how to present a case study in interview

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Blog Case Study

How to Present a Case Study like a Pro (With Examples)

By Danesh Ramuthi , Sep 07, 2023

In today’s world, where data is king and persuasion is queen, a killer case study can change the game. Think high-powered meetings at fancy companies or even nailing that college presentation: a rock-solid case study could be the magic weapon you need.

Okay, let’s get real: case studies can be kinda snooze-worthy. But guess what? They don’t have to be!

In this article, you’ll learn all about crafting and presenting powerful case studies. From selecting the right metrics to using persuasive narrative techniques, I will cover every element that transforms a mere report into a compelling case study. 

And if you’re feeling a little lost, don’t worry! There are cool tools like Venngage’s Case Study Creator to help you whip up something awesome, even if you’re short on time. Plus, the pre-designed case study templates are like instant polish because let’s be honest, everyone loves a shortcut.

Click to jump ahead: 

What is a case study presentation?

Purpose of presenting a case study, how to structure a case study presentation, how long should a case study presentation be, 5 case study presentation templates, tips for delivering an effective case study presentation, common mistakes to avoid in a case study presentation, how to present a case study faqs.

A case study presentation involves a comprehensive examination of a specific subject, which could range from an individual, group, location, event, organization or phenomenon.

They’re like puzzles you get to solve with the audience, all while making you think outside the box.

Unlike a basic report or whitepaper, the purpose of a case study presentation is to stimulate critical thinking among the viewers. 

The primary objective of a case study is to provide an extensive and profound comprehension of the chosen topic. You don’t just throw numbers at your audience. You use examples and real-life cases to make you think and see things from different angles.

The primary purpose of presenting a case study is to offer a comprehensive, evidence-based argument that informs, persuades and engages your audience.

Here’s the juicy part: presenting that case study can be your secret weapon. Whether you’re pitching a groundbreaking idea to a room full of suits or trying to impress your professor with your A-game, a well-crafted case study can be the magic dust that sprinkles brilliance over your words.

Think of it like digging into a puzzle you can’t quite crack . A case study lets you explore every piece, turn it over and see how it fits together. This close-up look helps you understand the whole picture, not just a blurry snapshot.

It’s also your chance to showcase how you analyze things, step by step, until you reach a conclusion. It’s all about being open and honest about how you got there.

Besides, presenting a case study gives you an opportunity to connect data and real-world scenarios in a compelling narrative. It helps to make your argument more relatable and accessible, increasing its impact on your audience.

One of the contexts where case studies can be very helpful is during the job interview. In some job interviews, you as candidates may be asked to present a case study as part of the selection process.

Having a case study presentation prepared allows the candidate to demonstrate their ability to understand complex issues, formulate strategies and communicate their ideas effectively.

The way you present a case study can make all the difference in how it’s received. A well-structured presentation not only holds the attention of your audience but also ensures that your key points are communicated clearly and effectively.

In this section, let’s go through the key steps that’ll help you structure your case study presentation for maximum impact.

Let’s get into it. 

Open with an introductory overview 

Start by introducing the subject of your case study and its relevance. Explain why this case study is important and who would benefit from the insights gained. This is your opportunity to grab your audience’s attention.

Explain the problem in question

Dive into the problem or challenge that the case study focuses on. Provide enough background information for the audience to understand the issue. If possible, quantify the problem using data or metrics to show the magnitude or severity.

Detail the solutions to solve the problem

After outlining the problem, describe the steps taken to find a solution. This could include the methodology, any experiments or tests performed and the options that were considered. Make sure to elaborate on why the final solution was chosen over the others.

Key stakeholders Involved

Talk about the individuals, groups or organizations that were directly impacted by or involved in the problem and its solution. 

Stakeholders may experience a range of outcomes—some may benefit, while others could face setbacks.

For example, in a business transformation case study, employees could face job relocations or changes in work culture, while shareholders might be looking at potential gains or losses.

Discuss the key results & outcomes

Discuss the results of implementing the solution. Use data and metrics to back up your statements. Did the solution meet its objectives? What impact did it have on the stakeholders? Be honest about any setbacks or areas for improvement as well.

Include visuals to support your analysis

Visual aids can be incredibly effective in helping your audience grasp complex issues. Utilize charts, graphs, images or video clips to supplement your points. Make sure to explain each visual and how it contributes to your overall argument.

Pie charts illustrate the proportion of different components within a whole, useful for visualizing market share, budget allocation or user demographics.

This is particularly useful especially if you’re displaying survey results in your case study presentation.

Stacked charts on the other hand are perfect for visualizing composition and trends. This is great for analyzing things like customer demographics, product breakdowns or budget allocation in your case study.

Consider this example of a stacked bar chart template. It provides a straightforward summary of the top-selling cake flavors across various locations, offering a quick and comprehensive view of the data.

Not the chart you’re looking for? Browse Venngage’s gallery of chart templates to find the perfect one that’ll captivate your audience and level up your data storytelling.

Recommendations and next steps

Wrap up by providing recommendations based on the case study findings. Outline the next steps that stakeholders should take to either expand on the success of the project or address any remaining challenges.

Acknowledgments and references

Thank the people who contributed to the case study and helped in the problem-solving process. Cite any external resources, reports or data sets that contributed to your analysis.

Feedback & Q&A session

Open the floor for questions and feedback from your audience. This allows for further discussion and can provide additional insights that may not have been considered previously.

Closing remarks

Conclude the presentation by summarizing the key points and emphasizing the takeaways. Thank your audience for their time and participation and express your willingness to engage in further discussions or collaborations on the subject.

Well, the length of a case study presentation can vary depending on the complexity of the topic and the needs of your audience. However, a typical business or academic presentation often lasts between 15 to 30 minutes. 

This time frame usually allows for a thorough explanation of the case while maintaining audience engagement. However, always consider leaving a few minutes at the end for a Q&A session to address any questions or clarify points made during the presentation.

When it comes to presenting a compelling case study, having a well-structured template can be a game-changer. 

It helps you organize your thoughts, data and findings in a coherent and visually pleasing manner. 

Not all case studies are created equal and different scenarios require distinct approaches for maximum impact. 

To save you time and effort, I have curated a list of 5 versatile case study presentation templates, each designed for specific needs and audiences. 

Here are some best case study presentation examples that showcase effective strategies for engaging your audience and conveying complex information clearly.

1) Lab report case study template

Ever feel like your research gets lost in a world of endless numbers and jargon? Lab case studies are your way out!

Think of it as building a bridge between your cool experiment and everyone else. It’s more than just reporting results – it’s explaining the “why” and “how” in a way that grabs attention and makes sense.

This lap report template acts as a blueprint for your report, guiding you through each essential section (introduction, methods, results, etc.) in a logical order.

2) Product case study template

It’s time you ditch those boring slideshows and bullet points because I’ve got a better way to win over clients: product case study templates.

Instead of just listing features and benefits, you get to create a clear and concise story that shows potential clients exactly what your product can do for them. It’s like painting a picture they can easily visualize, helping them understand the value your product brings to the table.

Grab the template below, fill in the details, and watch as your product’s impact comes to life!

3) Content marketing case study template

In digital marketing, showcasing your accomplishments is as vital as achieving them. 

A well-crafted case study not only acts as a testament to your successes but can also serve as an instructional tool for others. 

With this coral content marketing case study template—a perfect blend of vibrant design and structured documentation, you can narrate your marketing triumphs effectively.

4) Case study psychology template

Understanding how people tick is one of psychology’s biggest quests and case studies are like magnifying glasses for the mind. They offer in-depth looks at real-life behaviors, emotions and thought processes, revealing fascinating insights into what makes us human.

Writing a top-notch case study, though, can be a challenge. It requires careful organization, clear presentation and meticulous attention to detail. That’s where a good case study psychology template comes in handy.

Think of it as a helpful guide, taking care of formatting and structure while you focus on the juicy content. No more wrestling with layouts or margins – just pour your research magic into crafting a compelling narrative.

5) Lead generation case study template

Lead generation can be a real head-scratcher. But here’s a little help: a lead generation case study.

Think of it like a friendly handshake and a confident resume all rolled into one. It’s your chance to showcase your expertise, share real-world successes and offer valuable insights. Potential clients get to see your track record, understand your approach and decide if you’re the right fit.

No need to start from scratch, though. This lead generation case study template guides you step-by-step through crafting a clear, compelling narrative that highlights your wins and offers actionable tips for others. Fill in the gaps with your specific data and strategies, and voilà! You’ve got a powerful tool to attract new customers.

Related: 15+ Professional Case Study Examples [Design Tips + Templates]

So, you’ve spent hours crafting the perfect case study and are now tasked with presenting it. Crafting the case study is only half the battle; delivering it effectively is equally important. 

Whether you’re facing a room of executives, academics or potential clients, how you present your findings can make a significant difference in how your work is received. 

Forget boring reports and snooze-inducing presentations! Let’s make your case study sing. Here are some key pointers to turn information into an engaging and persuasive performance:

• Know your audience : Tailor your presentation to the knowledge level and interests of your audience. Remember to use language and examples that resonate with them.
• Rehearse : Rehearsing your case study presentation is the key to a smooth delivery and for ensuring that you stay within the allotted time. Practice helps you fine-tune your pacing, hone your speaking skills with good word pronunciations and become comfortable with the material, leading to a more confident, conversational and effective presentation.
• Start strong : Open with a compelling introduction that grabs your audience’s attention. You might want to use an interesting statistic, a provocative question or a brief story that sets the stage for your case study.
• Be clear and concise : Avoid jargon and overly complex sentences. Get to the point quickly and stay focused on your objectives.
• Use visual aids : Incorporate slides with graphics, charts or videos to supplement your verbal presentation. Make sure they are easy to read and understand.
• Tell a story : Use storytelling techniques to make the case study more engaging. A well-told narrative can help you make complex data more relatable and easier to digest.

Ditching the dry reports and slide decks? Venngage’s case study templates let you wow customers with your solutions and gain insights to improve your business plan. Pre-built templates, visual magic and customer captivation – all just a click away. Go tell your story and watch them say “wow!”

Crafting and presenting a case study is a skillful task that requires careful planning and execution. While a well-prepared case study can be a powerful tool for showcasing your successes, educating your audience or encouraging discussion, there are several pitfalls you should avoid to make your presentation as effective as possible. Here are some common mistakes to watch out for:

Overloading with information

A case study is not an encyclopedia. Overloading your presentation with excessive data, text or jargon can make it cumbersome and difficult for the audience to digest the key points. Stick to what’s essential and impactful.

Lack of structure

Jumping haphazardly between points or topics can confuse your audience. A well-structured presentation, with a logical flow from introduction to conclusion, is crucial for effective communication.

Ignoring the audience

Different audiences have different needs and levels of understanding. Failing to adapt your presentation to your audience can result in a disconnect and a less impactful presentation.

Poor visual elements

While content is king, poor design or lack of visual elements can make your case study dull or hard to follow. Make sure you use high-quality images, graphs and other visual aids to support your narrative.

Not focusing on results

A case study aims to showcase a problem and its solution, but what most people care about are the results. Failing to highlight or adequately explain the outcomes can make your presentation fall flat.

How to start a case study presentation?

Starting a case study presentation effectively involves a few key steps:

• Grab attention : Open with a hook—an intriguing statistic, a provocative question or a compelling visual—to engage your audience from the get-go.
• Set the stage : Briefly introduce the subject, context and relevance of the case study to give your audience an idea of what to expect.
• Outline objectives : Clearly state what the case study aims to achieve. Are you solving a problem, proving a point or showcasing a success?
• Agenda : Give a quick outline of the key sections or topics you’ll cover to help the audience follow along.
• Set expectations : Let your audience know what you want them to take away from the presentation, whether it’s knowledge, inspiration or a call to action.

How to present a case study on PowerPoint and on Google Slides?

Presenting a case study on PowerPoint and Google Slides involves a structured approach for clarity and impact using presentation slides:

• Title slide : Start with a title slide that includes the name of the case study, your name and any relevant institutional affiliations.
• Introduction : Follow with a slide that outlines the problem or situation your case study addresses. Include a hook to engage the audience.
• Objectives : Clearly state the goals of the case study in a dedicated slide.
• Findings : Use charts, graphs and bullet points to present your findings succinctly.
• Analysis : Discuss what the findings mean, drawing on supporting data or secondary research as necessary.
• Conclusion : Summarize key takeaways and results.
• Q&A : End with a slide inviting questions from the audience.

What’s the role of analysis in a case study presentation?

The role of analysis in a case study presentation is to interpret the data and findings, providing context and meaning to them. 

It helps your audience understand the implications of the case study, connects the dots between the problem and the solution and may offer recommendations for future action.

Is it important to include real data and results in the presentation?

Yes, including real data and results in a case study presentation is crucial to show experience,  credibility and impact. Authentic data lends weight to your findings and conclusions, enabling the audience to trust your analysis and take your recommendations more seriously

How do I conclude a case study presentation effectively?

To conclude a case study presentation effectively, summarize the key findings, insights and recommendations in a clear and concise manner. 

End with a strong call-to-action or a thought-provoking question to leave a lasting impression on your audience.

What’s the best way to showcase data in a case study presentation ?

The best way to showcase data in a case study presentation is through visual aids like charts, graphs and infographics which make complex information easily digestible, engaging and creative. 

Don’t just report results, visualize them! This template for example lets you transform your social media case study into a captivating infographic that sparks conversation.

Choose the type of visual that best represents the data you’re showing; for example, use bar charts for comparisons or pie charts for parts of a whole. 

Ensure that the visuals are high-quality and clearly labeled, so the audience can quickly grasp the key points. 

Keep the design consistent and simple, avoiding clutter or overly complex visuals that could distract from the message.

Choose a template that perfectly suits your case study where you can utilize different visual aids for maximum impact. 

Need more inspiration on how to turn numbers into impact with the help of infographics? Our ready-to-use infographic templates take the guesswork out of creating visual impact for your case studies with just a few clicks.

Related: 10+ Case Study Infographic Templates That Convert

Congrats on mastering the art of compelling case study presentations! This guide has equipped you with all the essentials, from structure and nuances to avoiding common pitfalls. You’re ready to impress any audience, whether in the boardroom, the classroom or beyond.

And remember, you’re not alone in this journey. Venngage’s Case Study Creator is your trusty companion, ready to elevate your presentations from ordinary to extraordinary. So, let your confidence shine, leverage your newly acquired skills and prepare to deliver presentations that truly resonate.

Go forth and make a lasting impact!

Secrets to a successful case-study interview

January 9, 2023

Prepping for (and maybe fretting) the case-study interview?

While this kind of interview may appear intimidating, consider this: The interviewer really wants you to do well.

So, shake off the nerves, relax and have fun.

Tips for standing out in the case-study interview: 

• Take your time; don't rush it.  Talk through the problem. If you can't make sense of it, take a moment and allow yourself some time to process what you've been missing. If you get stuck, get creative. Don't let yourself get bogged down; rely on your ingenuity. 
• Ask questions.  You can always ask your interviewer to define an acronym or to repeat or confirm details. If the interviewer asks, “How do we achieve success?”, don’t be afraid to ask, “What does ‘success’ mean to you? Is it turning a profit? Raising the company’s profile?” When you work on a client project, you need to ask questions to figure out what the problems might be, and the same applies here. The interviewer is your biggest asset in the room. They have the information you need to “solve the case” successfully. Use them wisely!
• Be flexible.  The focus of a case-study interview may vary. So, be prepared to participate in whatever discussion the interviewer has in mind. They may spend the first half of the interview asking about your previous experience, or they may dive right into the case study at the start. The bottom line: Be flexible, and be ready to discuss the work you do and how you do it.
• Use visual aids.  Don’t be afraid to use pen and paper, sketch out your thoughts, and talk through the problem at hand if it helps you get your ideas across. What matters most is demonstrating that you can solve problems.
• Focus on impact.  Inventory the information you have, and then dive in where you can have the most impact. Don’t forget to discuss your thought process and explain your assumptions.
• Tell a story.  Your experience has helped you progress in your career and education; use that experience. For example, in a business case study, you could bring your experience as a traveler to a case about a hypothetical airline. Your individuality is important. Your unique insights will serve you well when you’re interviewing.
• Pay attention to cues.  If the interviewer says something, it probably means something. Don’t dismiss seemingly extraneous details. For example, the interviewer might say, “The case is about a retailer who wants to increase the value of a company it purchased, and the owner loved the brand when growing up.” The purpose of that detail is to indicate that turning around and selling the asset is not an option for making it profitable, because the owner is attached to it.

Preparing for the job you want can take time, but it’s a worthwhile investment—especially when you receive an offer.

Your ideas, ingenuity and determination make a difference. 

Find your fit  with Accenture. 

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Anaam Zamorano

RECRUITING ASSOCIATE MANAGER, HOUSTON, TEXAS

Ace the Presentation

9 Tips For Delivering A Stellar Case Presentation Interview

A Case study interview is a staple in the recruitment process for firms in the professional services industry, particularly management consulting firms. But recently, many companies use what is called a “case presentation interview” to test more than just the candidate’s ability to crack a case. 

In the past, case presentation interviews (usually the second or third in the interview series) were commonly used in the hiring process of associate-level employees, mostly for working directly with business clients and offering billable services.  

Recently, case presentation interviews are used for analyst-level employees in many healthcare, tech, and e-commerce consulting firms. 

In this article, you will learn what skills a case presentation interviewer is looking for, the biggest challenge of a case presentation interview, the major tips you can use to ace your case presentation interview and land your dream job! + a bonus Insightful video with tons of examples for consulting case interviews.

What is a case presentation interview?

Also called a case study presentation interview is an advanced phase of the interview process where the interviewee is asked to solve a business problem, given little time and information about the problem. Generally, the case is presented to the hiring manager and his peers.

Case Presentation Interviews usually follow this process:

• A packet of information that contains the prompt and data is handed to the candidate
• Then he/she is given some time (either on-site at the firm or his/her home) to review this information and create a presentation of their insight (either using PowerPoint or manually)
• The candidate then presents their findings or insights to the interviewer(s)
• The interviewer(s) would then ask questions during and after the presentation. 

What skills are the interviewer looking for during a case presentation interview?

• Problem-solving skills 
• Presentation (and PowerPoint) skills
• Verbal reasoning skills
• Communication skills
• Collaborative skills
• Business skills 

In most cases, case study presentation interviews expose these skills in a way that traditional case interviews cannot. 

The ultimate goal of the interview is not necessarily to see if the person being interviewed can solve the business problem (although, very important), but to see if they can think on their feet, reason like a consultant, communicate their insights effectively before clients and/or the CEOs. 

A case presentation is also very important to see if the numbers they produce are both logical and valid. 

A case presentation interview is an interviewee’s opportunity to prove to their interviewer that their soft skills and analytical skills are relevant within a realistic business context. 

There are always maths problems in case presentation interviews, and the interviewer expects that he/she is walked through the problem-solving and decision-making process. 

In many firms, the case presentation interview is often carried out as a group assessment exercise. When this happens, the candidates are handed briefing materials about a business issue, then asked to collaborate, discuss and proffer a solution to the issue. While this goes on, the interviewer(s) sit silently and watch as silent observers. 

This form of interview is used to assess the candidates’ commercial awareness, analytical thinking, communication skills, and collaboration skills. 

Highly Recommended Next Articles to Read:

What makes a Good Job Interview Presentation?

10 DOs and Don’ts for Job Interview Presentations

What is the biggest difficulty in case presentation interviews?

Time management tops the list of difficulties that would be faced during a case presentation interview. The firm often provides the interview candidate with a large set of data and extrinsic information. 

It would be a complete waste of time if the candidate tries to read through the details. It is much wiser for the candidate to form an opinion first and fast, and then find the data that is needed to support their thought.

