Research is a Valuable Tool for Finding & Developing Case Histories
“Finding, developing and completing case histories using research produces positive results.”
PROBLEM
A national association was interested in developing a series of case studies for their website to showcase the benefits and uses of their materials in various commercial projects. The organization had limited staff and the resources needed to identify potential projects, find key contacts, prepare content and get the necessary approvals.
The association represents a variety of products found in all types of commercial buildings. Popular product categories included flooring, siding, roofing, windows, fall covering and just about every component of a commercial building. The target audience the client wanted to reach included construction professionals—architects, interior designers, construction managers and building owners. The association wanted case histories to address how this type of material found in both the interior and exterior of buildings, can help design professionals owners meet project goals and maximize the buildings efficiency long-term. In addition, the client requested the case histories highlight how the product helped the project meet sustainability, recyclability and safety concerns.
Research can be a valuable and effective tool in assisting companies with producing case histories. It can help in identifying potential projects that use a particular product or material but also for reaching the appropriate contacts and exploring the most important topics to the target audience.
SOLUTION
At the start of the research, AIM recommended talking directly with member companies and key association staff to find out if there were specific projects, products or a market perspective they wanted to highlight for the case study program. In addition, members were asked to provide a list of possible projects to help start the research.
To ensure our research team was gathering similar and consistent information for the case studies, AIM also developed a list of questions and topics to be covered in the case study interviews. For example, some of the topics discussed with manufacturers and the project design team included identifying the key benefits, how the product met the specific design goals, how the product added to the project’s sustainability, recyclability or environmental goals.
One of the most difficult parts of developing and preparing case studies is to find the “right” people to discuss the project detail, goals and outcome. To help AIM’s team of professional researchers and interview professionals find project contacts, AIM used the company’s access to a national construction database to pull key design and owner contacts for different projects. Sometimes the contacts weren’t the exact person we needed to interview but it gave our team a great starting point. This also helped AIM balance the types of projects selected for the case study program and target different areas of the United States. An important part of any case study is listing the particular participants involved in the project. AIM professionals were responsible for identifying, interviewing and gaining appropriate approvals from various key construction professionals involved in the project.
Once AIM located key building and project contacts, research professionals were able to interview project experts to find specifics on how the product was used and how it was instrumental in achieving the design and project goals. With a one-on-one phone interview, AIM was able to conduct a deep dive to uncover valuable information on the product application and how and where the product performed. The interviews were also instrumental in uncovering the product benefits and certain details on how and why the product was selected for the project. In addition, AIM researchers were able to identify and highlight how a particular product met sustainability, recycling and other environmental criteria.
Defining Sustainability Can Be Difficult
Many times, it is not easy to get information on a product’s sustainability or environmental characteristics and requires skilled researchers to uncover this type of information. A recent blog posting by Interline Creative Group, Finding a Working definition for sustaining Sustainability, points out that even defining sustainability is difficult and indicates basically it ends up dependent on the eye of the beholder. In other words, how a product meets sustainability requirements depends on several factors and which factors are most important to the decision makers. What materials are used, how the product is manufactured, where the product comes from, how long it lasts just to name a few of the aspects considered in evaluating sustainability.
As a part of the case study development process, the researchers contacted more than one type of professional from a project to get a complete prospective. Talking with both design professionals and representatives from the building owner provides a more comprehensive picture of how a particular product can help address and solve a variety of construction related issues.
Well Designed Product Case Studies Are a Win/Win
Case histories on building products help provide the architects, designers and building owners with key information they need to make better product selections. Well-designed research helps uncover these facts. They offer valuable insight on what works and what doesn’t. In the building construction industry, professionals must constantly be looking for ways to improve building designs and operations. That means looking for products that can help them streamline building operations, reduce waste and improve efficiencies. Case histories that provide the construction market with real life examples on how a particular product helped meet project goals makes everyone’s job easier—a definite win!
On the other hand, product manufacturers that create and market case studies on how a product successfully helped meet building design and construction goals can be an excellent way to “showcase” a particular product. It offers building construction professionals practical and useful information. Case studies can benefit the building construction process in many ways:
- Supplies real-life examples of the product use and applications
- Provides measurable and key performance information
- Creates brand exposure and reputation
- Identifies and highlights the product benefits and strengths
RESULT
Once all the interviews and research were complete, AIM used Interline’s staff of professional writers and graphic designers to produce twelve complete product case histories. The case histories covered a variety of different product types and different facilities including medical, educational, retail and public facilities (i.e., casino, museum, arena). Each case study included the company names of the key building professionals involved in the project and specific details on how the product met the design and project goals. All case studies included a picture of the facility and highlighted how the product contributed to meeting environmental or sustainability efforts. AIM/Interline were responsible for getting approvals from the building professional involved in the project. All case histories followed the same format and were successfully loaded onto the client’s website.
Research is an effective tool to develop and create valuable and informative case histories that give building professionals the knowledge and insight to make better product selections. Showcasing how a product is used in a particular facility to meet specific design or project goals is an effective method to reach professionals who influence and make decisions on product selection.
Case histories are a perfect way for a product manufacturer to stay engaged with their audience. AIM encourages marketers to use research to make these happen, not only for case histories but to explore and get an accurate reading on their market. For assistance in developing or creating case histories or taking a deeper look at the market please email patty@a-i-m.com or call 847-358-8558.