Show and tell

Guest article: Matt Baldwin, Coast

There are three sides to a story: my side, your side and the truth. It can be hard to tell one from the other. 

Journalists know this, and every pitch that lands in their inbox is viewed through that lens. And that means something extra is often needed to elevate that idea above the hundreds they receive every day.

Enter the case study.

A client willing to put their name and face to a story provides credibility that expert commentary alone can struggle to achieve.

For firms with strong consumer practices – tax, divorce, disputes, immigration, personal injury, residential property – the weekend pages and supplements of the national media and broadcast outlets are the prize. 

The bar is understandably high, and many great stories fail to land and see the light of day. They may have a strong human-interest angle but the ‘human’ is missing. 

A case study can elevate a good story into a great one. 

There are, however, very real challenges in securing the green light from clients. Private clients are just that – private. 

Yet it is not impossible. It is about finding the angle that might work for both the firm and the client. 

It is unlikely that a wealthy family will want to share the details of their tax planning, but they may be comfortable sharing their philanthropic activity. A divorce is deeply personal and emotionally charged. But the post-divorce journey, perhaps involving a successful new business, might open conversations.

Each client and their story will be very different, and a case study will not always be appropriate. But that does not mean they should be dismissed out of hand. How and when you ask, and the nature of the relationship a firm has with the client are key. 

Your PR teams are well-placed to guide you, and your clients.

Owned channels 
There is, of course, another side to the case study story – a firm’s own channels. Here, both private and corporate clients should figure prominently. 

It constantly surprises me that firms (and here we really mean individuals) are sometimes reluctant to ask clients if they would be happy to be profiled.

The deal might be done, there is an ongoing relationship, and everyone is happy, yet the lead partner feels uncomfortable ‘bothering’ the client about a case study. 

It is how the ask is framed. It should be ‘not about us’ but ‘about you’. 

If a firm is proud to act for a business and the relationship is good, a client will rarely (if ever) be offended by the approach. They are more likely to be flattered even if they decline. 

With a green light, thought needs to be given to these case studies. It is easy to settle for the ‘problem, approach, outcome’ format, but they can feel formulaic, static and less about the client. It is more testimonial rather than case study.

It is better to agree three of four big discussion themes and adopt a journalistic approach, allowing the client to talk. Tell a story and weave the firm’s contribution into the narrative.

Again, your PR teams are best placed to lead and guide that discussion.

Case studies on a firm’s own channels serve double duty. Celebrating your clients’ achievements will appeal to targets and prospects – they may see their own journey’s reflected. And they increasingly appeal to AI search. They bring something machines cannot invent – real people, real organisations and real-world outcomes.

The best stories are rarely about the adviser. They are about the client, their challenges and what happened next. And your firm is just part of the plot.

Matt Baldwin is the joint managing director of Coast, a media relations agency.