Mailchimp Conquers Case Studies

Every company wants to spotlight its best customers.

Case studies are a great way to do that. But it takes time to identify the right customers, develop the right story and find the right metrics. The organizations being highlighted often want a say in the ultimate narrative – and rightfully so.

When developing a good case study, it can be tough to find a framework that works for everyone involved.

Mailchimp’s recent efforts hit on a smart case study tactic – creating awards.

Intuit Mailchimp partnered with Fast Company to develop the Forward Awards honoring “the most innovative and successful campaigns of the year and the people responsible for them.”

Oh, and the winners all just happen to be Mailchimp users.

In the release announcing the awards, Mailchimp touts the promo winners receive, including “participation in a Fast Company IF360 webinar, a custom article, a Mailchimp case study, and more.”

A Worthwhile Award

Mailchimp’s awards work for several reasons. For starters, the case studies are legit. They spotlight interesting companies achieving real results in the world of email marketing.

Creating awards puts a newsworthy spin on the initiative. They also partner with a legit media outlet – Fast Company – as part of the judging, branding and promo. That brings true authenticity to the campaign.

Perhaps most importantly, the awards deliver a tangible benefit to the companies being featured. Too often, case studies — and lots of other marketing efforts – only benefit the organization doing the promoting. With the award, the companies in the spotlight have a meaningful message they can build their own marketing push around.

Even if every brand can’t partner with a leading media outlet to spin up a robust award to spotlight their best companies, there are lessons to be learned from Mailchimp.