9 Tips on how to deliver an excellent Case Presentation Interview

• Polish your “mental math” skills before the interview
• Use traditional case interview prompts as practice interviews
• Keep up with the industry and research the firm
• You must use structure just the same way it would be used in a regular case interview
• Take advantage of the case interview structure
• Don’t be scared if you get stuck
• You must remain confident as you deliver your presentation
• You must skillfully manage the limited time they have
• If you’re in doubt, reschedule the interview
• Polish your “mental math” skills before the interview: 

You have to prepare extensively for your case presentation interview, and one of the ways you can do this is by brushing up on your mental maths skills. 

The chances you are given a calculator for a case presentation interview are very low, and you want to make sure that you can solve addition, subtraction, division, and multiplication problems without using a calculator. 

You can do this by randomly giving yourself a short but budgeted time to solve semi-difficult maths problems without using a calculator.

• Use traditional case interview prompts as practise interviews:

You can use information from case books as practice just so that can get ahead of the curve. It would also be wise for you to extract just the prompt and data as many case books already come with answer keys. 

We recommend that you get a friend or a “study buddy” who is quite knowledgeable about case presentation interviews to help you through this process.

• Keep up with the industry and research the firm:

Be fully aware of new industry trends because you never know what industry your case presentation interview question may come from. 

There are three things you can do to help yourself:

• First, keep a tab of the attributes specific to certain industries (e.g., in the airline industry, the travel classes are different, significant driver costs include union and fuel, and there is high market competition on pricing).
• Second, be current with business news; the economist, Harvard business review are two magazines you might want to pay monthly attention to stay informed on the major company and industry trends. 
• Thirdly, everybody knows that researching the firm they are applying to is the biggest key to landing their dream jobs. But the more the interviews, the more the information you need to know about the firm, and case presentation interviews are usually the third in the recruitment process. 

While case presentation interviews are not held like traditional interviews where the interviewer and candidate discuss extensively, it is still important to know as much about the firm as you can find. 

The amount of knowledge you have acquired about the company will help you discover their style and know their archetypes. You would be able to solve the business issue in a way that they normally would recommend. 

• You must use structure just the same way it would be used in a regular case interview:

This is probably the most important point. Using structure will save you a lot of time during the interview process. 

You can use these four easy steps to create structure:

• Create an issue tree, using it as the basis for your structure. 
• Ensure the issue tree is MECE (Mutually Exclusive and Collectively Exhaustive)
• Concentrate on and prioritize high impact issues
• For your conclusion, use the pyramid principle. 

Ensure that you think properly about the framework that you need to include in the key categories. You also need to think properly about the data that would be needed to test the hypothesis. 

Although it is said often that some of the best candidates create their unique framework for each case, here are examples of common frameworks that can be trusted and used:

• The Pricing Framework
• The Profitability Framework
• The 4 P’s (Product, Price, Promotion, and Place)
• The 3C’s (Companies, Customers, Competitors) + Business Situation Framework
• New Product Framework
• New Market Framework
• Mergers and Acquisition (M & A) Framework
• Porter’s Five Forces

Regardless of the choice of framework or data, ensure all your steps are logical and that your thought process flows unhindered. 

Unknown to many case presentation interview candidates, a case presentation interview question packet already has all the data that they need right before their faces- this is one of the biggest advantages of case presentation interviews.  

Most traditional case interviews pose as difficult because the relevant data has to be mined; this is not the case for case presentation interviews, the limited information supplied to the interviewee contains everything they need. Once you form your hypothesis, you can cut right to the chase and start testing instantly to see what direction you should head towards. 

If you feel like anxiety is taking over because you’re stuck, during the case presentation interview, do the following:

• Relax, take a deep breath, and drink some water. 
• For a minute or two, close your eyes and see the bigger picture with clarity- think about the information that you have and the information that you need. Scribble the information you need on a working sheet and outline how you can acquire this information. 
• Check to see if the information or data that was given to you has new relevance
• You can think out loud: this will help you air your thought and structure your thought process. 

While you might have put in all the hard work in preparation and creating their presentation, it would be an absolute waste of effort if you deliver the presentation shakily. 

As mentioned above, the interviewers are not solely looking to see if you proffered a solution to the business problem, they’re also assessing and judging your confidence, they want to see how you would perform in a real consulting scenario. Practice public speaking often to prepare for the presentation stage of the case presentation interview. 

It is highly recommended that you budget your time into small task portions. As mentioned above, the most difficult part of a case presentation interview is time management. Properly allocate time for each task during the interview process.

Just so you know, whether the allotted time is 30 minutes or 2 hours, it would go by very quickly, hence the need for a time budget. Interviewers often understand the limited time constraints, but you must move on from spending your time analyzing the information and draw out their presentation quickly.

Rescheduling should be used as a last resort, but if it needs to be done, suggest an alternative day by yourself and make sure you only reschedule once.

If you are not fully prepared for your case presentation interview or your confidence is generally low about your chances of acing it. You can contact the firm and inform them that you need to reschedule without giving out too many details. 

Transparency is an impressive quality to many firms, and they would be impressed by your honesty. 

Case Interview for Beginners Video

M Consulting Prep has a simple, easy to understand, and comprehensive 13 min video for beginners on case interviews. Titled: Case Interview 101 – A great introduction to Consulting Case Study Interviews . I highly recommend it for getting examples of case interviews logic, structure, etc.

Case Presentation interviews are genuinely hard for many candidates, and cramming for this type of interview is definitely out of the question. 

Regardless of how difficult it may seem to be, relax, and have fun with it. As long as you did your best to fully prepare, leaving no stone unturned, you will be fine.

At the end of the process, the interviewer would identify some of the many great traits you possess, such as your business intuition skills, communication skills, and analytical acumen. 

With this, chances are very high that both you and the firm reach a mutual realization and an agreement if the firm and the role are great for you. 

We hope that this article has helped simplify the preparation process – one way or the other. Check back soon for more tips and guides on a similar subject matter. 

References and Further Reading

Management Consulted. Case Presentation Interview: The new Style of Case Interviews

Case Interview: Improving Case Interview Presentation Skills

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Home Blog Business How to Present a Case Study: Examples and Best Practices

How to Present a Case Study: Examples and Best Practices

Marketers, consultants, salespeople, and all other types of business managers often use case study analysis to highlight a success story, showing how an exciting problem can be or was addressed. But how do you create a compelling case study and then turn it into a memorable presentation? Get a lowdown from this post! 

Table of Content s

• Why Case Studies are a Popular Marketing Technique 

Popular Case Study Format Types

How to write a case study: a 4-step framework, how to do a case study presentation: 3 proven tips, how long should a case study be, final tip: use compelling presentation visuals, business case study examples, what is a case study .

Let’s start with this great case study definition by the University of South Caroline:

In the social sciences, the term case study refers to both a method of analysis and a specific research design for examining a problem, both of which can generalize findings across populations.

In simpler terms — a case study is investigative research into a problem aimed at presenting or highlighting solution(s) to the analyzed issues.

A standard business case study provides insights into:

• General business/market conditions 
• The main problem faced 
• Methods applied 
• The outcomes gained using a specific tool or approach

Case studies (also called case reports) are also used in clinical settings to analyze patient outcomes outside of the business realm. 

But this is a topic for another time. In this post, we’ll focus on teaching you how to write and present a business case, plus share several case study PowerPoint templates and design tips! 

Why Case Studies are a Popular Marketing Technique 

Besides presenting a solution to an internal issue, case studies are often used as a content marketing technique . According to a 2020 Content Marketing Institute report, 69% of B2B marketers use case studies as part of their marketing mix.

A case study informs the reader about a possible solution and soft-sells the results, which can be achieved with your help (e.g., by using your software or by partnering with your specialist). 

For the above purpose, case studies work like a charm. Per the same report: 

• For 9% of marketers, case studies are also the best method for nurturing leads. 
• 23% admit that case studies are beneficial for improving conversions. 

Moreover, case studies also help improve your brand’s credibility, especially in the current fake news landscape and dubious claims made without proper credit. 

Ultimately, case studies naturally help build up more compelling, relatable stories and showcase your product benefits through the prism of extra social proof, courtesy of the case study subject. 

Most case studies come either as a slide deck or as a downloadable PDF document. 

Typically, you have several options to distribute your case study for maximum reach:

• Case study presentations — in-person, virtual, or pre-recorded, there are many times when a case study presentation comes in handy. For example, during client workshops, sales pitches, networking events, conferences, trade shows, etc. 
• Dedicated website page — highlighting case study examples on your website is a great way to convert middle-on-the-funnel prospects. Google’s Think With Google case study section is a great example of a web case study design done right.

• Blog case studies — data-driven storytelling is a staunch way to stand apart from your competition by providing unique insights, no other brand can tell. 
• Video case studies — video is a great medium for showcasing more complex business cases and celebrating customer success stories.

Once you decide on your case study format, the next step is collecting data and then translating it into a storyline. There are different case study methods and research approaches you can use to procure data. 

But let’s say you already have all your facts straight and need to organize them in a clean copy for your presentation deck. Here’s how you should do it. 

1. Identify the Problem 

Every compelling case study research starts with a problem statement definition. While in business settings, there’s no need to explain your methodology in-depth; you should still open your presentation with a quick problem recap slide.

Be sure to mention: 

• What’s the purpose of the case study? What will the audience learn? 
• Set the scene. Explain the before, aka the problems someone was facing. 
• Advertise the main issues and findings without highlighting specific details.

The above information should nicely fit in several paragraphs or 2-3 case study template slides

2. Explain the Solution 

The bulk of your case study copy and presentation slides should focus on the provided solution(s). This is the time to speak at length about how the subject went from before to the glorious after. 

Here are some writing prompts to help you articulate this better:

• State the subject’s main objective and goals. What outcomes were they after?
• Explain the main solution(s) provided. What was done? Why this, but not that? 
• Mention if they tried any alternatives. Why did those work? Why were you better?

This part may take the longest to write. Don’t rush it and reiterate several times. Sprinkle in some powerful words and catchphrases to make your copy more compelling.

3. Collect Testimonials 

Persuasive case studies feature the voice of customer (VoC) data — first-party testimonials and assessments of how well the solution works. These provide extra social proof and credibility to all the claims you are making. 

So plan and schedule interviews with your subjects to collect their input and testimonials. Also, design your case study interview questions in a way that lets you obtain quantifiable results.

4. Package The Information in a Slide Deck

Once you have a rough first draft, try different business case templates and designs to see how these help structure all the available information. 

As a rule of thumb, try to keep one big idea per slide. If you are talking about a solution, first present the general bullet points. Then give each solution a separate slide where you’ll provide more context and perhaps share some quantifiable results.

For example, if you look at case study presentation examples from AWS like this one about Stripe , you’ll notice that the slide deck has few texts and really focuses on the big picture, while the speaker provides extra context.

Need some extra case study presentation design help? Download our Business Case Study PowerPoint template with 100% editable slides. 

Your spoken presentation (and public speaking skills ) are equally if not more important than the case study copy and slide deck. To make a strong business case, follow these quick techniques. 

Focus on Telling a Great Story

A case study is a story of overcoming a challenge, and achieving something grand. Your delivery should reflect that. Step away from the standard “features => benefits” sales formula. Instead, make your customer the hero of the study. Describe the road they went through and how you’ve helped them succeed. 

The premises of your story can be as simple as:

• Help with overcoming a hurdle
• Gaining major impact
• Reaching a new milestone
• Solving a persisting issue no one else code 

Based on the above, create a clear story arc. Show where your hero started. Then explain what type of journey they went through. Inject some emotions into the mix to make your narrative more relatable and memorable. 

Experiment with Copywriting Formulas 

Copywriting is the art and science of organizing words into compelling and persuasive combinations that help readers retain the right ideas. 

To ensure that the audience retains the right takeaways from your case study presentation, you can try using some of the classic copywriting formulas to structure your delivery. These include:

• AIDCA — short for A ttention, I nterest, D esire, C onviction, and A ction. First, grab the audience’s attention by addressing the major problem. Next, pique their interest with some teaser facts. Spark their desire by showing that you know the right way out. Then, show a conviction that you know how to solve the issue—finally, prompt follow-up action such as contacting you to learn more. 
• PADS — is short for Problem, Agitation, Discredit, or Solution. This is more of a sales approach to case study narration. Again, you start with a problem, agitate about its importance, discredit why other solutions won’t cut it, and then present your option. 
• 4Ps — short for P roblem, P romise, P roof, P roposal. This is a middle-ground option that prioritizes storytelling over hard pitches. Set the scene first with a problem. Then make a promise of how you can solve it. Show proof in the form of numbers, testimonials, and different scenarios. Round it up with a proposal for getting the same outcomes. 

Take an Emotion-Inducing Perspective

The key to building a strong rapport with an audience is showing that you are one of them and fully understand what they are going through. 

One of the ways to build this connection is by speaking from an emotion-inducing perspective. This is best illustrated with an example: 

• A business owner went to the bank
• A business owner came into a bank branch 

In the second case, the wording prompts listeners to paint a mental picture from the perspective of the bank employees — a role you’d like them to relate to. By placing your audience in the right visual perspective, you can make them more receptive to your pitches. 

One common question that arises when creating a case study is determining its length. The length of a case study can vary depending on the complexity of the problem and the level of detail you want to provide. Here are some general guidelines to help you decide how long your case study should be:

• Concise and Informative: A good case study should be concise and to the point. Avoid unnecessary fluff and filler content. Focus on providing valuable information and insights.
• Tailor to Your Audience: Consider your target audience when deciding the length. If you’re presenting to a technical audience, you might include more in-depth technical details. For a non-technical audience, keep it more high-level and accessible.
• Cover Key Points: Ensure that your case study covers the key points effectively. These include the problem statement, the solution, and the outcomes. Provide enough information for the reader to understand the context and the significance of your case.
• Visuals: Visual elements such as charts, graphs, images, and diagrams can help convey information more effectively. Use visuals to supplement your written content and make complex information easier to understand.
• Engagement: Keep your audience engaged. A case study that is too long may lose the reader’s interest. Make sure the content is engaging and holds the reader’s attention throughout.
• Consider the Format: Depending on the format you choose (e.g., written document, presentation, video), the ideal length may vary. For written case studies, aim for a length that can be easily read in one sitting.

In general, a written case study for business purposes often falls in the range of 1,000 to 2,000 words. However, this is not a strict rule, and the length can be shorter or longer based on the factors mentioned above.

Our brain is wired to process images much faster than text. So when you are presenting a case study, always look for an opportunity to tie in some illustrations such as: 

• A product demo/preview
• Processes chart 
• Call-out quotes or numbers
• Custom illustrations or graphics 
• Customer or team headshots 

Use icons to minimize the volume of text. Also, opt for readable fonts that can look good in a smaller size too.

To better understand how to create an effective business case study, let’s explore some examples of successful case studies:

Apple Inc.: Apple’s case study on the launch of the iPhone is a classic example. It covers the problem of a changing mobile phone market, the innovative solution (the iPhone), and the outstanding outcomes, such as market dominance and increased revenue.

Tesla, Inc.: Tesla’s case study on electric vehicles and sustainable transportation is another compelling example. It addresses the problem of environmental concerns and the need for sustainable transportation solutions. The case study highlights Tesla’s electric cars as the solution and showcases the positive impact on reducing carbon emissions.

Amazon.com: Amazon’s case study on customer-centricity is a great illustration of how the company transformed the e-commerce industry. It discusses the problem of customer dissatisfaction with traditional retail, Amazon’s customer-focused approach as the solution, and the remarkable outcomes in terms of customer loyalty and market growth.

Coca-Cola: Coca-Cola’s case study on brand evolution is a valuable example. It outlines the challenge of adapting to changing consumer preferences and demographics. The case study demonstrates how Coca-Cola continually reinvented its brand to stay relevant and succeed in the global market.

Airbnb: Airbnb’s case study on the sharing economy is an intriguing example. It addresses the problem of travelers seeking unique and affordable accommodations. The case study presents Airbnb’s platform as the solution and highlights its impact on the hospitality industry and the sharing economy.

These examples showcase the diversity of case studies in the business world and how they effectively communicate problems, solutions, and outcomes. When creating your own business case study, use these examples as inspiration and tailor your approach to your specific industry and target audience.

Finally, practice your case study presentation several times — solo and together with your team — to collect feedback and make last-minute refinements! 

1. Business Case Study PowerPoint Template

To efficiently create a Business Case Study it’s important to ask all the right questions and document everything necessary, therefore this PowerPoint Template will provide all the sections you need.

Use This Template

2. Medical Case Study PowerPoint Template

3. Medical Infographics PowerPoint Templates

4. Success Story PowerPoint Template

5. Detective Research PowerPoint Template

6. Animated Clinical Study PowerPoint Templates

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How to Conduct a High-Value Case Study Interview (And 4 Mistakes To Avoid)

Let’s talk about case study interviews.

Case studies allow brands to demonstrate exactly how they can help resolve specific pain points, how customers are using their products or tools, and an exact example of what kind of results people can expect. 

This is important because plenty of businesses make big claims, trying to outshine their competition. There isn’t a marketing agency out there that won’t promise to get you more reach or a law firm that doesn’t like to appear confident in their ability to win cases.

Every brand will proclaim that they can best solve their customer’s needs, but those claims on their own rarely mean much. They want to know that you can live up to what you promise, and seeing case studies from existing clients can win them over.

To create high-value case studies that can help you attract and convert customers, it only makes sense that you’ll need to start with a killer interview.

In this post, we’re going to look at how to conduct a case study interview that will help you create high-value case studies to draw attention and quality leads to your business.

Why Interviewing Clients Directly for Case Studies Is So Important 

We’re all busy, so it can be tempting to put off case studies or relegate the case study interviews to a quick Google form that asks specific questions.

While you can create basic case studies off of this information, especially if you only want to showcase quick results, it won’t be nearly as impactful as case studies created off of more in-depth interviews.

These interviews can take place by email, phone, Zoom, or in person, but the idea is that there is plenty of room for open discussion. Actual interviews can help you go beyond basic information so that you can get to the story and the pain points of how your clients have been impacted. 

There’s also a great chance that they’ll share more during an open conversation that can be a crucial component to the case study that they may not have thought to share on a form because you may not have thought to ask. 

Strong case study interviews are an essential part of creating dynamic, engaging content that can actually convince your target audience that you’re the right business to purchase from.

How to Prepare for Case Study Interviews 

Conducting a rocking case study interview all comes down to great preparation, so let’s take a look at how to do exactly this. 

Think About Your Target Audience’s Pain Points 

Before you start formulating your case study interview questions, you want to think about what you want your case studies to convey. 

Case studies allow you to go beyond sharing simple results (which are powerful enough on their own and should still be an important part of the content), allowing you to dive into more nuance to address the pain points of potential leads fully. 

For example, a virtual phone line company may want to consider going beyond stressing their 99% service uptimes and touch on additional features they offer. Emphasizing that offer call scheduling to give business owners more of their time back on an automated basis, for example. 

This case study from AdEspresso is an excellent example of what to look at when considering your audience’s pain points. There’s a client who ran highly seasonal campaigns who didn’t want to leverage discounts to drive sales to keep it fair for pre-order customers. It discusses her specific challenges and pain points and addresses the overall solution instead of simply listing results. 

As pain points can be a crucial part of writing compelling case studies , break down your audience’s niches and different needs that they may have. You can ask your interviewee questions that can help you tap into the pain points for the case study. We’ll look at specific questions for how to tackle this in a moment.

Expect Interviewee Objections 

When you first reach out to a potential case study subject and start discussing the idea of featuring their brand, know that you may encounter objections from the subject themselves.

They may be alright with you using some part of their story, strategy, or results while still being concerned about protecting their own or their business’s privacy. 

