Write an Anonymous Case Study

Hi Susan,

I work for a large data management company. I’ve been asked me to write a B2B case study about how we helped one of our best customers, a large health insurance company. However, our customer doesn’t want me to use their company name. How can I create an effective case study without including critical details like their name?

Sheryl B.

Hi Sheryl,

You might be surprised to know this isn’t an unusual request. Sometimes case studies have to be anonymized because the people or organizations involved don’t want to share their identifying information. They might not want to publicize the problem they faced. Or they may be concerned that describing how they solved that problem might give away a competitive advantage. 

Anonymous case studies aren’t ideal but still have marketing value. Leaving out certain details shouldn’t cause concern. You’ll just have to find other ways to make the story compelling and credible. The trick is to provide some general information about the customer company but not any major distinguishing characteristics.

For example, in writing the case study you described about a large, recognizable, health insurance company, leave out names, addresses and other specific details that could be used to identify them. Substitute more general terms in your description.

You might state that it’s a national insurer with over 10,000 employees and over 100,000 members. Avoid saying where they’re based, or that they’re the third (or whatever) largest health insurer in the country, or any other distinguishing facts that could clarify who they are through cross reference with publicly available information.

Even though you won’t be able to capitalize on the recognition of the customer’s brand, the story can still describe how your company worked with the customer to solve a challenging problem and deliver a solid ROI. 

In truth, most of your readers won’t be too concerned with the name or particulars of the company being profiled. They’ll focus on your presentation of the problem, solution and results/outcomes. Those are the specifics that are most critical for providing context. Tell a good story, make it relatable, and they’ll be captivated by your case study.

If you need help in writing up your case study, consider working with a case study copywriter. A professional might bring a different perspective toward presenting the information in the most effective way.

Susan Greene, Copywriter