEN (administrators).

“It can happen that some children are the victim of jokes for example of mockery from children of their same age, but not from adults and older ” – Workshop 9 SEN (administrators).

Pregnancy beliefs

In Kaffrine, Senegal, there were concerns around close pregnancies, and pregnancies in women who were too young, and for home births. Within the communities there was a stigma around close pregnancies, which prevented them from attending antenatal appointments. Similarly, there were superstitions around revealing early pregnancies, which again delayed attendance at health centres.

Groups acknowledged the role of good nutrition, and mentioned some forbidden foods such as salty foods, watermelon and grilled meat (which sometimes related back to a traditional belief that negative impacts would be felt in the pregnancy such as birth complications and bleeding). Similarly, drinking cold water was thought to negatively affect the baby. Beneficial foods mentioned included vegetables and meat, during pregnancy.

“ Often when a woman has close pregnancies, she can be ashamed, and this particularly delays the time of consultation” – Workshop 5 SEN (CHWs).

“Yes, there are things that are prohibited for pregnant women like salty foods” – Workshop 11 SEN (CHWs).

In Kaffrine, Senegal, some participants spoke of a traditional belief that if a pregnant woman consumes eggs then her baby might be overweight, or have problems learning how to talk. Despite this, mothers in Kaffrine said that they would be happy to accept eggs as a supplement, although if supplements are provided that require preparation (such as powdered supplements), they would be less likely to accept them.

“These restrictions are traditional, and more women no longer believe that eggs will cause a problem to the child. But if these eggs are brought by external bodies, we will hesitate to take it.” – Workshop 11 SEN (CHWs).

“They don’t eat eggs before the child starts speaking (the child only eats eggs when he starts talking). This is because it’s very heavy and can cause bloating and may also lead to intestinal problems.” – Workshop 4 SEN (grandmothers).

Other important topics – access to health services

For the participants in Kaffrine, Senegal, accessing health services was problematic, particularly for pre- and post-natal appointments, which faced frequent delays. Some women had access due to poor roads and chose to give birth at home. Access issues were further compounded by poverty and social factors, as procedures in hospitals can be costly, and women with close pregnancies (soon after an earlier one) can feel shame from society and hide their pregnancy.

“Women really have problems of lack of finances. There are social services in the hospital; but those services rarely attend to women without finances. Even when a child dies at birth they will require money to do the necessary procedure ” – Workshop 11 SEN (CHWs).

Creation of the culturally-informed protocols

Recommendations that comprise a culturally-informed protocol for intervention design in each locality are given in Table 3 .

The Major Cultural Themes, and specific Egg Intervention Themes drawn out from only 9–11 carefully planned group sessions in each country provided a rich set of recommendations towards a culturally-informed protocol for the localised design of a proposed Egg Intervention for both East Lombok, Indonesia and Kaffrine, Senegal. A culturally-informed protocol designed in this way comprises cultural insights which are worthy of consideration in local intervention design and should guide future stages of engagement and provide a platform from which good rapport and trust can be built between researchers and the community [ 16 ]. For example, in Kaffrine, Senegal, the early involvement of husbands and grandmothers is crucial, which reflects values around shared decision making within families that are noted to be more prevalent in LMICs, in contrast to individualistic values in HICs [ 16 , 39 ]. Similarly, due to strong religious values in both East Lombok, Indonesia and Kaffrine, Senegal, partnerships with Islamic leaders is likely to improve engagement. Past studies show the crucial role that religious leaders can play in determining social acceptability of interventions, particularly around taboo topics such as birth spacing [ 40 ].

