Context, challenge, approach, outcome. Add proof where confidentiality allows. The case studies on this site use five parts, and each one has a job:

• Situation — the problem and its constraints, so the reader doesn't assume the brief was easy.
• Role — what the practitioner personally did, stated precisely so credit doesn't blur.
• Approach — the decisions made and why, which is where judgement shows.
• Result — what happened, with numbers where they exist and honest labels where they are estimates.
• What this teaches a similar brief — the transferable lesson, so a buyer with a different product can still use it.

The way a result is qualified matters. The Xtreme Aerosol case study reports its television reach as an estimated audience and names the channels involved. A sceptical buyer trusts an honest "estimated" more than a round, unqualified claim.

Visual evidence makes abstract consultancy tangible — plan capture during the project, not years later. Decide at kickoff what will be kept: the finished film, stills of the work in market (outdoor, pack, point-of-sale) and, where the client is comfortable, behind-the-scenes material.

A campaign film is the strongest single piece of proof, because the reader can judge the work itself instead of trusting a description of it. Several case studies here pair the write-up with the campaign film for that reason. Agree publication rights in writing at the start. Asking years later, after the client contact has moved on, is the most common reason good work never gets cleared for a portfolio. Keep originals with dates and channels attached, since the date and place of each proof are part of what makes it believable.

State your role precisely. If a campaign was a team effort, say so and describe your part. A case study that claims more than the practitioner did fails the first reference check, and one honest overstatement puts every other claim in doubt.

Publish outcomes the client is happy to have public, and keep commercially sensitive figures such as budgets, fees and margins off the page. Label estimates as estimates. Review the portfolio as a whole as well: two case studies that put competing clients side by side can create a problem for both, even when each is accurate on its own.

A procurement lead reads a case study to answer three questions: was the problem like mine, did this person make the decisions or only attend the meetings, and is the result believable? Include the constraint you worked under, the choice you made when there were options, and, where it is honest to do so, what you would change next time. That last line is rare, and buyers notice it.

What should every case study include?
The situation and its constraints, the practitioner's own role, the approach and the decisions behind it, a result with honest labels on any estimates, and a lesson a buyer with a different product can still use.

Should a case study publish budgets and fees?
Generally no. Publish outcomes the client is happy to have public and keep commercially sensitive figures such as budgets, fees and margins private. Label any estimate as an estimate.

When should film and photography for a case study be captured?
During the project, with publication rights agreed in writing at the start. Capturing and clearing material years later usually means it never gets published.

How do we start?
Share dates (or the decision deadline), cities, and the outcome you need. WhatsApp +880 1810-152555 or the contact form. An email address is not published.

About the author: Azizul Hoque Shiplu is a brand strategist, marketing consultant and film director based in Dhaka, Bangladesh, with more than 20 years' experience across agency, corporate and production environments.

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