As a content marketer, for example, I know exactly how many of my posts are performing across some of my client sites, how much they drive in revenue, how much traffic they’re getting, and what’s bringing them there. 

A client may be okay with me talking about working with them or sharing samples but might be less than thrilled about me divulging information about their specific site pattern trends, the custom-for-them strategy we used, or their revenue. For example, the case study from SEMRush below is extremel y specific; not all clients may be comfortable with this.

Be prepared for this before you reach out, and consider what you can do to accommodate requests. These objections may arise before the case study interview, but they may pop up during as well.

Here are a few examples of common workarounds: 

• Instead of saying that my post for Bob’s Blog helped the site go from $100 in revenue to $200, I can say that it doubled the revenue or doubled conversion rates (whatever is accurate).
• Maybe I can share the general strategy I used for Bob’s blog without actually naming them and omitting key identifying details, like the keywords used. 
• They may be alright with you sharing the detailed strategy and general results (2x conversion rate instead of 5.6% conversion rate) and the brand name , OR they may only be okay with sharing their story and results. 

Each client is different and comfortable with sharing different information. While it is typically most beneficial to be able to name the client’s brand name, if this isn’t an option consider settling for a more specific industry tag like “a client in the women’s sustainable fashion industry” instead.

Watch what our customers say

“Life before Breadcrumbs was, I think you could call it the Dark Ages. We started with an SLA of two days to a week sometimes. And we’re getting within the 10 to 5-minute mark. So that’s so exciting for us.”

Christie Horsman, VP of Marketing, Thinkific

Ready Your Case Study Interview Questions 

After you’ve thought about potential objections and any key notes you really want to focus on with your case study, you can put together your case study interview questions.

We’ll discuss specific case study interview questions and templates a bit later on, but prepare these in advance. Ideally, research each individual case study subject in advance and try to ask questions that will be relevant to them. 

This is important- write your questions down, even if you’ll be having a phone call. Organize them with the natural progression you expect the call or conversation to take so you don’t lose your train of thought, and check back before the call is over to make sure you’ve asked everything you need to.

At the end of the interview, ask if there’s anything else they’d like to share. Don’t forget this: some of the best parts of case studies can surprise the interviewer at the time!

Look for a Story 

When you’re putting together your questions and interviewing the case study subject, keep your eyes open for a “story.” 

Stories don’t have to be long and complex; they should center your brand whenever possible. 

If your automation software helps a business owner save time, that’s an appealing benefit. But if they’re happy to share that it meant that they could put more time into expanding their business or that they could be at home more with their newborn child, that takes a simple fact and makes it more emotionally compelling. 

You can build an entire case study around a great story, and you can see exactly how effective this is with the headline of this case study from Freshbooks , reading “How Freshbooks Helped Marc Keep His New Year’s Resolution.

4 Case Study Interview Mistakes to Avoid

When you’re preparing for and conducting case study interviews, there are a few common mistakes that you’ll want to avoid. These can cause you to miss out on potential interviews or lessen the impact of the interviews themselves.

Make sure to avoid the following mistakes:

• Using a single form that’s emailed to case study subjects. Whenever possible, back-and-forth conversations can typically yield much more dynamic case studies. While some clients may firmly want to stick to email, try to opt for zoom calls or at least several emails if you can. 
• Not being clear on what information you can use in the case study. Make sure they know that you’ll publish it on your site, and get their permission in writing (email is fine!) to feature them and their results. It’s considered a good practice to let the client review the case study before you publish it if they’re concerned. 
• Trying to shoehorn a client into a predetermined story. I once worked with another content writer on a case study project, and during the interview, it was so clear they were trying to fit a subject’s experience into this perfect story the writer had concocted. This typically doesn’t work, however, and it can prevent you from finding the great and unique parts of each individual’s story and success. Go in with an open mind if you can. 
• Skipping small talk. If you go in all-business, the case study subject may be more likely to answer only what’s asked. When you start on the basis of enjoying the conversation, however, they’ll share more, and that can be where the magic happens.

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Case Study Interview Examples: What This May Look Like 

Need a case study interview template with plenty of questions to draw inspiration from? What you ask will vary depending on your industry, your client, and the type of case study you want to create, but there are some set questions you should ask across the board.

It’s good to break these down into different sections while asking open-ended questions so that there’s plenty of room for the subject to share more. 

Start by asking about the brand with questions like the following:

• “Can you tell me about your brand and what you do?”
• “Is there anything you’d like us to make sure our readers know about your brand?”

Then move on to asking about how they use the product and their challenges. Some case study interview questions for this may include:

• “Why did you decide to use our brand/product/service? What feature made you choose us?”
• “What pain points and challenges did you have before coming to us?”
• “Have you tried other solutions before? If so, why did you decide to come to us?”

Next, focus on process and results:

• “Can you tell us how you’ve used our product/service and how it’s helped your business?”
• “What results did you get? Did it speed up your team/improve efficiency/drive more results/improve health/ insert use case here?”
• How long were you able to maintain these results, and how did the results help you?

Final Thoughts 

A case study interview can seem like a daunting task, but with a little bit of research ahead of time, it can be a smooth process that can yield exceptional information for outstanding case studies. Remember that case studies can only be as strong as the information you have, so the importance of a great interview can’t be overstated.

For best results, take a look at a few case studies online that you liked as a customer, and think about what you’d need to ask in order to get that information. That can help you cover your bases and ensure that you’re asking everything you need to.

Interested in identifying and converting potential high-value leads? Breadcrumbs can help. Start for free today!

2 thoughts on “How to Conduct a High-Value Case Study Interview (And 4 Mistakes To Avoid)”

Very insightful tips on how to make case study interviews. Case studies can be crucial when it comes to testimonials of your product’s success and it can be tricky to ask the right questions – and avoid mistakes!

I’ve been researching about this topic for a while – thanks for the detailed plan you set out in this article about how to conduct case study interviews. Not only mistakes to avoid but also a communications plan to explain the benefits to clients giving interviews for case studies.

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• Case Interview: A comprehensive guide
• Pyramid Principle
• Hypothesis driven structure
• Fit Interview
• Consulting math
• The key to landing your consulting job
• What is a case interview?
• What do I need to learn to solve cases?
• How do I practice for case interviews?
• Fit interviews
• Interview day - what to expect, with tips
• How we can help

1. The key to landing your consulting job.

Case interviews - where you are asked to solve a business case study under scrutiny - are the core of the selection process right across McKinsey, Bain and BCG (the “MBB” firms). This interview format is also used pretty much universally across other high-end consultancies; including LEK, Kearney, Oliver Wyman and the consulting wings of the “Big Four”.

If you want to land a job at any of these firms, you will have to ace multiple case interviews.

It is increasingly likely that you will also have to solve online cases given by chatbots etc. You might need to pass these before making it to interview or be asked to sit them alongside first round interviews.

Importantly, case studies aren’t something you can just wing . Firms explicitly expect you to have thoroughly prepared and many of your competitors on interview day will have been prepping for months.

Don’t worry though - MCC is here to help!

This article will take you through a full overview of everything you’ll need to know to do well, linking to more detailed articles and resources at each stage to let you really drill down into the details.

As well as traditional case interviews, we’ll also attend to the new formats in which cases are being delivered and otherwise make sure you’re up to speed with recent trends in this overall part of consulting recruitment.

Before we can figure out how to prepare for a case interview, though, we will first have to properly understand in detail what exactly you are up against. What format does a standard consulting case interview take? What is expected of you? How will you be assessed?

Let's dive right in and find out!

Professional help

Before going further, if this sounds like a lot to get your head around on your own, don't worry - help is available!

Our Case Academy course gives you everything you need to know to crack cases like a pro:

Case Academy Course

To put what you learn into practice (and secure some savings in the process) you can add mock interview coaching sessions with expereinced MBB consultants:

Coaching options

And, if you just want an experienced consultant to take charge of the whole selection process for you, you can check out our comprehensive mentoring programmes:

Explore mentoring

Now, back to the article!

2. What is a case interview?

Before we can hope to tackle a case interview, we have to understand what one is.

In short, a case interview simulates real consulting work by having you solve a business case study in conversation with your interviewer.

This case study will be a business problem where you have to advise a client - that is, an imaginary business or similar organisation in need of guidance.

You must help this client solve a problem and/or make a decision. This requires you to analyse the information you are given about that client organisation and figure out a final recommendation for what they should do next.

Business problems in general obviously vary in difficulty. Some are quite straightforward and can be addressed with fairly standard solutions. However, consulting firms exist precisely to solve the tough issues that businesses have failed to deal with internally - and so consultants will typically work on complex, idiosyncratic problems requiring novel solutions.

Some examples of case study questions might be:

• How much would you pay for a banking licence in Ghana?
• Estimate the potential value of the electric vehicle market in Germany
• How much gas storage capacity should a UK domestic energy supplier build?

Consulting firms need the brightest minds they can find to put to work on these important, difficult projects. You can expect the case studies you have to solve in interview, then, to echo the unique, complicated problems consultancies deal with every day. As we’ll explain here, this means that you need to be ready to think outside the box to figure out genuinely novel solutions.

2.1. What skills do case interviews assess?

Reliably impressing your interviewers means knowing what they are looking for. This means understanding the skills you are being assessed against in some detail.

Overall, it’s important always to remember that, with case studies, there are no strict right or wrong answers. What really matters is how you think problems through, how confident you are with your conclusions and how quick you are with the back of the envelope arithmetic.

The objective of this kind of interview isn’t to get to one particular solution, but to assess your skillset. This is even true of modern online cases, where sophisticated AI algorithms score how you work as well as the solutions you generate.

If you visit McKinsey , Bain and BCG web pages on case interviews, you will find that the three firms look for very similar traits, and the same will be true of other top consultancies.

Broadly speaking, your interviewer will be evaluating you across five key areas:

2.1.1.One: Probing mind

Showing intellectual curiosity by asking relevant and insightful questions that demonstrate critical thinking and a proactive nature. For instance, if we are told that revenues for a leading supermarket chain have been declining over the last ten years, a successful candidate would ask:

“ We know revenues have declined. This could be due to price or volume. Do we know how they changed over the same period? ”

This is as opposed to a laundry list of questions like:

• Did customers change their preferences?
• Which segment has shown the decline in volume?
• Is there a price war in the industry?

2.1.2. Two: Structure

Structure in this context means structuring a problem. This, in turn, means creating a framework - that is, a series of clear, sequential steps in order to get to a solution.

As with the case interview in general, the focus with case study structures isn’t on reaching a solution, but on how you get there.

This is the trickiest part of the case interview and the single most common reason candidates fail.

We discuss how to properly structure a case in more detail in section three. In terms of what your interviewer is looking for at high level, though, key pieces of your structure should be:

• Proper understanding of the objective of the case - Ask yourself: "What is the single crucial piece of advice that the client absolutely needs?"
• Identification of the drivers - Ask yourself: "What are the key forces that play a role in defining the outcome?"

Our Problem Driven Structure method, discussed in section three, bakes this approach in at a fundamental level. This is as opposed to the framework-based approach you will find in older case-solving

Focus on going through memorised sequences of steps too-often means failing to develop a full understanding of the case and the real key drivers.

At this link, we run through a case to illustrate the difference between a standard framework-based approach and our Problem Driven Structure method.

2.1.3. Three: Problem Solving

You’ll be tested on your ability to identify problems and drivers, isolate causes and effects, demonstrate creativity and prioritise issues. In particular, the interviewer will look for the following skills:

• Prioritisation - Can you distinguish relevant and irrelevant facts?
• Connecting the dots - Can you connect new facts and evidence to the big picture?
• Establishing conclusions - Can you establish correct conclusions without rushing to inferences not supported by evidence?

2.1.4. Four: Numerical Agility

In case interviews, you are expected to be quick and confident with both precise and approximated numbers. This translates to:

• Performing simple calculations quickly - Essential to solve cases quickly and impress clients with quick estimates and preliminary conclusions.
• Analysing data - Extract data from graphs and charts, elaborate and draw insightful conclusions.
• Solving business problems - Translate a real world case to a mathematical problem and solve it.

Our article on consulting math is a great resource here, though the extensive math content in our MCC Academy is the best and most comprehensive material available.

2.1.5. Five: Communication

Real consulting work isn’t just about the raw analysis to come up with a recommendation - this then needs to be sold to the client as the right course of action.

Similarly, in a case interview, you must be able to turn your answer into a compelling recommendation. This is just as essential to impressing your interviewer as your structure and analysis.

Consultants already comment on how difficult it is to find candidates with the right communication skills. Add to this the current direction of travel, where AI will be able to automate more and more of the routine analytic side of consulting, and communication becomes a bigger and bigger part of what consultants are being paid for.

So, how do you make sure that your recommendations are relevant, smart, and engaging? The answer is to master what is known as CEO-level communication .

This art of speaking like a CEO can be quite challenging, as it often involves presenting information in effectively the opposite way to how you might normally.

To get it right, there are three key areas to focus on in your communications:

• Top down : A CEO wants to hear the key message first. They will only ask for more details if they think that will actually be useful. Always consider what is absolutely critical for the CEO to know, and start with that. You can read more in our article on the Pyramid Principle .
• Concise : This is not the time for "boiling the ocean" or listing an endless number possible solutions. CEOs, and thus consultants, want a structured, quick and concise recommendation for their business problem, that they can implement immediately.
• Fact-based : Consultants share CEOs' hatred of opinions based on gut feel rather than facts. They want recommendations based on facts to make sure they are actually in control. Always go on to back up your conclusions with the relevant facts.

For more detail on all this, check out our full article on delivering recommendations .

Prep the right way

2.2. where are case interviews in the consulting selection process.

Not everyone who applies to a consulting firm will have a case interview - far from it!

In fact, case interviews are pretty expensive and inconvenient for firms to host, requiring them to take consultants off active projects and even fly them back to the office from location for in-person interviews. Ideally, firms want to cut costs and save time by narrowing down the candidate pool as much as possible before any live interviews.

As such, there are some hoops to jump through before you make it to interview rounds.

Firms will typically eliminate as much as 80% of the applicant pool before interviews start. For most firms, 50%+ of applicants might be cut based on resumes, before a similar cut is made on those remaining based on aptitude tests. McKinsey currently gives their Solve assessment to most applicants, but will use their resulting test scores alongside resumes to cut 70%+ of the candidate pool before interviews.

You'll need to be on top of your game to get as far as an interview with a top firm. Getting through the resume screen and any aptitude tests is an achievement in itself!

For readers not yet embroiled in the selection process themselves, let’s put case interviews in context and take a quick look at each stage in turn. Importantly, note that you might also be asked to solve case studies outside interviews as well…

2.2.1. Application screen

It’s sometimes easy to forget that such a large cut is made at the application stage. At larger firms, this will mean your resume and cover letter is looked at by some combination of AI tools, recruitment staff and junior consulting staff (often someone from your own university).

Only the best applications will be passed to later stages, so make sure to check out our free resume and cover letter guides, and potentially get help with editing , to give yourself the best chance possible.

2.2.2. Aptitude tests and online cases

This part of the selection process has been changing quickly in recent years and is increasingly beginning to blur into the traditionally separate case interview rounds.

In the past, GMAT or PST style tests were the norm. Firms then used increasingly sophisticated and often gamified aptitude tests, like the Pymetrics test currently used by several firms, including BCG and Bain, and the original version of McKinsey’s Solve assessment (then branded as the Problem Solving Game).

Now, though, there is a move towards delivering relatively sophisticated case studies online. For example, McKinsey has replaced half the old Solve assessment with an online case. BCG’s Casey chatbot case now directly replaces a live first round case interview, and in the new era of AI chatbots, we expect these online cases to quickly become more realistic and increasingly start to relieve firms of some of the costs of live interviews.

Our consultants collectively reckon that, over time, 50% of case interviews are likely to be replaced with these kinds of cases. We give some specific advice for online cases in section four. However, the important thing to note is that these are still just simulations of traditional case interviews - you still need to learn how to solve cases in precisely the same way, and your prep will largely remain the same.

2.2.3. Rounds of Interviews

Now, let’s not go overboard with talk of AI. Even in the long term, the client facing nature of consulting means that firms will have live case interviews for as long as they are hiring anyone. And in the immediate term, case interviews are still absolutely the core of consulting selection.

Before landing an offer at McKinsey, Bain, BCG or any similar firm, you won’t just have one case interview, but will have to complete four to six case interviews, usually divided into two rounds, with each interview lasting approximately 50-60 minutes .

Being invited to first round usually means two or three case interviews. As noted above, you might also be asked to complete an online case or similar alongside your first round interviews.

If you ace first round, you will be invited to second round to face the same again, but more gruelling. Only then - after up to six case interviews in total, can you hope to receive an offer.

2.3. Typical case interview format

Before we dive in to the nuts and bolts of case cracking, we should give you a bit more detail on what exactly you’ll be up against on interview day.

Case interviews come in very similar formats across the various consultancies where they are used.

The standard case interview can be thought of as splitting into two standalone sub-interviews. Thus “case interviews” can be divided into the case study itself and a “fit interview” section, where culture fit questions are asked.

This can lead to a bit of confusion, as the actual case interview component might take up as little as half of your scheduled “case interview”. You need to make sure you are ready for both aspects.

To illustrate, here is the typical case interview timeline:

• First 15-30 minutes: Fit Interview - with questions assessing your motivation to be a consultant in that specific firm and your traits around leadership and teamwork. Learn more about the fit interview in our in-depth article here .
• Next 30-40 minutes: Case Interview - solving a case study
• Last 5 minutes: Fit Interview again - this time focussing on your questions for your interviewer.

Both the Case and Fit interviews play crucial roles in the finial hiring decision. There is no “average” taken between case and fit interviews: if your performance is not up to scratch in either of the two, you will not be able to move on to the next interview round or get an offer.

NB: No case without fit

Note that, even if you have only been told you are having a case interview or otherwise are just doing a case study, always be prepared to answer fit questions. At most firms, it is standard practice to include some fit questions in all case interviews, even if there are also separate explicit fit interviews, and interviewers will almost invariably include some of these questions around your case. This is perfectly natural - imagine how odd and artificial it would be to show up to an interview, simply do a case and leave again, without talking about anything else with the interviewer before or after.

2.4. Differences between first and second round interviews

Despite interviews in the first and second round following the same format, second/final round interviews will be significantly more intense. The seniority of the interviewer, time pressure (with up to three interviews back-to-back), and the sheer value of the job at stake will likely make a second round consulting case interview one of the most challenging moments of your professional life.

There are three key differences between the two rounds:

• Time Pressure : Final round case interviews test your ability to perform under pressure, with as many as three interviews in a row and often only very small breaks between them.
• Focus : Since second round interviewers tend to be more senior (usually partners with 12+ years experience) and will be more interested in your personality and ability to handle challenges independently. Some partners will drill down into your experiences and achievements to the extreme. They want to understand how you react to challenges and your ability to identify and learn from past mistakes.
• Psychological Pressure: While case interviews in the first round are usually more focused on you simply cracking the case, second round interviewers often employ a "bad cop" strategy to test the way you react to challenges and uncertainty.

2.5. Differences between firms

For the most part, a case interview is a case interview. However, firms will have some differences in the particular ways they like to do things in terms of both the case study and the fit component.

As we’ll see, these differences aren’t hugely impactful in terms of how you prepare. That said, it's always good to know as much as possible about what you will be going up against.

2.5.1. Candidate led vs interviewer led case formats

Most consulting case interview questions test your ability to crack a broad problem, with a case prompt often going something like:

" How much would you pay to secure the rights to run a restaurant in the British Museum? "

You, as a candidate, are then expected to identify your path to solve the case (that is, provide a structure), leveraging your interviewer to collect the data and test your assumptions.