The WVIS plus PEX:FGD method demonstrated here produced both broad cultural themes from shared values, which were in a concise and easy-to-understand format which could be readily communicated with the wider Action Against Stunting Hub, as well as life practices relevant to stunting in Kaffrine, Senegal and in East Lombok, Indonesia. Discussions of shared values during the WVIS main workshop provided useful cultural background within each community. PEX:FGD discussion uncovered numerous cultural factors within local life practices that could influence on the Egg Intervention engagement and acceptability. Combining themes from the WVIS workshop and PEX:FGDs allowed for specific recommendations to be made towards a culturally-informed protocol for the design of an Egg Intervention that included both broad cultural themes and specific Intervention insights (Table 3 ). For example, in Kaffrine, Senegal, to know that the husband’s authoritative family decision-making for health care (specific) is rooted in Islamic foundations (wider cultural) points to an Intervention Recommendation within the protocol, involving consultations with Islamic Leaders to lead community awareness targeting fathers. Similarly, in East Lombok, Indonesia the (specific) behaviour of breastfeeding for 2 years was underpinned by (wider cultural) shared values of living in Islam. This understanding of local values could prevent the imposition of culturally misaligned values, which Bernal and Adames (2017) caution against [ 17 ].

There are a number of interesting overlaps between values seen in the WVIS Frameworks and Narratives and the categories of Schwartz (1992) and The World Values Survey (2023) [ 41 , 42 ]. For example, in both Kaffrine, Senegal and East Lombok, Indonesia, strong religious values were found, and the groups spoke of the importance of practicing their religion with daily habits. This would align with traditional and conservation values [ 41 , 43 ]. Furthermore, in Kaffrine, Senegal participants often mentioned the importance of mutual aid within the community, and similar values of togetherness and respect in the community were found in East Lombok, Indonesia. These would seem to align with traditional, survival and conservation values [ 41 , 43 ]. However, the values mentioned by the groups in the WVIS workshops are far more specific, and it is possible that through asking what is most worthwhile, valuable and meaningful about their context, the participants are able to prioritise which aspects of their values are most salient to their daily lives. Grounded shared values such as these are generally neglected in Global Health Research, and values predominant in the Global North are often assumed to be universal [ 14 ]. Thus, by excluding the use of a predefined external framework, we minimized the risk of imposing our own ideas of values in the community, and increased the relevance, significance and local validity of the elicited information [ 28 ].

Participatory methods of engagement are an essential step in conducting Global Health Research but there is currently a paucity of specific guidance for implementing participatory methods in vulnerable communities [ 16 , 44 ]. In addition, there is acknowledgement in the literature that it is necessary to come into communities in LMICs without assumptions about their held values, and to use bottom-up participatory approaches to better understand local values [ 14 , 16 ]. The WVIS plus PEX:FGD methodology highlighted here exemplifies a method that is replicable in multiple country contexts [ 28 , 32 ] and can be used to crystallize local In Situ Shared Values which can be easily communicated to external researchers. Coupled with the specialised FGD (PEX:FGD), values-based perceptions of specific topics (in this case stunting) can be elicited leading to the creation of specific Culture-based recommendations. This therefore takes steps to answer the call by Memon and colleagues (2021) for the creation of cultural protocols ahead of conducting research in order to foster ethical research relationships [ 16 ]. We believe that the potential usefulness of the WVIS approach to guide engagement and inform intervention design is effectively demonstrated in this study and WVIS offers a method of making explicit local values in a novel and valuable way.

However, we acknowledge that our approach has several limitations. It has relied heavily on the local university researchers to debate and decide which participant stakeholder groups should be chosen, and although they did this in the context of the Whole Child approach, it would have been advantageous to have involved cultural researchers with a deeper understanding of cultural structures, to ensure sufficient opportunities for key cultural elements to emerge. This would have in particular strengthened the intervention design derived from the PEX:FGD data. For example, we retrospectively realised that our study could have been improved if grandmothers had been engaged in East Lombok. Understanding this limitation leads to suggestion for further work: to specifically investigate the overlap of this approach with disciplinary studies of culture, where social interactions and structures are taken into account via formal frameworks.

There are more minor limitations to note. For example, the WVIS approach can only be led by a trained and experienced facilitator: not all researchers can do this. A training programme is currently under development that could be made more widely available through online videos and a Handbook. Secondly, although the groups recruited do not need to be representative of the local population, the number recruited should be increased until theoretical saturation is achieved of the themes which emerge, which was not carried out in this study as we focussed on demonstrating the feasibility of the tool. Thirdly, there is a limit to the number of topics that can be explored in the PEX:FGDs within the timeframe of one focus group (depending on the stamina of the participants), and so if a wider range of topics need formative research, then more workshops are needed. Lastly, this work took place in a large, highly collaborative project involving expert researchers from local countries as well as international experts in WVIS : other teams may not have these resources. However, local researchers who train in WVIS could lead on their own (and in this Hub project such training was available).