This is known as a “candidate-led” case interview and is used by Bain, BCG and other firms.

However, a McKinsey case interview - especially in the first round - is slightly different, with the interviewer controlling the pace and direction of the conversation much more than with other case interviews.

At McKinsey, your interviewer will ask you a set of pre-determined questions, regardless of your initial structure. For each question, you will have to understand the problem, come up with a mini structure, ask for additional data (if necessary) and come to the conclusion that answers the question.

McKinsey’s cases are thus referred to as “interviewer-led”. This more structured format of case also shows up in online cases by other firms - notably including BCG’s Casey chatbot (with the amusing result that practising McKinsey-style cases can be a great addition when prepping for BCG).

Essentially, these interviewer-led case studies are large cases made up of lots of mini-cases. You still use basically the same method as you would for standard (or candidate-led) cases - the main difference is simply that, instead of using that method to solve one big case, you are solving several mini-cases sequentially.

2.5.2. The McKinsey PEI

McKinsey brands its fit aspect of interviews as the Personal Experience Interview or PEI. Despite the different name, this is really much the same interview you will be going up against in Bain, BCG and any similar firms.

McKinsey does have a reputation for pushing candidates a little harder with fit or PEI questions, focusing on one story per interview and drilling down further into the specific details each time. We discuss this tendency more in our fit interview article. However, no top end firm is going to go easy on you and you should absolutely be ready for the same level of grilling at Bain, BCG and others. Thus any difference isn’t hugely salient in terms of prep.

2.6. How are things changing in 2023?

For the foreseeable future, you are going to have to go through multiple live case interviews to secure any decent consulting job. These might increasingly happen via Zoom rather than in person, but they should remain largely the same otherwise.

However, things are changing and the rise of AI in recent months seems pretty much guaranteed to accelerate existing trends.

Even before the explosive development of AI chatbots like ChatGPT we have seen in recent months, automation was already starting to change the recruitment process.

As we mentioned, case interviews are expensive and inconvenient for firms to run. Ideally, then, firms will try to reduce the number of interviews required for recruitment as far as possible. For many years, tests of various kinds served to cut down the applicant pool and thus the number of interviews. However, these tests had a limited capacity to assess candidates against the full consulting skillset in the way that case interviews do so well.

More recently, though, the development of online testing has allowed for more and more advanced assessments. Top consulting firms have been leveraging screening tests that better and better capture the same skillset as case interviews. Eventually this is converging on automated case studies. We see this very clearly with the addition of the Redrock case to McKinsey’s Solve assessment.

As these digital cases become closer to the real thing, the line between test and interview blurs. Online cases don’t just reduce the number of candidates to interview, but start directly replacing interviews.

Case in point here is BCG’s Casey chatbot . Previously, BCG had deployed less advanced online cases and similar tests to weed out some candidates before live case interviews began. Now, though, Casey actually replaces one first round case interview.

Casey, at time of writing, is still a relatively “dumb” chatbot, basically running through a pre-set script. The Whatsapp-like interface does a lot of work to make it feel like one is chatting to a “real person” - the chatbot itself, though, cannot provide feedback or nudges to candidates as would a human interviewer.

We fully expect that, as soon as BCG and other firms can train a truer AI, these online cases will become more widespread and start replacing more live interviews.

We discuss the likely impacts of advanced AI on consulting recruitment and the industry more broadly in our blog.

Here, though, the real message is that you should expect to run into digital cases as well as traditional case interviews.

Luckily, despite any changes in specific format, you will still need to master the same fundamental skills and prepare in much the same way.

We’ll cover a few ways to help prepare for chatbot cases in section four. Ultimately, though, firms are looking for the same problem solving ability and mindset as a real interviewer. Especially as chatbots get better at mimicking a real interviewer, candidates who are well prepared for case cracking in general should have no problem with AI administered cases.

2.6.1. Automated fit interviews

Analogous to online cases, in recent years there has been a trend towards automated, “one way” fit interviews, with these typically being administered for consultancies by specialist contractors like HireVue or SparkHire.

These are kind of like Zoom interviews, but if the interviewer didn’t show up. Instead you will be given fit questions to answer and must record your answer in your computer webcam. Your response will then go on to be assessed by an algorithm, scoring both what you say and how you say it.

Again, with advances in AI, it is easy to imagine these automated interviews going from fully scripted interactions, where all candidates are asked the same list of questions, to a more interactive experience. Thus, we might soon arrive at a point where you are being grilled on the details of your stories - McKinsey PEI style - but by a bot rather than a human.

We include some tips on this kind of “one way” fit interview in section six here.

3. What do I need to learn to solve cases?

If you’re new to case cracking. You might feel a bit hopeless when you see a difficult case question, not having any idea where to start.

In fact though, cracking cases is much like playing chess. The rules you need to know to get started are actually pretty simple. What will make you really proficient is time and practice.

In this section, we’ll run through a high level overview of everything you need to know, linking to more detailed resources at every step.

3.1. Business fundamentals

Obviously, you are going to need to be familiar with basic business concepts in order to understand the case studies you are given in the first instance.

If you are coming from a business undergrad, an MBA or are an experienced hire, you might well have this covered already.

However, many consultants will be entering from engineering or similar backgrounds and the major consulting firms are hiring more and more PhDs and non-MBA master's graduates from all subjects. These individuals will need to get up to speed on business fundamentals.

Luckily, you don’t need a degree-level understanding of business to crack interview cases, and a lot of the information you will pick up by osmosis as you read through articles like this and go through cases.

However, some things you will just need to sit down and learn. We cover everything you need to know in some detail in our Case Academy course. However, some examples here of things you need to learn are:

• Basic accounting (particularly how to understand all the elements of a balance sheet)
• Basic economics
• Basic marketing
• Basic strategy

Note, though, that learning the very basics of business is the beginning rather than the end of your journey.

Once you are able to “speak business” at a rudimentary level, you should try to “become fluent” and immerse yourself in reading/viewing/listening to as wide a variety of business material as possible, getting a feel for all kinds of companies and industries - and especially the kinds of problems that can come up in each context and how they are solved.

The material put out by the consulting firms themselves is a great place to start, but you should also follow the business news and find out about different companies and sectors as much as possible between now and interviews. Remember, if you’re going to be a consultant, this should be fun rather than a chore!

3.2. How to solve cases like a real consultant

This is the really important bit.

If you look around online for material on how to solve case studies, a lot of what you find will set out framework-based approaches. However, as we have mentioned, these frameworks tend to break down with more complex, unique cases - with these being exactly the kind of tough case studies you can expect to be given in your interviews.

To address this problem, the MyConsultingCoach team has developed a new, proprietary approach to case cracking that replicates how top management consultants approach actual engagements.

MyConsultingCoach’s Problem Driven Structure approach is a universal problem solving method that can be applied to any business problem , irrespective of its nature.

As opposed to just selecting a generic framework for each case, the Problem Driven Structure approach works by generating a bespoke structure for each individual question and is a simplified version of the roadmap McKinsey consultants use when working on engagements.

The canonical seven steps from McKinsey on real projects are simplified to four for case interview questions, as the analysis required for a six-month engagement is somewhat less than that needed for a 45-minute case study. However, the underlying flow is the same.

This video has more information on how frameworks can be unreliable and how we address this problem:

Otherwise, let's zoom in to see how our method actually works in more detail:

3.2.1. Identify the problem

Identifying the problem means properly understanding the prompt/question you are given, so you get to the actual point of the case.

This might sound simple, but cases are often very tricky, and many candidates irretrievably mess things up within the first few minutes of starting. Often, they won’t notice this has happened until they are getting to the end of their analysis. Then, they suddenly realise that they have misunderstood the case prompt - and have effectively been answering the wrong question all along!

With no time to go back and start again, there is nothing to do. Even if there were time, making such a silly mistake early on will make a terrible impression on their interviewer, who might well have written them off already. The interview is scuppered and all the candidate’s preparation has been for nothing.

This error is so galling as it is so readily avoidable.

Our method prevents this problem by placing huge emphasis on a full understanding of the case prompt. This lays the foundations for success as, once we have identified the fundamental, underlying problem our client is facing, we focus our whole analysis around finding solutions to this specific issue.

Now, some case interview prompts are easy to digest. For example, “Our client, a supermarket, has seen a decline in profits. How can we bring them up?”. However, many of the prompts given in interviews for top firms are much more difficult and might refer to unfamiliar business areas or industries. For example, “How much would you pay for a banking license in Ghana?” or “What would be your key areas of concern be when setting up an NGO?”

Don’t worry if you have no idea how you might go about tackling some of these prompts!

In our article on identifying the problem and in our full lesson on the subject in our MCC Academy course, we teach a systematic, four step approach to identifying the problem , as well as running through common errors to ensure you start off on the right foot every time!

This is summarised here:

Following this method lets you excel where your competitors mess up and get off to a great start in impressing your interviewer!

3.2.2. Build your problem driven structure

After you have properly understood the problem, the next step is to successfully crack a case is to draw up a bespoke structure that captures all the unique features of the case.

This is what will guide your analysis through the rest of the case study and is precisely the same method used by real consultants working on real engagements.

Of course, it might be easier here to simply roll out one an old-fashioned framework, and a lot of candidates will do so. This is likely to be faster at this stage and requires a lot less thought than our problem-driven structure approach.

However, whilst our problem driven structure approach requires more work from you, our method has the advantage of actually working in the kind of complex case studies where generic frameworks fail - that is exactly the kind of cases you can expect at an MBB interview .

Since we effectively start from first principles every time, we can tackle any case with the same overarching method. Simple or complex, every case is the same to you and you don’t have to gamble a job on whether a framework will actually work

In practice, structuring a problem with our method means drawing up either an issue tree or an hypothesis tree , depending on how you are trying to address the problem.

These trees break down the overall problem into a set of smaller problems that you can then solve individually. Representing this on a diagram also makes it easy for both you and your interviewer to keep track of your analysis.

To see how this is done, let’s look at the issue tree below breaking down the revenues of an airline:

These revenues can be segmented as the number of customers multiplied by the average ticket price. The number of customers can be further broken down into a number of flights multiplied by the number of seats, times average occupancy rate. The node corresponding to the average ticket price can then be segmented further.

It is worth noting that the same problem can be structured in multiple valid ways by choosing different means to segment the key issues.

That said, not all valid structures are equally useful in solving the underlying problem. A good structure fulfils several requirements - including MECE-ness , level consistency, materiality, simplicity, and actionability. It’s important to put in the time to master segmentation, so you can choose a scheme isn’t only valid, but actually useful in addressing the problem.

After taking the effort to identify the problem properly, an advantage of our method is that it will help ensure you stay focused on that same fundamental problem throughout. This might not sound like much, but many candidates end up getting lost in their own analysis, veering off on huge tangents and returning with an answer to a question they weren’t asked.

Another frequent issue - particularly with certain frameworks - is that candidates finish their analysis and, even if they have successfully stuck to the initial question, they have not actually reached a definite solution. Instead, they might simply have generated a laundry list of pros and cons, with no clear single recommendation for action.

Clients employ consultants for actionable answers, and this is what is expected in the case interview. The problem driven structure excels in ensuring that everything you do is clearly related back to the key question in a way that will generate a definitive answer. Thus, the problem driven structure builds in the hypothesis driven approach so characteristic of real consulting practice.

You can learn how to set out your own problem driven structures in our article here and in our full lesson in the MCC Academy course.

Join thousands of other candidates cracking cases like pros

3.2.3. lead the analysis.

A problem driven structure might ensure we reach a proper solution eventually, but how do we actually get there?

We call this step " leading the analysis ", and it is the process whereby you systematically navigate through your structure, identifying the key factors driving the issue you are addressing.

Generally, this will mean continuing to grow your tree diagram, further segmenting what you identify as the most salient end nodes and thus drilling down into the most crucial factors causing the client’s central problem.

Once you have gotten right down into the detail of what is actually causing the company’s issues, solutions can then be generated quite straightforwardly.

To see this process in action, we can return to our airline revenue example:

Let’s say we discover the average ticket price to be a key issue in the airline’s problems. Looking closer at the drivers of average ticket price, we find that the problem lies with economy class ticket prices. We can then further segment that price into the base fare and additional items such as food.

Having broken down the issue to such a fine-grained level, solutions occur quite naturally. In this case, we can suggest incentivising the crew to increase onboard sales, improving assortment in the plane, or offering discounts for online purchases.

Our article on leading the analysis is a great primer on the subject, with our video lesson in the MCC Academy providing the most comprehensive guide available.

3.2.4. Provide recommendations

So you have a solution - but you aren’t finished yet!

Now, you need to deliver your solution as a final recommendation.

This should be done as if you are briefing a busy CEO and thus should be a one minute, top-down, concise, structured, clear, and fact-based account of your findings.

The brevity of the final recommendation belies its importance. In real life consulting, the recommendation is what the client has potentially paid millions for - from their point of view, it is the only thing that matters.

In an interview, your performance in this final summing up of your case is going to significantly colour your interviewer’s parting impression of you - and thus your chances of getting hired!

So, how do we do it right?

Barbara Minto's Pyramid Principle elegantly sums up almost everything required for a perfect recommendation. The answer comes first , as this is what is most important. This is then supported by a few key arguments , which are in turn buttressed by supporting facts .

Across the whole recommendation, the goal isn’t to just summarise what you have done. Instead, you are aiming to synthesize your findings to extract the key "so what?" insight that is useful to the client going forward.

All this might seem like common sense, but it is actually the opposite of how we relay results in academia and other fields. There, we typically move from data, through arguments and eventually to conclusions. As such, making good recommendations is a skill that takes practice to master.

We can see the Pyramid Principle illustrated in the diagram below:

To supplement the basic Pyramid Principle scheme, we suggest candidates add a few brief remarks on potential risks and suggested next steps . This helps demonstrate the ability for critical self-reflection and lets your interviewer see you going the extra mile.

The combination of logical rigour and communication skills that is so definitive of consulting is particularly on display in the final recommendation.

Despite it only lasting 60 seconds, you will need to leverage a full set of key consulting skills to deliver a really excellent recommendation and leave your interviewer with a good final impression of your case solving abilities.

Our specific article on final recommendations and the specific video lesson on the same topic within our MCC Academy are great, comprehensive resources. Beyond those, our lesson on consulting thinking and our articles on MECE and the Pyramid Principle are also very useful.

3.3. Common case types and the building blocks to solve them

You should tackle each new case on its own merits. However, that’s not to say there aren’t recurring themes that come up fairly reliably in cases - there absolutely are. Business is business and case studies will often feature issues like profitability, competition etc.

Old fashioned framework approaches would have you simply select a defined framework for each kind of case and, in effect, just run the algorithm and wait for a solution to fall out.

We’ve already explained how frameworks can let you down. In this context, too many candidates will fall into the trap of selecting a framework for that case type that simply won’t work for their specific case.

The counterpoint in favour of frameworks, though, is that they are at least fast and prevent you having to start from the ground up with a common kind of case.

Ideally, you should have the best of both worlds - and this is why, in our articles on this site and in our MCC Academy course, we have developed a set of “building bocks” for common case themes.

As they name suggests, building blocks give you modular components for different kinds of case to help build out your own custom structures faster. These then allow you to leverage the symmetries between cases without inheriting the inflexibility of frameworks.

Let’s take a look at five different case types and get a brief idea of how our building block approach helps you with each. You can find more detail on each in the full length articles linked, as well as in the full-length video lessons in our MCC Academy course.

3.3.1. Estimation

Consultants need to push forward to provide definitive recommendations to clients in a timely manner despite typically not having access to full information on a problem. Estimation of important quantities is therefore at the heart of real life consulting work.

Estimation is thus just as fundamental to case cracking.

A case interview might centre on an estimation question, and this might be quite common for a first round interview. However, estimation is also very likely to be a crucial part of pretty well any other kind of case question you receive is likely to include estimation as a crucial component of your analysis.

The kinds of estimation you might be asked to make in a case interview can be very daunting:

• How many bank branches are there in Italy?
• How many cars are sold in Berlin in one year?
• How many people will buy the latest high-tech smartphone on the market?

You might have no idea where to begin with these examples. However, tempting as it might be, your answer cannot ever be a simple guess .

A decent estimation does have a guessed element - though this should really be an educated guess based on some pre-existing knowledge. However, this guessed element is always then combined with a rigorous quantitative method to arrive at a reasonable estimation.

In context of a case interview, it’s important to realise that your interviewer doesn’t really care about the right answer (they don’t need to ask you to find out, after all). What’s important is showing the rational process by which you get to your answer.

A guess that was somehow exactly correct is no good compared to a “wrong” answer that was reached by a very sensible, intelligent process of estimation. In cases, this method will often be a matter of segmentation.

So, where would we start in working out how many cars are sold in Berlin, for example?

The key to estimation case questions is the ability to logically break down the problem into more manageable pieces. In consulting case studies, this will generally mean segmenting a wider population to find a particular target group. For example, starting from the total population of Berlin and narrowing down to the cohort of individuals who will buy a car that year.

There are usually many ways to segment the same starting population, and several different segmentation schemes might be equally valid. However, it is crucial to choose the specific method best suited to the goal in answering the question and allowing you to best leverage the data you have available.

Segmentation must be allied with assumptions in order to arrive at an estimation. These assumptions are the “guessed” element of estimations we mentioned above. Assumptions cannot just be plucked from thin air, but must always be reasonable .

The example below showcases both the segmentation and assumptions made in an estimation of the size of the wedding planning market in London:

Our articles on estimation and the MECE concept are great starting points in getting to grips with consulting estimation. However, the best place to learn how to make estimations is with the dedicated building block video lesson in our MCC Academy course.

Those of you from physics or engineering backgrounds will probably see a lot in common with Fermi questions . We have plenty of estimation cases for you to work through in our free case library. However, Fermi questions are a great way of getting a little extra practice and you can find a lifetime’s supply online.

3.3.2. Profitability

The fundamental goal of any normal business is to maximise profits - nobody is getting up and going to work to lose money. Even Silicon Valley tech start-ups are supposed to be profitable some day!

Profitability problems are thus bread and butter issues for management consultants.

Clients often tell consultants broadly the same story. The business was doing in well in recent years, with strong profits. However, some recent turn of events has upset the status quo and led to concerns around profit levels. Consultants are brought in as businesses are often sufficiently complex that it can be difficult to figure out precisely where and why the company is losing money - let alone how to then reverse the situation and restore healthy profits.

Despite steady growth in customer flow, the Walfort supermarket chain has seen falling profits in the past year. What is the reason for this decline?

Understanding profitability ultimately means understanding the various components that determine a company’s profit. You will need to learn to decompose profit first into revenues and costs (profit being the synthesis of these two factors). Crucially, you then need to segment further, distinguishing different specific revenue streams and separating various fixed and variable costs.

To take an example, just examining the revenue side of profit, the incoming revenues for an insurance firm might be broken down as follows:

Improving profitability will inherently mean increasing revenues and/or decreasing costs. To solve profitability problems, we thus have to understand the ways we can minimise different costs, as well as ways to drive sales and/or optimise pricing to increase revenue. Importantly, you must be able to judge which of these options is best suited to address specific scenarios.

The key to tackling the complex kind of profitability questions given by MBB-level consultancies lies in this proper segmentation.

By contrast, old-fashioned case interview frameworks will simply have you look at aggregate cost and revenue data before recommending generic cost-cutting or revenue-driving measures. However, this will often lead to negative outcomes in more involved cases, making matters worse for the client.

For example, it might well be that a company actually makes a loss when it serves a certain cohort of customers. An airline, for instance, might lose money on economy class customers but make a healthy profit on each business class customer. Attempts to boost revenue by increasing sales across the board might actually reduce profit further by increasing the number of economy class customers. What is required is targeted measures to increase focus on business class and/or mitigate economy class losses.

You can start learning to segment these kinds of cases properly in our article on profitability , whilst the best way to really master profitability questions is our full lesson on the subject in the Building Blocks section of our MCC Academy course.

3.3.3. Pricing

For a company to be profitable at all, it is a pre-requisite that it charges the right price for whatever it sells. However, establishing what price to charge for any one product - or indeed a whole suite of related products - can be a highly complex business.

Consultants are often engaged to negotiate the many variables, with all their complex interdependencies, at play in pricing. Correspondingly, then, pricing is a common theme in case interviews.

• A company launches a new smartphone with a significantly improved camera. How much should they charge?
• A doughnut chain wants to start selling coffee in their shops. How much should they charge per cup?

Clearly, lot of different factors can influence the answers to these questions, and it can be difficult to know where to start. To get a handle on all this complexity, you will need to take a methodical, structured approach.

To really understand pricing, you must begin from fundamentals like the customer’s willingness to pay, the value captured by the company, and the value created for the customer. These basics are shown in the diagram below:

This might seem simple enough, but the exact level at which prices are ultimately set is determined by a whole host of factors, including product availability, market trends, and the need to maintain a competitive position within the market. In particular, if we are changing the price of an existing product, we must consider how the price elasticity of demand might cause sales to fluctuate.

Our four-step method for pricing starts from establishing the customer’s next best alternative, calculating the value added by our own product, and working from there. A summary of this method is given, along with an overview of pricing in general, in our article on the subject . However, the most complete resource is our pricing lesson in the MCC Academy .

3.3.4. Valuation

Valuation is fundamental to any kind of investment. Before allocating capital towards a particular opportunity, an investor must understand precisely what value it holds and how this compares to the other available options.

In short, valuation tells us how much we should be willing to pay to acquire a company or an asset.

There are many ways to value an asset - indeed the finer points are still subject to research in both the academic and private sectors.

Standard ways to assign value include asset-based valuations (notably the Net Asset Value or NAV) and the various multiples so widely used by market traders.

However, in consulting case interviews, you will only usually need to be familiar with Net Present Value (NPV) . This means you need to learn and master the NPV equation:

CF = Cash Flow r = Discount Rate

Whilst this is a pretty simple equation on the face of it, in order to make proper use of it, you will also need to develop a feel for interest/discount rates appropriate to different cases. This will be essential, as you will often have to estimate rational values for these rates for different investments before plugging those values into the NPV equation. Our Case Academy course has more detail here.

Note, though, that NPV is only really half the story.

NPV provides a kind of “absolute” value for an asset. However, the fact is that the worth of any asset will be different for different buyers , depending largely upon what the buyer already owns. In just the same way a spare clutch for a 1975 Ford will be a lot less valuable to a cyclist than to someone restoring the relevant classic car, so a courier business will be more valuable to an online retailer than to an airline.

As such, what we call the Total Enterprise Value (TEV) of an asset is calculated as a function of that asset’s NPV and of the potential cost and revenue synergies resulting from an acquisition. This is shown in the useful structure below:

You can learn more about all aspects of valuation in our article here , as well as in our dedicated video lesson in MCC Academy . These include guides to the kind of interest rates typically required to finance different kinds of investment.

3.3.5. Competitive Interactions

Most of what we’ve discussed so far in terms of case themes and our building block approach to them will all depend upon the prevailing competitive landscape our client exists within. Product prices, profit levels and ultimately valuations can all change over time in response to competition.

What is more, the zero sum dynamics of competitive interactions mean that these things can change quickly .

Companies enjoying near monopolies for years or even decades can quickly see their values go to zero, or near enough, in the face of some innovation by a competitor coming onto the market.

Nokia and Kodak thoroughly dominated the mobile phone and photography markets respectively - until new companies with new products pulled the rug out from under them and led to precipitous collapses.

New market entrants or old competitors with new ideas can throw a company’s whole business model up in the air overnight . Complex decisions about profound changes need to be made yesterday. Firms trying to save themselves will often slash prices in attempts to maintain sales - though this can actually make things worse and result in a corporate death-spiral. Consultants are then frequently called in to help companies survive - with this type of engagement carrying over to inform case interview questions.

You are running an airline and a low-cost competitor, like Ryanair, decides to start operating on your routes. You are rapidly losing customers to their lower fares. How do you respond?

Your eventual solutions to competitive interaction problems will likely need to be novel and unique to the situation. However, the process by which we understand competitive interactions and move towards those solutions is usually very methodical, moving through the limited dimensions in which a company can take action.

The following structure neatly encodes the general options open to responding to new sources of competition:

Of course, we would never suggest that you blanket-apply any strict, inflexible methodology to a whole swathe of case questions – this is precisely the approach that causes so much trouble for candidates using old-fashioned frameworks.

This structure is only a starting point - a shortcut to a bespoke framework specific to the case question in hand. You might well have to alter the details of the structure shown and you will almost certainly have to expand it as you lead the analysis . How you build out your structure and the solutions you provide are necessarily going to depend upon the specific details of the case question.

Thus, in order to deal with competitive interactions, you will need to put in the time to understand how the different strategies available function - as well as how competitors might then react to implementing such strategies. With enough practice, though, soon you won’t be fazed by even the most complex cases of competition between firms.

You can learn more in our article here and in our dedicated video lesson on competitive interaction in the MCC Academy case interview course.

3.4. Mental mathematics

Almost every interview case study will feature some mental mathematics and this is an area where many many candidates let themselves down.

As such, it makes sense to out in the time and make sure you are fully proficient.

Nothing beyond high school level is required, but you probably don’t do much mental arithmetic day to day and will likely need to practice quite a lot to get good enough to reliably perform at pace, under pressure.

We give a high-level overview of what you need to know in our consulting math article , but devote a whole section of our MCC Academy course to a deep dive on consulting math, with plenty of practice material to get you up to scratch.

4. How do I practice for case interviews?

As we said above - case interviews are much like chess. The rules are relatively quick to learn, but you need to practice a lot to get good.

If you’re working through our MCC Academy course, we recommend getting through the core Problem Driven Structure section. After that, you should be practising alongside working through the remainder of the course and beyond. However you do things, you need to get up to speed with the fundamentals before practice is going to do much more than confuse you.

Of course, if you’re enrolled in one of our mentoring programmes , your mentor will let you know precisely when and how you should be scheduling practice, as well as tracking your progress throughout.

4.1. Solo Practice

For solitary preparation, one of the best uses of your time is to work on your mental mathematics . This skill is neglected by many applicants - much to their immediate regret in the case interview. Find our mental math tool here or in our course, and practice at least ten minutes per day, from day one until the day before the interview.

Once you've covered our Building Blocks section, you should then start working through the cases in My Consulting Coach's case bank alongside your work on the course. This is a large library of case interview questions and answers in different formats and difficulties.

To build your confidence, start out on easier case questions, work through with the solutions, and don't worry about time. As you get better, you can move on to more difficult cases and try to get through them more quickly. You should practice around eight case studies on your own to build your confidence.

4.2. Peer practice

One you have worked through eight cases solo, you should be ready to simulate the interview more closely and start working with another person.

Here, many candidates turn to peer practice - that is, doing mock case interviews with friends, classmates or others also applying to consulting.

If you’re in university, and especially in business school, there will very likely be a consulting club for you to join and do lots of case practice with. If you don’t have anyone to practice, though, or if you just want to get a bit more volume in with others, our free meeting board lets you find fellow applicants from around the world with whom to practice.

4.3. Professional practice

You can do a lot practising by yourself and with peers. However, nothing will bring up your skills so quickly and profoundly as working with a real consultant.

Perhaps think about it like boxing. You can practice drills and work on punch bags all you want, but at some point you need to get into the ring and do some actual sparring if you ever want to be ready to fight.

Of course, it isn’t possible to secure the time of experienced top-tier consultants for free. However, when considering whether you should invest to boost your chances of success, it is worth considering the difference in your salary over even a just few years between getting into a top-tier firm versus a second-tier one. In the light of thousands in increased annual earnings (easily accumulating into millions over multiple years), it becomes clear that getting expert interview help really is one of the best investments you can make in your own future.

Should you decide to make this step, MyConsultingCoach can help, offering the highest quality case interview coaching service available . Each MCC case coach is selected as an MBB consultant with two or more years of experience and strong coaching expertise.

Case interview coaching is hugely beneficial in itself. However, for those who want to genuinely maximise their chances of securing a job offer - and especially for time-poor, busy professionals or hard-pressed students who want to take the guesswork and wasted time out of their case interview prep - we also offer a much more comprehensive service .

With one of our bespoke mentoring programmes , you are paired with a 5+ year experienced, ex-MBB mentor of your choosing, who will then oversee your whole case interview preparation from start to finish - giving you your best possible chance of landing a job!

4.4. Practice for online cases

Standard preparation for interview case studies will carry directly over to online cases.

However, if you want to do some more specific prep, you can work through cases solo to a timer and using a calculator and/or Excel (online cases generally allow calculators and second computers to help you, whilst these are banned in live case interviews).

Older PST-style questions also make great prep, but a particularly good simulation is the self-assessment tests included in our Case Academy course . These multiple choice business questions conducted with a strict time limit are great preparation for the current crop of online cases.

5. Fit interviews

As we’ve noted, even something billed as a case interview is very likely to contain a fit interview as a subset.

We have an article on fit interviews and also include a full set of lessons on how to answer fit questions properly as a subset of our comprehensive Case Academy course .

Here though, the important thing to convey is that you take preparing for fit questions every bit as seriously as you do case prep.

Since they sound the same as you might encounter when interviewing for other industries, the temptation is to regard these as “just normal interview questions”.

However, consulting firms take your answers to these questions a good deal more seriously than elsewhere.

This isn’t just for fluffy “corporate culture” reasons. The long hours and close teamwork, as well as the client-facing nature of management consulting, mean that your personality and ability to get on with others is going to be a big part of making you a tolerable and effective co-worker.

If you know you’ll have to spend 14+ hour working days with someone you hire and that your annual bonus depends on them not alienating clients, you better believe you’ll pay attention to their character in interview.

There are also hard-nosed financial reasons for the likes of McKinsey, Bain and BCG to drill down so hard on your answers.

In particular, top consultancies have huge issues with staff retention. The average management consultant only stays with these firms for around two years before they have moved on to a new industry.

In some cases, consultants bail out because they can’t keep up with the arduous consulting lifestyle of long hours and endless travel. In many instances, though, departing consultants are lured away by exit opportunities - such as the well trodden paths towards internal strategy roles, private equity or becoming a start-up founder.

Indeed, many individuals will intentionally use a two year stint in consulting as something like an MBA they are getting paid for - giving them accelerated exposure to the business world and letting them pivot into something new.

Consulting firms want to get a decent return on investment for training new recruits. Thus, they want hires who not only intend to stick with consulting longer-term, but also have a temperament that makes this feasible and an overall career trajectory where it just makes sense for them to stay put.

This should hammer home the point that, if you want to get an offer, you need to be fully prepared to answer fit questions - and to do so excellently - any time you have a case interview.

6. Interview day - what to expect, with tips

Of course, all this theory is well and good, but a lot of readers might be concerned about what exactly to expect in real life . It’s perfectly reasonable to want to get as clear a picture as possible here - we all want to know what we are going up against when we face a new challenge!

Indeed, it is important to think about your interview in more holistic terms, rather than just focusing on small aspects of analysis. Getting everything exactly correct is less important than the overall approach you take to reasoning and how you communicate - and candidates often lose sight of this fact.

In this section, then, we’ll run through the case interview experience from start to finish, directing you to resources with more details where appropriate. As a supplement to this, the following video from Bain is excellent. It portrays an abridged version of a case interview, but is very useful as a guide to what to expect - not just from Bain, but from McKinsey, BCG and any other high-level consulting firm.

6.1. Getting started

Though you might be shown through to the office by a staff member, usually your interviewer will come and collect you from a waiting area. Either way, when you first encounter them, you should greet your interviewer with a warm smile and a handshake (unless they do not offer their hand). Be confident without verging into arrogance. You will be asked to take a seat in the interviewer’s office, where the interview can then begin.

6.1.1. First impressions

In reality, your assessment begins before you even sit down at your interviewer’s desk. Whether at a conscious level or not, the impression you make within the first few seconds of meeting your interviewer is likely to significantly inform the final hiring decision (again, whether consciously or not).

Your presentation and how you hold yourself and behave are all important. If this seems strange, consider that, if hired, you will be personally responsible for many clients’ impressions of the firm. These things are part of the job! Much of material on the fit interview is useful here, whilst we also cover first impressions and presentation generally in our article on what to wear to interview .

As we have noted above, your interview might start with a fit segment - that is, with the interviewer asking questions about your experiences, your soft skills, and motivation to want to join consulting generally and that firm in particular. In short, the kinds of things a case study can’t tell them about you. We have a fit interview article and course to get you up to speed here.

6.1.2. Down to business

Following an initial conversation, your interviewer will introduce your case study , providing a prompt for the question you have to answer. You will have a pen and paper in front of you and should (neatly) note down the salient pieces of information (keep this up throughout the interview).

It is crucial here that you don’t delve into analysis or calculations straight away . Case prompts can be tricky and easy to misunderstand, especially when you are under pressure. Rather, ask any questions you need to fully understand the case question and then validate that understanding with the interviewer before you kick off any analysis. Better to eliminate mistakes now than experience that sinking feeling of realising you have gotten the whole thing wrong halfway through your case!

This process is covered in our article on identifying the problem and in greater detail in our Case Academy lesson on that subject.

6.1.3. Analysis

Once you understand the problem, you should take a few seconds to set your thoughts in order and draw up an initial structure for how you want to proceed. You might benefit from utilising one or more of our building blocks here to make a strong start. Present this to your interviewer and get their approval before you get into the nuts and bolts of analysis.

We cover the mechanics of how to structure your problem and lead the analysis in our articles here and here and more thoroughly in the MCC Case Academy . What it is important to convey here, though, is that your case interview is supposed to be a conversation rather than a written exam . Your interviewer takes a role closer to a co-worker than an invigilator and you should be conversing with them throughout.

Indeed, how you communicate with your interviewer and explain your rationale is a crucial element of how you will be assessed. Case questions in general, are not posed to see if you can produce the correct answer, but rather to see how you think . Your interviewer wants to see you approach the case in a structured, rational fashion. The only way they are going to know your thought processes, though, is if you tell them!

To demonstrate this point, here is another excellent video from Bain, where candidates are compared.

Note that multiple different answers to each question are considered acceptable and that Bain is primarily concerned with the thought processes of the candidate’s exhibit .

Another reason why communication is absolutely essential to case interview success is the simple reason that you will not have all the facts you need to complete your analysis at the outset. Rather, you will usually have to ask the interviewer for additional data throughout the case to allow you to proceed .

NB: Don't be let down by your math!

Your ability to quickly and accurately interpret these charts and other figures under pressure is one of the skills that is being assessed. You will also need to make any calculations with the same speed and accuracy (without a calculator!). As such, be sure that you are up to speed on your consulting math .

6.1.4. Recommendation

Finally, you will be asked to present a recommendation. This should be delivered in a brief, top-down "elevator pitch" format , as if you are speaking to a time-pressured CEO. Again here, how you communicate will be just as important as the details of what you say, and you should aim to speak clearly and with confidence.

For more detail on how to give the perfect recommendation, take a look at our articles on the Pyramid Principle and providing recommendations , as well the relevant lesson within MCC Academy .

6.1.5. Wrapping up

After your case is complete, there might be a few more fit questions - including a chance for you to ask some questions of the interviewer . This is your opportunity to make a good parting impression.

We deal with the details in our fit interview resources. However, it is always worth bearing in mind just how many candidates your interviewers are going to see giving similar answers to the same questions in the same office. A pretty obvious pre-requisite to being considered for a job is that your interviewer remembers you in the first place. Whilst you shouldn't do something stupid just to be noticed, asking interesting parting questions is a good way to be remembered.

Now, with the interview wrapped up, it’s time to shake hands, thank the interviewer for their time and leave the room .

You might have other interviews or tests that day or you might be heading home. Either way, if know that you did all you could to prepare, you can leave content in the knowledge that you have the best possible chance of receiving an email with a job offer. This is our mission at MCC - to provide all the resources you need to realise your full potential and land your dream consulting job!

6.2. Remote and one-way interview tips

Zoom case interviews and “one-way” automated fit interviews are becoming more common as selection processes are increasingly remote, with these new formats being accompanied by their own unique challenges.

Obviously you won’t have to worry about lobbies and shaking hands for a video interview. However, a lot remains the same. You still need to do the same prep in terms of getting good at case cracking and expressing your fit answers. The specific considerations around remote interviews are, in effect, around making sure you come across as effectively as you would in person.

6.2.1. Connection

It sounds trivial, but a successful video interview of any kind presupposes a functioning computer with a stable and sufficient internet connection.

Absolutely don’t forget to have your laptop plugged in, as your battery will definitely let you down mid-interview. Similarly, make sure any housemates or family know not to use the microwave, vacuum cleaner or anything else that makes wifi cut out (or makes a lot of noise, obviously)

If you have to connect on a platform you don’t use much (for example, if it’s on Teams and you’re used to Zoom), make sure you have the up to date version of the app in advance, rather than having to wait for an obligatory download and end up late to join. Whilst you’re at it, make sure you’re familiar with the controls etc. At the risk of being made fun of, don’t be afraid to have a practice call with a friend.

6.2.2. Dress

You might get guidance on a slightly more relaxed dress code for a Zoom interview. However, if in doubt, dress as you would for the real thing (see our article here ).

Either way, always remember that presentation is part of what you are being assessed on - the firm needs to know you can be presentable for clients. Taking this stuff seriously also shows respect for your interviewer and their time in interviewing you.

6.2.3. Lighting

An aspect of presentation that you have to devote some thought to for a Zoom interview is your lighting.

Hopefully, you long ago nailed a lighting set-up during the Covid lockdowns. However, make sure to check your lighting in advance with your webcam - bearing in mind what time if day your interview actually is. If your interview is late afternoon, don’t just check in the morning. Make sure you aren’t going to be blinded from light coming in a window behind your screen, or that you end up with the weird shadow stripes from blinds all over your face.

Natural light is always best, but if there won’t be much of that during your interview, you’ll likely want to experiment with moving some lamps around.

6.2.4. Clarity

The actual stories you tell in an automated “one-way” fit interview will be the same as for a live equivalent. If anything, things should be easier, as you can rattle off a practised monologue without an interviewer interrupting you to ask for clarifications.

You can probably also assume that the algorithm assessing your performance is sufficiently capable that it will be observing you at much the same level as a human interviewer. However, it is probably still worth speaking as clearly as possible with these kinds of interviews and paying extra attention to your lighting to ensure that your face is clearly visible.

No doubt the AIs scoring these interviews are improving all the time, but you still want to make their job as easy as possible. Just think about the same things as you would with a live Zoom interview, but more so.

7. How we can help

There are lots of great free resources on this site to get you started with preparation, from all our articles on case solving and consulting skills to our free case library and peer practice meeting board .

To step your preparation up a notch, though, our Case Academy course will give you everything you need to know to solve the most complex of cases - whether those are in live interviews, with chatbots, written tests or any other format.

Whatever kind of case you end up facing, nothing will bring up your skillset faster than the kind of acute, actionable feedback you can get from a mock case interview a real, MBB consultant. Whilst it's possible to get by without this kind of coaching, it does tend to be the biggest single difference maker for successful candidates.

You can find out more on our coaching page:

Explore Coaching

Of course, for those looking for a truly comprehensive programme, with a 5+ year experienced MBB consultant overseeing their entire prep personally, from networking and applications right through to your offer, we have our mentoring programmes.