The need for better understanding, acknowledgement and integration of local culture and shared values is increasing as the field of Global Health Research develops. This study demonstrates that the WVIS plus PEX:FGD shared values approach provides an efficient approach to contextualise and localise interventions, through eliciting and making communicable shared values and local life practices which can be used towards the formation of a culturally-informed protocols. Were this method to be used for intervention design in future, it is possible that more focus should be given to existing social structures and support systems and a greater variety of stakeholders should be engaged. This study thus contributes to the literature on methods to culturally adapt interventions. This could have significant implications for improving the uptake of nutrition interventions to reduce malnutrition through improved social acceptability, which could help progression towards the goal of Zero Hunger set within the SDGs. The transferability and generalisability of the WVIS plus PEX:FGD approach should now be investigated further in more diverse cultures and for providing formative research information for a wider range of research themes. Future studies could also focus on establishing its scaling and pragmatic usefulness as a route to conceptualising mechanisms of social acceptability, for example a mechanism may be that in communities with strong traditional religious values, social hierarchies involving religious leaders and fathers exist and their buy-in to the intervention is crucial to its social acceptability. Studies could also focus on the comparison or combination of WVIS plus PEX:FGD with other qualitative methods used for intervention design and implementation.

Availability of data and materials

The datasets used and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request [email protected], Orcid number 0000–0002–1811-4597. These include deidentified Frameworks of Shared Values and Accompanying Narrative from each Group; deidentified Hub Insight Statements of relevant themes.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the Hub PI, Claire Heffernan, for feedback on a late draft of the manuscript.

The Action Against Stunting Hub is funded by the Medical Research Council through the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF), Grant No.: MR/S01313X/1.

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Values & Sustainability Research Group, School of Architecture, Technology and Engineering, University of Brighton, Brighton, UK

Annabel J. Chapman, Mahsa Firoozmand & Marie K. Harder

Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China

Chike C. Ebido, Rahel Neh Tening, Yanyan Huang & Marie K. Harder

Department of Zoology and Environmental Biology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria

Chike C. Ebido

Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Université Cheikh Anta Diop (UCAD), Dakar, Senegal

Ndèye Marème Sougou

Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Islam Negeri Syarif Hidayatullah, Jakarta, Indonesia

Risatianti Kolopaking

Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization Regional Centre for Food and Nutrition (SEAMEO RECFON) Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia

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International Research Laboratory (IRL 3189) Environnement santé et sociétés/CNRS/UCAD, Dakar, Senegal

Amadou H. Diallo

Department of Medical Records and Health Information, Faculty of Health and Technology, Universitas Bandung, Bandung, Indonesia

Rita Anggorowati

Laboratory of Cultural Anthropology, IFAN, Université Cheikh Anta Diop (UCAD), Dakar, Senegal

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School of Education, Languages and Linguistics, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK

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Contributions

MKH formulated the initial research question and study design. AJC developed the specific research question. Data collection in Senegal involved CCE, NMS, AHD, FBD, RNT, CEHAN and JM. Data collection in Indonesia involved RA, RK, YH and MKH. Cultural interpretation in Senegal Involved AHD, FBD, NMS, RNT and JM. Analysis involved AJC and MF. AJC and MKH wrote the paper.

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Correspondence to Marie K. Harder .

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The research was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and has been approved by the Ethics Review Board of the University of Brighton, and national ethics committees for research in Indonesia and Senegal. Informed consent was obtained in the local vernacular language, Bahasa, French or Wolof. Participants retained a copy of the informed consent document for reference.

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Chapman, A.J., Ebido, C.C., Tening, R.N. et al. Creating culturally-informed protocols for a stunting intervention using a situated values-based approach ( WeValue InSitu ): a double case study in Indonesia and Senegal. BMC Public Health 24 , 987 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-18485-y

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Received : 27 September 2023

Accepted : 29 March 2024

Published : 09 April 2024

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-18485-y

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• Health intervention
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BMC Public Health

ISSN: 1471-2458

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