You can read more here:

Comprehensive Mentoring

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9 Creative Case Study Presentation Examples & Templates

Learn from proven case study presentation examples and best practices how to get creative, stand out, engage your audience, excite action, and drive results.

9 minute read

helped business professionals at:

Short answer

What makes a good case study presentation?

A good case study presentation has an engaging story, a clear structure, real data, visual aids, client testimonials, and a strong call to action. It informs and inspires, making the audience believe they can achieve similar results.

Dull case studies can cost you clients.

A boring case study presentation doesn't just risk putting your audience to sleep—it can actually stifle your growth, leading to lost sales and overlooked opportunities. When your case study fails to inspire, it's your bottom line that suffers.

Interactive elements are the secret sauce for successful case study presentations.

They not only increase reader engagement by 22% but also lead to a whopping 41% more decks being read fully, proving that the winning deck is not a monologue but a conversation that involves the reader.

Benefits of including interactive elements in your case study presentation

More decks read in full

Longer average reading time

In this post, I’ll help you shape your case studies into compelling narratives that hook your audience, make your successes shine, and drive the results you're aiming for.

Let’s go!

How to create a case study presentation that drives results?

Crafting a case study presentation that truly drives results is about more than just data—it's about storytelling, engagement, and leading your audience down the sales funnel.

Here's how you can do it:

Tell a story: Each case study should follow a narrative arc. Start with the problem, introduce your solution, and showcase the results. Make it compelling and relatable.

Leverage data: Hard numbers build credibility. Use them to highlight your successes and reinforce your points.

Use visuals: Images, infographics, and videos can enhance engagement, making complex information more digestible and memorable.

Add interactive elements: Make your presentation a two-way journey. Tools like tabs and live data calculators can increase time spent on your deck by 22% and the number of full reads by 41% .

Finish with a strong call-to-action: Every good story needs a conclusion. Encourage your audience to take the next step in their buyer journey with a clear, persuasive call-to-action.

Here's a visual representation of what a successful case study presentation should do:

How to write an engaging case study presentation?

Creating an engaging case study presentation involves strategic storytelling, understanding your audience, and sparking action. In this guide, I'll cover the essentials to help you write a compelling narrative that drives results.

What is the best format for a business case study presentation?

4 best format types for a business case study presentation:

• Problem-solution case study
• Before-and-after case study
• Success story case study
• Interview style case study

Each style has unique strengths, so pick one that aligns best with your story and audience. For a deeper dive into these formats, check out our detailed blog post on case study format types .

I also recommend watching this video breaking down the 9-step process for writing a case study:

What to include in a case study presentation?

An effective case study presentation contains 7 key elements:

• Introduction
• Company overview
• The problem/challenge
• Your solution
• Customer quotes/testimonials

To learn more about what should go in each of these sections, check out our post on what is a case study .

How to write a compelling narrative for your case study presentation?

Storytelling is the heart of an engaging case study presentation. It involves more than just stringing events together. You should weave an emotional journey that your audience can relate to.

Begin with the challenge —illustrate the magnitude of the problem that was faced. Then, introduce your solution as the hero that comes to the rescue.

As you progress, ensure your narrative highlights the transformative journey from the problem state to the successful outcome.

Here’s our recommended storyline framework:

How to motivate readers to take action?

Based on BJ Fogg's behavior model , successful motivation involves 3 components:

Motivation is all about highlighting the benefits. Paint a vivid picture of the transformative results achieved using your solution. Use compelling data and emotive testimonials to amplify the desire for similar outcomes, therefore boosting your audience's motivation.

Ability refers to making the desired action easy to perform. Show how straightforward it is to implement your solution. Use clear language, break down complex ideas, and reinforce the message that success is not just possible, but also readily achievable with your offering.

Prompt is your powerful call-to-action (CTA), the spark that nudges your audience to take the next step. Ensure your CTA is clear, direct, and tied into the compelling narrative you've built. It should leave your audience with no doubt about what to do next and why they should do it.

Here’s how you can do it with Storydoc:

How to adapt your presentation for your specific audience?

Every audience is different, and a successful case study presentation speaks directly to its audience's needs, concerns, and desires.

Understanding your audience is crucial. This involves researching their pain points, their industry jargon, their ambitions, and their fears.

Then, tailor your presentation accordingly. Highlight how your solution addresses their specific problems. Use language and examples they're familiar with. Show them how your product or service can help them reach their goals.

A case study presentation that's tailor-made for its audience is not just a presentation—it's a conversation that resonates, engages, and convinces.

How to design a great case study presentation?

A powerful case study presentation is not only about the story you weave—it's about the visual journey you create.

Let's navigate through the design strategies that can transform your case study presentation into a gripping narrative.

Add interactive elements

Static design has long been the traditional route for case study presentations—linear, unchanging, a one-size-fits-all solution.

However, this has been a losing approach for a while now. Static content is killing engagement, but interactive design will bring it back to life.

It invites your audience into an evolving, immersive experience, transforming them from passive onlookers into active participants.

Which of these presentations would you prefer to read?

Use narrated content design (scrollytelling)

Scrollytelling combines the best of scrolling and storytelling. This innovative approach offers an interactive narrated journey controlled with a simple scroll.

It lets you break down complex content into manageable chunks and empowers your audience to control their reading pace.

To make this content experience available to everyone, our founder, Itai Amoza, collaborated with visualization scientist Prof. Steven Franconeri to incorporate scrollytelling into Storydoc.

This collaboration led to specialized storytelling slides that simplify content and enhance engagement (which you can find and use in Storydoc).

Here’s an example of Storydoc scrollytelling:

Bring your case study to life with multimedia

Multimedia brings a dynamic dimension to your presentation. Video testimonials lend authenticity and human connection. Podcast interviews add depth and diversity, while live graphs offer a visually captivating way to represent data.

Each media type contributes to a richer, more immersive narrative that keeps your audience engaged from beginning to end.

Prioritize mobile-friendly design

In an increasingly mobile world, design must adapt. Avoid traditional, non-responsive formats like PPT, PDF, and Word.

Opt for a mobile-optimized design that guarantees your presentation is always at its best, regardless of the device.

As a significant chunk of case studies are opened on mobile, this ensures wider accessibility and improved user experience , demonstrating respect for your audience's viewing preferences.

Here’s what a traditional static presentation looks like as opposed to a responsive deck:

Streamline the design process

Creating a case study presentation usually involves wrestling with a website builder.

It's a dance that often needs several partners - designers to make it look good, developers to make it work smoothly, and plenty of time to bring it all together.

Building, changing, and personalizing your case study can feel like you're climbing a mountain when all you need is to cross a hill.

By switching to Storydoc’s interactive case study creator , you won’t need a tech guru or a design whizz, just your own creativity.

You’ll be able to create a customized, interactive presentation for tailored use in sales prospecting or wherever you need it without the headache of mobilizing your entire team.

Storydoc will automatically adjust any change to your presentation layout, so you can’t break the design even if you tried.

Case study presentation examples that engage readers

Let’s take a deep dive into some standout case studies.

These examples go beyond just sharing information – they're all about captivating and inspiring readers. So, let’s jump in and uncover the secret behind what makes them so effective.

What makes this deck great:

• A video on the cover slide will cause 32% more people to interact with your case study .
• The running numbers slide allows you to present the key results your solution delivered in an easily digestible way.
• The ability to include 2 smart CTAs gives readers the choice between learning more about your solution and booking a meeting with you directly.

Light mode case study

• The ‘read more’ button is perfect if you want to present a longer case without overloading readers with walls of text.
• The timeline slide lets you present your solution in the form of a compelling narrative.
• A combination of text-based and visual slides allows you to add context to the main insights.

Marketing case study

• Tiered slides are perfect for presenting multiple features of your solution, particularly if they’re relevant to several use cases.
• Easily customizable slides allow you to personalize your case study to specific prospects’ needs and pain points.
• The ability to embed videos makes it possible to show your solution in action instead of trying to describe it purely with words.

UX case study

• Various data visualization components let you present hard data in a way that’s easier to understand and follow.
• The option to hide text under a 'Read more' button is great if you want to include research findings or present a longer case study.
• Content segmented using tabs , which is perfect if you want to describe different user research methodologies without overwhelming your audience.

Business case study

• Library of data visualization elements to choose from comes in handy for more data-heavy case studies.
• Ready-to-use graphics and images which can easily be replaced using our AI assistant or your own files.
• Information on the average reading time in the cover reduces bounce rate by 24% .

Modern case study

• Dynamic variables let you personalize your deck at scale in just a few clicks.
• Logo placeholder that can easily be replaced with your prospect's logo for an added personal touch.
• Several text placeholders that can be tweaked to perfection with the help of our AI assistant to truly drive your message home.

Real estate case study

• Plenty of image placeholders that can be easily edited in a couple of clicks to let you show photos of your most important listings.
• Data visualization components can be used to present real estate comps or the value of your listings for a specific time period.
• Interactive slides guide your readers through a captivating storyline, which is key in a highly-visual industry like real estate .

Medical case study

• Image and video placeholders are perfect for presenting your solution without relying on complex medical terminology.
• The ability to hide text under an accordion allows you to include research or clinical trial findings without overwhelming prospects with too much information.
• Clean interactive design stands out in a sea of old-school medical case studies, making your deck more memorable for prospective clients.

Dark mode case study

• The timeline slide is ideal for guiding readers through an attention-grabbing storyline or explaining complex processes.
• Dynamic layout with multiple image and video placeholders that can be replaced in a few clicks to best reflect the nature of your business.
• Testimonial slides that can easily be customized with quotes by your past customers to legitimize your solution in the eyes of prospects.

Grab a case study presentation template

Creating an effective case study presentation is not just about gathering data and organizing it in a document. You need to weave a narrative, create an impact, and most importantly, engage your reader.

So, why start from zero when interactive case study templates can take you halfway up?

Instead of wrestling with words and designs, pick a template that best suits your needs, and watch your data transform into an engaging and inspiring story.

Hi, I'm Dominika, Content Specialist at Storydoc. As a creative professional with experience in fashion, I'm here to show you how to amplify your brand message through the power of storytelling and eye-catching visuals.

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How to Succeed in a Case Study Interview

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Instructor: Jena Viviano

You’ve nailed the first few rounds of interviews, and now you’ve been invited to participate in a case study interview. Curious about what this next stage of the process looks like? In this course, Jena Viviano breaks it down for you, explaining the basic components of a case study interview, how to prepare, and what to do to project confidence and engage your interviewer. Learn how case study interview questions are used and why employers find them beneficial. Discover the key elements that interviewers use to evaluate your answers. Plus, learn how to formulate key questions to dig deeper into the case, develop your own framework for every case study answer, and craft a conclusion with supporting rationale that’s concise and clear. Jena also provides tips for quelling your performance anxiety, as well as sample case study questions that give you a better understanding of what to expect.

Boeing Whistleblower John Barnett Found Dead Amid Depositions Against Plane Company

J ohn Barnett was supposed to answer questions on Saturday as part of a deposition he’d been giving earlier last week related to a legal dispute with his former employer Boeing—which has been dogged by safety concerns, some of which he had raised. But he didn’t show up.

When his legal team called him repeatedly to no avail, they eventually asked the hotel he was staying at to check in on him. That’s when Barnett was found dead in his truck in the parking lot. 

The Charleston County Coroner’s Office told TIME that Barnett died from “what appears to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound,” and that the Charleston Police Department is continuing to investigate the death.

Barnett’s lawyer Brian Knowles described the discovery as “tragic” to legal newsletter Corporate Crime Reporter , which first reported on Barnett’s death. “John had been back and forth for quite some time getting prepared,” said Knowles, who told Corporate Crime Reporter that he was set to cross-examine Barnett on Saturday for what would have been “day three of his deposition here in Charleston on his AIR21 case,” referring to the shorthand for the Federal Aviation Administration’s Whistleblower Protection Program.

Barnett, who was based in Louisiana, was in South Carolina to offer evidence for legal proceedings linked to a defamation lawsuit against Boeing, which he claimed deliberately hurt his career and reputation because of allegations he’d made of grave safety breaches on the aircraft company’s production line.

“John was in the midst of a deposition in his whistleblower retaliation case, which finally was nearing the end,” Knowles and his co-counsel Robert Turkewitz said in a statement to TIME. “He was in very good spirits and really looking forward to putting this phase of his life behind him and moving on. We didn’t see any indication he would take his own life. No one can believe it.”

The lawyers described Barnett as “a brave, honest man of the highest integrity” who “cared dearly about his family, his friends, the Boeing company, his Boeing co-workers, and the pilots and people who flew on Boeing aircraft.” They said they were devastated about his death and urged a full and accurate investigation. “We need more information about what happened to John,” they said. “No detail can be left unturned.”

Rodney Barnett, John Barnett’s brother, told the Associated Press that John “was suffering from PTSD and anxiety attacks as a result of being subjected to the hostile work environment at Boeing, which we believe led to his death.”

In a one-sentence statement to TIME, Boeing said: “We are saddened by Mr. Barnett’s passing, and our thoughts are with his family and friends.”

The 62-year-old, who had worked at Boeing for over three decades as a quality control engineer and manager until his retirement in 2017, has for the past few years been outspoken about his skepticism of the company’s safety standards, which have come under heightened scrutiny in recent months amid a series of high-profile malfunctions on Boeing planes.

In 2019, just months after an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 and a Lion Air Boeing 737 MAX both crashed minutes after takeoff, killing everyone on board, Barnett told the BBC that workers at one Boeing factory had been deliberately fitting faulty parts to planes to meet production deadlines, and that oxygen masks on the 787 Dreamliner had a 1-in-4 chance of failing during an emergency. Barnett said he had alerted Boeing managers as well as the FAA to the concerns but that no action had been taken. Boeing denied his allegations, though it acknowledged that an inspection in 2017 found that some oxygen bottles were in fact not deploying properly.

Barnett also told the New York Times in 2019 that he was once reprimanded for documenting “process violations” via email instead of face to face, which he took to mean the company didn’t want him putting problems in writing. In a 2014 performance review seen by the Times , Barnett’s manager told him that he had to improve at “working in the gray areas and help find a way while maintaining compliance.”

In January, the plane manufacturer made headlines again when an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 made an emergency landing shortly after takeoff in Portland after one of its emergency exit doors blew out mid-air, causing passengers’ belongings to fly out of the hole and pressure on the plane to be destabilized. While no one was seriously hurt by the blowout, much of it thanks to luck—the seats nearest to the hole were unoccupied and most passengers were strapped in their seats when it happened—three passengers on the flight are suing the airline and Boeing for $1 billion, arguing that they’ve suffered severe psychological distress due to negligence.

Alaska Airlines temporarily grounded its fleet of Boeing 737-9 planes immediately after the accident and greenlit them to fly again just weeks later. But Barnett told TMZ at the time that Boeing’s troubles weren’t isolated to one door plug—or one plane. 

“This is not a 737 problem, this is a Boeing problem,” he said, adding that Boeing started removing inspection operations in 2012. “What we’re seeing with the door plug blowout is what I’ve seen with the rest of the airplane as far as jobs not being completed properly, inspection steps being removed, issues being ignored.”

Controversy surrounding the Alaska Airlines incident is still mounting, with the Wall Street Journal reporting last week that the Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation into the case. And Boeing, which was accused of not being cooperative with federal investigators, admitted to Congress on Friday that it could not find records on the exploded door panel.

The FAA said earlier this month that a six-week audit of Boeing and subcontractor Spirit AeroSystems in the wake of the Alaska Airlines incident “found multiple instances where the companies allegedly failed to comply with manufacturing quality control requirements.”

On Monday, more than 50 passengers were injured after a LATAM Airlines Boeing 787 bound for New Zealand from Australia plummeted mid-air , throwing passengers out of their seats, in what the carrier said was a “technical event” and is now under investigation.

As its reputation has sunk, so has Boeing’s stock price—dropping by more than 26% since the start of the year, per NASDAQ .

“Once you understand what’s happening inside of Boeing, you’ll see why we’re seeing these kinds of issues,” Barnett told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in January.

If you or someone you know may be experiencing a mental-health crisis or contemplating suicide, call or text 988. In emergencies, call 911, or seek care from a local hospital or mental health provider.

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Original research article, the role, impact, and responsibilities of health experts on social media. a focus group study with future healthcare workers.

• Department of Nordic and Media Studies, University of Agder, Kristiansand, Norway

People are increasingly turning to social media platforms to acquire information and seek advice on health matters. Consequently, a growing number of qualified healthcare professionals are using social media as channels for public health communication. On platforms such as YouTube and Instagram, health workers can reach a wide and interested audience while applying powerful tools for presentation and interaction. However, such platforms also represent certain challenges and dilemmas when doctors and psychologists become health influencers. Who do they represent? What style of communication is expected? And what responsibilities do they have toward their followers? The present study contributes to the field of investigation by employing qualitative methods. It is based on three focus group interviews conducted with students enrolled in health-related study programmes at Norwegian universities. The paper asks: How do future healthcare workers perceive the social media practices of popular healthcare experts regarding the advantages and dilemmas associated with such practices?

Introduction

People are increasingly turning to social media platforms to acquire information and seek advice on health matters ( Chen and Wang, 2021 ). Consequently, a growing number of qualified healthcare professionals are using social media as channels for public health communication ( Campbell et al., 2016 ). Throughout the course of the pandemic, the use of platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter as arenas for authoritative health information, as well as various forms of health-related misinformation, increased substantially ( Suarez-Lledo and Alvarez-Galvez, 2021 ). Today, many healthcare professionals have attained popularity as media personalities, using their platforms to share details of their private lives with their followers in parallel to providing reliable and evidence-based health guidance. While some derive their livelihood solely from activities associated with their social media presence, others function as “health influencers” 1 alongside their primary roles as hospital physicians, psychologists, or public health nurses. Given that these actors represent novel and popular avenues for health communication, it becomes imperative to address urgent questions regarding the effectiveness and social implications of their media practices. Do they improve public health? Are they the new first-line service? Or do they make their followers oversensitive to normal challenges, or even sully the reputation of health sciences? The present study suggests that social media platforms provide unique opportunities for healthcare professionals to disseminate authoritative health advice to a broad audience. However, the study also indicates that being a public health advisor on social media does not appear particularly attractive to future healthcare workers.

There is increasing scholarly interest in the use of social media platforms by qualified healthcare professionals and health organizations ( Martini et al., 2018 ; Basch et al., 2021 ; Chen and Wang, 2021 ). Much of the existing research in this domain employs quantitative methodologies, which uncover broad patterns in the evolution of mediated health communication ( Chen and Wang, 2021 ). The present study contributes to the field employing qualitative methods. It is based on three focus group interviews conducted with students enrolled in health-related study programmes at Norwegian universities. The paper asks: How do future healthcare workers perceive the social media practices of popular healthcare experts regarding the advantages and dilemmas associated with such practices? 2 The objective of the study is to add depth and nuances to a field of research dominated by quantitative studies, allowing the voices of future healthcare workers to be heard. Today's students of health sciences will assumably have a considerable impact on the future development of public health communication. They are also qualified critics of the practices in question. Therefore, their voices are of special interest, yet largely absent from the existing body of research. The results of the study will be useful to students and researchers in the media and health sciences, as well as for practitioners and policy makers operating within this domain.

The article is structured into four main sections. First, it provides a narrative review of previous research conducted in this field of investigation. Second, the methodological and theoretical frameworks employed in the study are explained. In the third section, the interview data is analyzed. Engagement, trust , and social roles are key concepts in the analysis. In the fourth and final section, the findings are summarized, discussed, and concluded.

Previous research on social media and health communication

Social media have long been regarded as a promising arena for science communication and dissemination of knowledge. According to Davies and Hara ( 2017 , p. 564), digital and social media have the potentials to “open up science, enable dialogue, and create a digital public sphere of engagement and debate.” These media affordances also apply to health communication. Research has revealed that social media represent opportunities to increase self-efficacy, treatment adherence, and health literacy, when used actively by health professionals to spread health information and advice ( Suarez-Lledo and Alvarez-Galvez, 2021 ). However, these channels also work as arenas for health-related misinformation , understood as “a health-related claim that is based on anecdotal evidence, false or misleading owing to the lack of existing scientific knowledge” ( Suarez-Lledo and Alvarez-Galvez, 2021 , p. 2). That is one of the reasons why Gabarron et al. ( 2020 , p. 127) state that healthcare professionals and public health institutions need to have a greater presence on social media: “They have the potential for interacting with individuals, delivering trustworthy information, correcting misinformation, and providing the correct responses to personal and public concerns.”

A literature review of 158 relevant studies concluded that “using SM [social media] could be a key strategy in addressing some of the challenges and limitations often faced by HCPs [health care providers] in traditional health communication through faster and cheaper dissemination, more accessibility, better interaction, and increased patient empowerment” ( Farsi, 2021 , p. 6).

As a channel for qualified health information and advice, social media represent a new arena, and guidelines from public health authorities are rare ( Gabarron et al., 2020 ; Farsi et al., 2022 ). However, research indicates that certain strategies work better than others in terms of evoking engagement among internet users. The use of video ( Kite et al., 2016 ; Martini et al., 2018 ), personal stories, humor, and two-way communication ( Steffens et al., 2020 ; Basch et al., 2021 ), are all elements that have been shown to evoke followers' attention and engagement. Although social media's opportunities for dialogue and interaction are regarded by some commentators as the “gold mine” for health workers who want to reach young internet users ( Yonker et al., 2015 , p. 8), many health experts use these media merely as a one-way channel for the dissemination of information ( Campbell et al., 2016 ). Such a one-way approach to a typical two-way social arena may be motivated by several factors, such as the time demanded for staying connected and the risk of privacy breach (cf. Farsi, 2021 ).

While social media offer unique opportunities for health communication in the digital public, they also represent several challenges, risks, and dilemmas. One challenge is to find the right balance between pedagogical simplification and scientific quality. In all forms of public communication of scientific content, the issue of understandability is key (cf. Bauer, 2009 ). And social media offer unique affordances regarding educationally tailored, visual and multimodal presentations of health-related content ( Moreno and D'Angelo, 2019 ). On the other hand, too strong simplification and generalization may blur important nuances and even lead to a banalization of the subject topic.

Another challenge lies in establishing an online identity that effectively combines the role of a trusted and personal advisor with that of a professional health authority. One approach is to adopt the style employed by popular lifestyle or fashion influencers. This style typically involves the sharing of personal details ( Torjesen, 2021 ), potentially fostering both emotional engagement and a sense of confidentiality and trust with followers. However, such a stylistic choice can clash with the expectation of objectivity and discretion associated with a professional healthcare provider ( Ferrell and Campos-Castillo, 2022 ). The existing literature does not provide a definitive answer on the most effective means of building trust on social media (ibid.). Some commentators suggest that many people, particularly young people, tend to place greater trust in their friends and other approachable individuals than in experts ( Yonker et al., 2015 ; Jenkins et al., 2020 ). Conversely, others argue that trust can be established through the inclusion of credible sources and an emphasis on the reliability of the information conveyed ( Fontaine et al., 2019 ).

The above-mentioned challenges of evoking engagement and building trust are related to a potential conflict of norms. This conflict comes to surface when institutionalized conventions regulating the behavior of professional health workers meet the open and sharing culture of social networks ( Munson et al., 2013 ; Ferrell and Campos-Castillo, 2022 ; Atef et al., 2023 ). They are also related to the fact that the health-related information and advice offered on social media platforms are most often aimed at a wide audience ( Farsi et al., 2022 ). When targeting a wide media audience, it can be challenging to find topics and a style of discourse that fits all, as well as to construct a sender identity and a social relation that evokes engagement and trust in all parts of the audience. Farsi ( 2021 , p. 7) write: “Messages tailored to certain population segments are more effective than generic messages, as tailored messages address the specific needs of their recipients.”

Thus, research in the field has revealed that the transition of health information from leaflets, school visits, and magazine columns to YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok implies both new opportunities and new challenges. What is lacking in the literature are qualitative investigations on how specific segments of users experience and value the work done by health experts on social media. The present study is a response to this lacuna in our shared knowledge on health and the media.

Methodological and theoretical framework

The study is based on three focus group interviews, each group consisting of five to six students enrolled in health-related study programmes at Norwegian universities. The study programmes included are medicine, psychology, and public health nursing (a 1-year further education programme for nurses). Employing a qualitative design, the study aims to uncover the experiences, attitudes, and reflections expressed by members of this specific segment of the media audience. The findings are not representative of a large and diverse population. Nevertheless, the study provides insights and nuanced perspectives on how a particular group of recipients responds to a new genre of health communication and how these responses manifest verbally. The article supports its findings by presenting extracts from transcribed interviews, documenting, and illustrating the results. This form of explorative, qualitative research contributes to future surveys that aim to identify patterns and trends within larger populations.

The interview guide was developed based on previous research in the relevant field (see the previous section) and relevant concepts from two disciplines: science communication and social semiotics. In the literature on science communication, three key factors for such communication to be successful are identified: understandability, emotional engagement , and trust ( Bauer, 2009 ). All these aspects of communication are reflected in the interview guide. In the theoretical field of social semiotics, the focus is on the process of meaning-making in social settings, including the interpersonal aspect of communication. According to Van Leeuwen (2022) , the shaping and negotiation of identities and social roles are fundamental processes in all instances of human communication. These processes are particularly relevant for this study, as they contribute to establishing the social status of the communicating individuals and the trustworthiness attributed to the exchanged messages.

Van Leeuwen (2022) distinguishes four types of identity: social identity , which positions individuals within specific social groups; individual identity , which signifies unique qualities and characteristics of a person; role identity , which indicates the various social or professional roles a person may have in different situations; and lifestyle identity , which connects a person to particular values and interests based on leisure activities and consumption patterns. These categories of identity are applicable to both the sender and the receiver of mediated messages. In the present study, they are useful in analyzing and discussing the results from the focus group interviews.

Recruitment and implementation

Students enrolled in health-related study programmes were specifically chosen for their possession of three key characteristics: (a) being relevant recipients of the media content, (b) possessing the qualifications to critically analyse the content, and (c) having the potential to become recruits for the type of media practice being examined. The interviews were coordinated and carried out by staff members of Medlytic , a Norwegian company specializing in supporting health-related research. They undertook this task based on the detailed instructions and interview guide provided by the author of this article. 3

In the process of recruiting participants to the focus groups, Medlytic staff used social media announcements. They also reached out to personal networks within the student population. All participants were enrolled in study programmes at various Norwegian universities. The author of this article decided the number of participants in each focus group, and what study programmes the participants in each group should be recruited from: study programmes in medicine, psychology, and health nursing, respectively. As a token of gratitude for their time and participation, the informants received a small gift card. To conduct the interviews, Medlytic staff used the video conferencing software Zoom, allowing digital interaction. Each of the three interviews had a duration of approximately one to one and a half hours, the participants sitting in different locations in Norway. All interview sessions were recorded on video and subsequently anonymised and transcribed. The author of this article, not being present during the Zoom sessions, received the anonymised transcriptions once they were completed. Staff members from Medlytic have not taken any part in the analysis of the interviews or in the writing process.

The analysis was carried out in three stages. During the initial stage, all interview transcripts were uploaded to Nvivo software and coded according to a predefined codebook that was developed based on the interview guide and the theoretical framework. In the second stage, both the codebook and the coding were iteratively adjusted by multiple readings of the transcripts. Lastly, in the third stage, the analysis was thematically organized and written with the objective of providing a valid and comprehensive response to the research question. At this stage, the focus was on detecting ideas and perceptions recurring across the three groups as well as variations in the interview data.

Methodological reflections

Focus group interviews encompass both strengths and weaknesses as a research methodology (see, e.g., Powell and Single, 1996 ). One advantage lies in the group dynamics, which facilitate the emergence of diverse ideas and foster discussion, including the introduction of contrasting viewpoints. Furthermore, the inclusion of a larger number of participants allows for a comprehensive data collection in a relatively short time frame. Powell and Single ( 1996 , p. 504) write: “The focus group is an ideal means of generating hypotheses, of investigating unexplored areas of human experience and of clarifying ambiguous ones.” However, there are also drawbacks to consider. Participants may self-censor due to concerns about potential social stigma within the group, hindering the full expression of their thoughts and opinions. Additionally, there is a risk that more extroverted or dominant participants might overshadow the contributions of quieter participants. To address these concerns, it is crucial that the moderator extracts relevant information from all participants while safeguarding the integrity of the individual informant. In the present study, a professional moderator was appointed to lead all three interviews, based on the instructions and interview guide provided by the author of this article. While this delegation of tasks may have strengthened the flow of information in the interview sessions, it also represents limitations regarding the follow-up questions that were raised, and the amount of time allocated to each theme. An additional limitation of the study is the gender imbalance among informants, 16 out of 17 participants being women. This imbalance is a consequence of the recruitment process, while also reflecting the existing gender disparity in health-related study programmes in Norway. 4 Although it remains uncertain whether a more balanced group of informants would have yielded significantly different results, this gender distribution should be recognized. Regarding the reliability of the results, it should be recognized that another researcher might have emphasized and presented the findings in the interview data differently, not least since the analysis in this case was carried out by a single researcher. This hermeneutic aspect of qualitative research makes complete replicability unattainable. It highlights the need for transparency regarding the implementation of the research and awareness regarding its limitations.

The study adheres to the prevailing academic standards of research ethics and has obtained approval from the Norwegian Center for Research Data (NSD).

The focus groups

The three focus groups consisted of individuals referred to by their chosen nicknames, as listed below (see Tables 1 – 3 ).

Table 1 . Group 1—Students studying medicine.

Table 2 . Group 2—Students studying psychology.

Table 3 . Group 3—Students studying public health nursing (the public health nursing programme is a 1-year continuing education programme for nurses).

During the recruitment stage, candidates received information on the general theme of the interview. They were instructed to prepare by familiarizing themselves with a selection of relevant social media accounts, which are run by a hospital doctor, a psychologist, and a public health nurse, respectively. 5 Many of the participants already knew one or more of these accounts, as well as similar accounts run by other health experts. Consequently, the responses given during the interviews should not be interpreted solely as reactions to the three specific accounts mentioned, but rather as reflections on the broader phenomenon of health experts providing information and advice on social media.

The analysis reveals that the study participants generally perceive the health experts' activities on social media as a positive and beneficial practice. They appreciate their role in increasing visibility and normalizing discussions surrounding health issues, as well as raising awareness about health matters. However, they also highlighted certain areas of uncertainty and risk connected to these forms of media practice. None of the participants expressed aspirations to engage in this kind of practice themselves (see Table 4 ) .

Table 4 . Examples of key questions and responses in the interview data.

A central finding of the study is that the participants perceive the relational aspect as a crucial factor in the activities of healthcare professionals on social media. According to the literature on science communication ( Bauer, 2009 ; Davies and Horst, 2016 ), building social connections provides opportunities for emotional engagement and facilitates effective dissemination of academic content. The informants also acknowledge and appreciate the efforts of experts to simplify complex topics. However, in their view, both endeavors come with associated costs. Therefore, one key conclusion drawn from the interviews is that the success and effectiveness of such media activities by professional health workers hinge on their ability to strike a delicate balance between two basic, yet potentially conflicting, aims: being comprehensible while maintaining scientific accuracy; and fostering social connections while upholding professional standards.

In the following analysis of the interview data, key findings, and selected citations underpinning them, are organized in three sections, each presenting the informants' view on the following topics: the dissemination of content to a wide audience; the stimulation of the followers' engagement and trust, and the likelihood that they themselves will take on a role as health influencers.

Examples of key questions and responses are found in Table 4 below, followed by a more detailed presentation of the results.

Dissemination of content to a wide audience

The informants are generally of the opinion that qualified health influencers have a considerable ability to reach a large audience with health advice that is understandable and useful to many. Nina (medicine student) believes that the most popular health influencers have “cracked a code” that the public health authorities have not yet managed. She said 6 :

The public authorities are probably thinking about how they can achieve something similar, reach out to people. They have maybe not cracked that code themselves, then.

However, some of the informants highlight potential problems that may arise from targeting a broad audience. When a health expert delves deeply into a narrow and specialized topic, many of their followers can feel excluded. On the other hand, if the expert alternates between very disparate types of information or advice, it can confuse followers regarding whether they belong to the intended target group or not. Among the informants, there are various opinions about the types of topics that work well or not so well on social media accounts with a broad and heterogeneous audience. Some say that such accounts should focus on promoting good health and general wellbeing, while refraining from providing detailed descriptions and advice related to severe health conditions. Others say that it can be a support for people who suffer from serious conditions to hear about others who go through the same.

Ingvild (psychology student) said:

I think anything that promotes good health that is presented on Instagram or elsewhere is a good thing. Everything that is preventive, that explains how our body and mind work, is good. What I think there should be less of, is all the talk about serious illnesses and symptoms. (..) What do we gain from talking a lot about anxiety, trauma and depression, or people dying from cancer? I don't say that it's all wrong (..) It is not good to be protected from everything evil. (..) But I think promoting good health is more important.

Regarding the challenges related to the pedagogical shaping of professional knowledge to fit a broad audience consisting of non-experts with limited time and interest, the informants unanimously concur on the necessity of simplification. They acknowledge that many health experts on social media are very good at this. However, they also caution against the potential drawbacks of oversimplification. In certain instances, some participants said, it can obscure a reality that is considerably more complex. The concerns expressed by some of the psychology students were particularly focused on the potential pitfalls of providing generalized advice on mental challenges that can be experienced in very diverse ways by different individuals. Additionally, it was emphasized that while straightforward guidance for psychological self-help may prove effective for some individuals, it may not be equally beneficial for everyone, particularly when individuals are solely responsible for implementing the advice in their own lives. And if the advice does not work, it was argued, it can potentially intensify feelings of defeat and despair. Ronja (psychology student) said:

Some may read these simple-looking advice and think, ok, I should use some more time on myself, but they experience that it can be difficult to implement without any further guidance. And it may encourage the idea that this does not help me, I will not be any better.

Many informants highlighted one significant positive impact of health experts engaging with social media: the ability to bring attention to and normalize conditions that are normally not talked about. That is a key reason for the general opinion among the informants that health experts on social media generally contribute to improving public health. Thelma (medicine student) said:

Just a few years ago, no one would ever talk loud about going to a psychologist. And it was unheard of that you should seek professional help if you were struggling with difficult thoughts or those kinds of things. Now, that has become quite normal. Several of my own friends can say, oh, I have to go because I have an appointment with my psychologist. I think that is because some psychologists have started to be more visible on social media, offering their knowledge as well as their opinions. I think that is a really good thing.

On the other hand, several of the informants were concerned about the risk of misinterpretations and self-diagnosis as a result of oversimplification and increased visibility, especially in the context of mental health. They emphasized the challenge of capturing all nuances associated with different mental conditions in a highly simplistic manner, highlighting the likelihood that individuals may too hastily identify specific symptoms within themselves. The need for individualized treatment of mental conditions was emphasized, given the diverse range of causes and symptoms they can encompass. Connie (psychology student) said:

I saw a video reel on Instagram about mental diagnoses. It did not convey the appropriate information about the decline of normal function and levels of symptomatic pressure, which are actually very key criteria for making a diagnosis. It is completely impossible for...even for us, who are students of psychology and have worked in this field for years, we cannot do it right.

Furthermore, informants highlighted the risk of misinterpreting provided information due to the absence of adequate opportunities for follow-up questions or personalized guidance. It was also expressed a concern that something presented with the aim of describing a normal human condition, a condition that most people will recognize, is perceived as a symptom of sickness. Ingvild (psychology student) said:

Everyone will recognise some signs of depression or some signs of anxiety. That does not mean that you are depressed or that you are a person who suffers from anxiety. But many people might think they are, because they lack a deeper understanding of these conditions.

Stimulation of engagement and trust

To communicate scientific knowledge effectively to a wide audience, it is essential to evoke a certain level of emotional engagement (cf. Bauer, 2009 ). The participants recognized the potential for social connection inherent in the role of popular health influencers. Individual experts, showing their faces and revealing personal experience and advice, tend to appear more relatable and approachable compared to an organization or a public health institution. According to Munson et al. (2013) , being personal and approachable is a central issue when experts use social media for public health communication. This aspect is crucial in cultivating emotional engagement among followers and, consequently, building a broad and attentive audience (ibid.). Several informants expressed similar ideas. Susanne (public health nursing student) said:

To build a following, those who follow need to feel that they get to know the person behind the account. That is the whole point of being an influencer. That those following you feel that they know you. So, if they behave in a very distanced manner, I doubt that they will create much engagement.

Thus, a key aspect of building a relation with an audience is the construction of a sender identity. A sender identity is based in part on the personality of the communicating individual, but it is also the result of a certain style , i.e., the choices made concerning verbal message, visual appearance, and physical surroundings ( Van Leeuwen, 2022 ). In the case of health influencers, several informants emphasized that health experts on social media need to find the right balance between representing themselves—building a personal brand—and representing a field of scientific knowledge as well as a profession. Several informants, having observed a number of health experts on various social media platforms, talked about substantial variations concerning their choices of style. Some have a very informal and personal style in their posts, sharing their personal experiences and opinions about current controversies, while others have a more objective and formal style. The informants reported that some health influencers reveal an intention to build social relationships, while others focus more exclusively on scientific matters. Which strategy is more effective is a question without a clear answer in the three groups of participants. Marie (public health nursing student) said:

When it comes to sharing their own experiences, for example, talking about what worked well for themselves.. I guess that will be useful for some of their followers. It depends on their age group, and many things.(..) For those struggling with certain problems, it may help to see that certain simple measures worked well for this psychologist, for example.

Karianne (public health nursing student) said:

For my part, I prefer to have it more distanced. When health issues are concerned, a distanced form makes the health influencer more trustworthy, in my eyes. But I do see the potentials that lie in the opposite, a style that involves the sharing of their own experiences and life situations. That may contribute to normalising symptoms that one may experience, or normalising a certain life condition that one feels totally alone in.

Some informants noted that the difficult balance between representing a field of science on the one hand and building their own personal brand on the other, becomes particularly visible when health influencers promote their own books instead of guiding followers to consult other sources or other health experts. Kine (psychology student) said:

There may be various motifs behind the media activity. Some may write that …ok, if this strikes you, you can read more about it in my book. Instead of saying, ok, if this strikes you, you should see a psychologist, here is the number to so and so…

On the other hand, some informants expressed that they understand that money is a natural—and sometimes necessary—element in a long-term engagement as a health influencer. Ingvild (psychology student) said:

All the health influencers I have observed… they all seem to possess a genuine desire to help. They do not appear to be bad people who only think about money. But gradually, if you see that... here I can make some money if I write a book. It is a natural thing to think. No one hates money. Or some of them may wish to become famous. And you may question how moral such a wish is. But anyway, if they do the right things, they still do a good job in terms of preventive care and health promotion.

The choice between building an approachable and personal identity as a health influencer or rather constructing a professional, distanced expert-identity, became a core issue in the conversations with the informants. It concerns questions of engagement and trust, and it also involves questions of ethical standards and dilemmas. The existence of a personalized social relationship is key to having an impact on the attitudes and actions of other people. But in a situation where it is impossible to follow up such a relationship by offering individual advice and guidance; is it still ethically acceptable to build such a relationship? On this issue, the reflections of the informants follow various trajectories. Beate (medicine student) said:

Some of the influencers I have looked at have a strong personal style, and I believe they become important figures in the lives of many young people. And that is a good thing, because they offer a lot of good advice. But then, when a young person feels that…this is meant for me, and yet, they cannot get in touch with the sender, that may lead to problems. It means that health influencers should be very explicit, saying that…I am not your psychologist. If you are struggling, you should consult someone else.

The issues of identity and style lead to the question of who the health experts on social media actually are representing. Do they work as a new first-line service, implying that they have a role in the public health care system? Or do they only represent themselves? It should be noted that some health influencers work their day job in various public health institutions, while others earn their living from personal enterprises. The informants, all familiar with the public health care system in Norway, have different views on this question. Marie (public health nursing student) said:

They are not employed by anyone; they are independent actors. And what they do is mainly to offer information, not health care. So, I would not call them a new first-line service.

Other informants are more open to the idea that qualified health workers on social media can function as a new first-line service. Beate (medicine student) said:

When you mentioned first-line service, I thought that...since everyone is on social media nowadays, this may be the first place that you meet issues related to mental health. Or to corona. This may be the first step. And then you might become more curious, you read more and bring it to your GP, who may then send you to a specialist. I think this might be the first line, yes. But in a grey-zone, somehow.

Nina (medicine student) agreed with Beate, and said:

A first-line service, yes. You check with people you trust first. Then you may consult the public health system in the next step.

Reflections: will you become a health influencer?

While the informants generally conveyed positive attitudes toward the efforts of health experts on social media, none of the 17 informants expressed an ambition to assume a similar publicly exposed role when explicitly asked. Several reasons for this reluctance were mentioned, including the fear of making mistakes or tarnishing the reputation of their own profession; the fear of facing public criticism, and the sense of being responsible for the health of other people without the ability to provide continuous support. Ingvild (psychology student) said:

If you have 100 000 followers, it is probably impossible to answer all the messages you receive. How would you choose between them? I would have felt really bad not being able to follow up all those who contacted me. Being a popular health influencer, you have no contract about following up everyone contacting you. But I think you have some sort of moral responsibility. I would not feel ok about it. That is one of the reasons why I never would wish to be a person with many followers, someone known to many.

Nina (medicine student) said:

My field of interest is neuroscience, which is research on the human brain, and I want to continue working in that field. And I think it would be very useful to inform people about that topic. But it is really hard to explain it in a proper manner, without making it banal and incorrect. (..) I think that is a reason why I would not choose to become a public figure. I am not sure whether it is even possible to disseminate it in a proper way.

Another reason for reluctance was particularly related to how some of the informants viewed the profession of psychologists. One informant, Ronja, studying psychology, felt that practicing both as a clinical psychologist and as an influencer on mental issues would be difficult to combine. She said:

Being an influencer, you are supposed to put focus on yourself and who you are—which is somehow the opposite of what a psychologist is supposed to do when working with therapy. (..) In a way, being a psychologist is different from being a psychology influencer.

Although they were skeptical about assuming the role of a publicly exposed health influencer themselves, several informants acknowledged that they were inspired by such media actors. They reported that health experts on social media had made them more aware of the importance of making their own knowledge accessible to others.

Fredrikke (public health nursing student) said:

I think she [a public health nurse on social media] is really accessible. And we may feel a bit of a pressure because we are not equally accessible. We may not have to open a Snapchat-account, but we need to think of new solutions to become more accessible. Maybe for both good and bad.

Discussion and conclusion

In the introduction of this paper, I asked: How do future healthcare workers perceive the media practices of popular health influencers regarding the advantages and dilemmas associated with such practices? Using the three focus group interviews with 17 students enrolled in health-related study programmes at Norwegian universities as an indicator, we can now ask more specifically: How did the participants view today's health experts on social media regarding the three key factors for effective science communication mentioned by Bauer (2009) : understandability, engagement, and trust?

Overall, the participants recognized the strong potentials of such media activity concerning all three factors. But they also identified certain challenges and dilemmas. While simplification was acknowledged as necessary in popular dissemination, several participants—particularly those studying psychology—noted that the sharing of generalized advice can be problematic, since individual followers may experience health issues in very different ways. It is difficult to offer advice adapted to individual needs when you have 100,000 followers on Instagram, it was mentioned.

Concerning engagement and trust, these factors were closely connected to the kind of sender-identity that is being constructed by the individual health expert. Van Leeuwen (2022) emphasizes that different types of identity can be expressed through different styles , which encompass choices related to clothing, language, visual symbols etc. A specific area of research examines how identities are formed within the realm of social media. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok provide opportunities for individuals to creatively curate their identities through the arrangement of words, voice, camera angels, colors, and other semiotic resources (see, e.g., Rettberg, 2014 ). Applying the four kinds of identity suggested by Van Leeuwen (2022) —individual identity; social identity; role identity, and lifestyle identity—we can conclude that the informants valued the significance of the different kinds of identity differently in this context. Some participants valued individual identity and lifestyle identity strongest, emphasizing that a key success factor on social media is to build a personal brand by applying a personal style and sharing personal details and ideas. Others valued more strongly a style that reflects the social role and responsibilities of being a public health expert, representing institutionalized knowledge and traditions. It was said that a more objective and distanced style makes health experts appear more trustworthy, even on social media. These different views touch upon critical comments that have surfaced in the trade press regarding potential ambiguities in terms of roles and identities, that may occur when popular health influencers use their professional titles on their private social media channels. In a Norwegian journal for nurses, concerns are expressed that it can seem hard to distinguish between their role as entrepreneurs, promoting their own enterprises, and their role as healthcare professionals ( Fjelldal, 2019 ).

In the literature on health experts using social media for health communication, many commentators are concerned about the risk of sensitive information being exposed in the sections with followers' comments (e.g., Munson et al., 2013 ; Yonker et al., 2015 ; Farsi, 2021 ). When asked explicitly about ethical concerns, none of the participants in the study mentioned this issue. What many were more concerned about, was the responsibility related to giving generalized health advice without being able to follow up each receiver individually. This finding may indicate that the next generation of health care givers (contrary to media scholars?) assume that the sharing of personal information is a normal thing to do for many users of social media, and that those who share such information, know what they are doing. This view corresponds to opinions expressed by health experts active on social media ( Engebretsen, 2024 ).

The results of the study are relevant for several groups. Media scholars are informed on the reception of a new media practice; health professionals active on social media can see and review detailed feedback on activities similar to their own, and health authorities are offered input to evaluate and guide a new communication practice that involves qualified health personal. The results also have implications for educators. If qualified health advice on social media can be seen as a new first-line service, an idea that several participants agreed to, such dissemination activity should be reflected in relevant health-related study programmes. Parallel to the growing attention to patient-doctor communication in medical education (see, e.g., Ong et al., 1995 ), a similar attention to expert-audience communication online would be a useful outcome of the growing body of research in this novel field of practice. To support future curricula changes in this direction, more research is needed to understand and evaluate the social and professional role of qualified health influencers on social media. What rhetorical strategies are the most effective in terms of understandability and engagement? What professional and ethical norms and values are most suitable to guide such media activities? And how can non-expert audience members distinguish between trustworthy and less trustworthy health information on popular social media platforms? The questions are multiple, and they call for multiple approaches in terms of research design and methodology.

Data availability statement

The datasets presented in this article are not readily available because the article is based on anonymized transcriptions of focus group interviews. The interviewees were not asked to accept re-use of the interview data beyond the described study so the data cannot be used by others. Queries relating to the research may be directed to the author.

Ethics statement

The study was approved by Norwegian Agency for Shared Services in Education and Research. The study was conducted in accordance with the local legislation and institutional requirements. The participants provided their informed consent to participate in this study.

Author contributions

ME: Writing – original draft.

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. The study was funded by a grant from The Norwegian Media Authorities (grant no. 21/2073) and by the author's home institution, University of Agder.

Acknowledgments

Thanks to the Norwegian Media Authorities for funding the study from which this article is derived. And a big thanks to the 17 participants that openly shared their thoughts and opinions on the topic of interest in this article and thus made it a feasible project.

Conflict of interest

The author declares that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Publisher's note

All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

1. ^ I use the concept of “influencers” according to the wide definition presented on the web site of Vixen Awards, an organization that annually awards prizes to Norwegian influencers: “An influencer is a person who has an influence on others through content that is created and shared in their own channels and on social media.” (My translation from Norwegian). Downloaded August 28th, 2023, from https://www.vixen.no/ .

2. ^ The study is part of a project funded by The Norwegian Media Authorities. Other parts of the project include a multimodal discourse analysis of one selected case ( Engebretsen, 2023 ), and an interview-based study of three awarded health influencers ( Engebretsen, 2024 ).

3. ^ See the interview guide in Appendix 1 . The same guide was used in all three interviews.

4. ^ According to statistics from the Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills, 81 per cent of the students starting health-related studies in 2022 were women. https://www.samordnaopptak.no/info/om/sokertall/sokertall-2022/sluttstatistikk-uhg-2022.pdf .

5. ^ The informants were asked to study the following social media accounts for preparation: https://www.instagram.com/psyktdeg/ , https://www.youtube.com/c/DrWasimZahid , and https://www.instagram.com/helsesista/ . See Engebretsen (2023) for a multimodal case study of the Instagram account PsyktDeg .

6. ^ All citations are translated from Norwegian to English by author. When a sequence of words from the transcript is omitted in the citation, it is marked with (..).

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Project: Health workers on social media

Project leader: Prof. Martin Engebretsen, University of Agder

Interview guide, focus groups

(Translated from Norwegian)

1. Age, gender and professional background (type of study) of the participants.

2. Did you know any of the three selected health influencers before you were asked to participate in the study?

- Do you know other, similar health professionals on SoMe?

- Have you yourself been an active follower of any of these actors on SoMe?

3. Are you yourselves affected by these types of media actors when it comes to your own understanding of your profession and social role?

- Do you, for example, either feel identification—or distance?

- Do you experience that they simplify the professional content too much (oversimplification)?

- Do you yourself become more aware of the importance of communicating professional knowledge in a way that is adapted to a target audience, or that is creative and innovative?

- Do you feel like taking a similar role yourself in the future, using digital media?

4. Do you believe that these actors reach their target audiences in terms of providing them with…

- a better understanding of their own health?

- a better relationship with themselves and their own body/mental health?

- greater trust in qualified health experts?

5. Do you believe that health communication in social media can motivate changes in lifestyle or mindset?

- Are there any differences between young and older followers in this regard?

6. Do you see any professional or ethical dilemmas associated with this type of practice?

- Is it a problem that the style and tone of social media and professional healthcare are inherently different (personal and intimate vs. professional and distant)?

- Is it a problem that sharing and interaction are expected on social media, while anonymity and discretion are expected in other forms of contact with healthcare?

7. How do you perceive the social role of this group of health communicators?

- Are they “private” knowledge disseminators, who stand outside the healthcare system, but are driven by a desire to contribute to better public health?

- Are they a kind of frontline service that helps people in need move further into the healthcare system?

- Are they primarily commercial actors, operating primarily on market terms?

- Are they a kind of “rock stars” attracted by the attention and reward system that social media can provide?

- Something completely different? Or something more mixed—difficult to generalize?

Instruction: Present the main, open question first—then specify in the next round if the proposed points have not been mentioned in the conversation.

Keywords: social media, health communication, trust, social roles, focus group interviews, students, health experts

Citation: Engebretsen M (2024) The role, impact, and responsibilities of health experts on social media. A focus group study with future healthcare workers. Front. Commun. 9:1296296. doi: 10.3389/fcomm.2024.1296296

Received: 18 September 2023; Accepted: 21 February 2024; Published: 12 March 2024.

Reviewed by:

Copyright © 2024 Engebretsen. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) . The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

*Correspondence: Martin Engebretsen, martin.engebretsen@uia.no

This article is part of the Research Topic

Insights in Health Communication: 2022-2024

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Title: tailoring physical properties of crystals through synthetic temperature control: a case study for new polymorphic nbfete2 phases.

Abstract: Growth parameters play a significant role in the crystal quality and physical properties of layered materials. Here we present a case study on a van der Waals magnetic NbFeTe2 material. Two different types of polymorphic NbFeTe2 phases, synthesized at different temperatures, display significantly different behaviors in crystal symmetry, electronic structure, electrical transport, and magnetism. While the phase synthesized at low temperature showing behavior consistent with previous reports, the new phase synthesized at high temperature, has completely different physical properties, such as metallic resistivity, long-range ferromagnetic order, anomalous Hall effect, negative magnetoresistance, and distinct electronic structures. Neutron diffraction reveals out-of-plane ferromagnetism below 70K, consistent with the electrical transport and magnetic susceptibility studies. Our work suggests that simply tuning synthetic parameters in a controlled manner could be an effective route to alter the physical properties of existing materials potentially unlocking new states of matter, or even discovering new materials.

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Once you receive your code, you’ll need to take it to your childcare provider, along with your National Insurance number and your child’s date of birth.  

Your childcare provider will process the code to provide your place.  

Places will be available for September in every area of the country, but a significant minority of settings hold waiting lists of over six months. If you have a preferred nursery for September, you should reach out now to secure a place for your child ahead of receiving your code.  

Your local authority can provide support for finding a government-funded place in your area.  

What if I’m already registered for Tax Free Childcare?  

Parents must reconfirm that they are still eligible for Tax-Free Childcare every 3 months.  

Parents who are already claiming Tax-Free Childcare and need to reconfirm their eligibility between 1 April and 12 May will be automatically issued a code in the post from HMRC soon after the 12 May.   

This is to ensure every parent can give their code to their provider in good time. This code will be valid to apply for 15 hours of government-funded childcare from September.   

If I receive a code in a letter from HMRC, does this make my code on my Childcare Account invalid?  

No. Both codes will be valid.   

Do I need to wait for my reconfirmation window to add another child to my account?  

A parent who is already using the childcare service for another child can add a new child to their account at any time.  

Your reconfirmation cycle for your current Tax-Free Childcare will not affect this.  

How are you making sure there will be enough childcare places for eligible parents?  

Parents that have a preferred place for September should reach out now to their local provider to secure a physical place for their child ahead of time.  

To make sure there are enough places available, we’re investing over £400 million in 2024-25 to increase the hourly rates paid to local authorities.  

The Institute for Fiscal Studies has independently reported that the average funding rates for two-year-olds and under 2s paid by government from April 2024 are projected to be substantially higher than the market rate paid by parents last year, and we have committed to further increases to provider rates for the next two years.  

We have also committed to increasing hourly funding rates over the next two years by an estimated £500 million, to make sure providers can increase places at each phase of the rollout.    

You may also be interested in:

• Budget 2023: Everything you need to know about childcare support
• Before and after school childcare: Everything you need to know about wraparound care
• Free childcare: How we are tackling the cost of childcare

Tags: 15 hours free childcare , Applying for 15 hours free childcare , Childcare , Free childcare 2024 , Free childcare eligibility , tax-free childcare , When to apply for 15 hour free childcare

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YSL Young Thug RICO Case: Co-Defendant Warns Trial Won’t Be Over Until 2027 Unless Witnesses Limited

The legal team for Deamonte Kendrick, a.k.a. Yak Gotti, have argued the judge needs to limit the number of witnesses the state plans to present at trial.

One of the co-defendants in the Young Thug and YSL RICO case has argued that the judge needs to limit the number of state witnesses at trial and avoid dragging out the legal proceedings.

Law and Crime Network reports that the legal team for Deamonte Kendrick, otherwise known as Yak Gotti, has cautioned that the case will be even further dragged out if the judge on the case fails to limit the number of witnesses state prosecutors plan to present at the trial. Attorneys for Kendrick, who is one of Thug's five remaining co-defendants in the case, asked Judge Ural Glanville on Tuesday, March 19, to use his discretion to maintain "reasonable control" over trial evidence.

"The state, after originally proposing a witness list of over 700 witnesses, has a list of over 400 witnesses it intends to present at trial. To date, the State has presented approximately 40 witnesses since presentation of witnesses began at the end of November," wrote defense attorneys E. Jay Abt, Douglas Weinstein, and Katie A. Hingerty in a motion filed this week. "At the present, representative rate, it will take until approximately October 2026 to complete the presentation of State’s witnesses. ... Thus, the present trial will take well into at least mid-2027 to complete."

State prosecutors are reportedly hoping to present another 360 witnesses into evidence in the trial, which attorneys have argued will confuse jurors and drag out proceedings. In the motion, they wrote that 360 additional witnesses "would cause undue delay, would be a waste of time, and would amount to needless presentation of cumulative evidence. ... While the State puts on its case, witness by witness, Kendrick and the other Defendants sit in jail. Their lives on hold. ... Meanwhile, the risk of a confused jury unable to comprehend a years-long trial only grows."

The motion also asks state prosecutors to explain why the remaining 360 witnesses won't be "a waste of time" and delay the trial even further.

Last week, Judge Glanville reprimanded the prosecution and defense after they got into a heated debate in court over witness testimony. Fulton County Deputy District Attorney Adriane Love and Doug Weinstein raised their voices. Kendrick was at the center of the debate because Glanville granted a motion to suppress his interrogation statements as evidence.

“We were ready to present evidence…the court is not allowing us to present the evidence,” Love said in court . “We have the burden of proof and we haven’t even been able to present the evidence that we have. We only—for the sake of ease—allowed the court to introduce the statements that the defendant [Gotti] made…to help Mr. Weinstein play the portion that he wanted to talk about.”

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A generative AI reset: Rewiring to turn potential into value in 2024

It’s time for a generative AI (gen AI) reset. The initial enthusiasm and flurry of activity in 2023 is giving way to second thoughts and recalibrations as companies realize that capturing gen AI’s enormous potential value is harder than expected .

With 2024 shaping up to be the year for gen AI to prove its value, companies should keep in mind the hard lessons learned with digital and AI transformations: competitive advantage comes from building organizational and technological capabilities to broadly innovate, deploy, and improve solutions at scale—in effect, rewiring the business  for distributed digital and AI innovation.

About QuantumBlack, AI by McKinsey

QuantumBlack, McKinsey’s AI arm, helps companies transform using the power of technology, technical expertise, and industry experts. With thousands of practitioners at QuantumBlack (data engineers, data scientists, product managers, designers, and software engineers) and McKinsey (industry and domain experts), we are working to solve the world’s most important AI challenges. QuantumBlack Labs is our center of technology development and client innovation, which has been driving cutting-edge advancements and developments in AI through locations across the globe.

Companies looking to score early wins with gen AI should move quickly. But those hoping that gen AI offers a shortcut past the tough—and necessary—organizational surgery are likely to meet with disappointing results. Launching pilots is (relatively) easy; getting pilots to scale and create meaningful value is hard because they require a broad set of changes to the way work actually gets done.

Let’s briefly look at what this has meant for one Pacific region telecommunications company. The company hired a chief data and AI officer with a mandate to “enable the organization to create value with data and AI.” The chief data and AI officer worked with the business to develop the strategic vision and implement the road map for the use cases. After a scan of domains (that is, customer journeys or functions) and use case opportunities across the enterprise, leadership prioritized the home-servicing/maintenance domain to pilot and then scale as part of a larger sequencing of initiatives. They targeted, in particular, the development of a gen AI tool to help dispatchers and service operators better predict the types of calls and parts needed when servicing homes.

Leadership put in place cross-functional product teams with shared objectives and incentives to build the gen AI tool. As part of an effort to upskill the entire enterprise to better work with data and gen AI tools, they also set up a data and AI academy, which the dispatchers and service operators enrolled in as part of their training. To provide the technology and data underpinnings for gen AI, the chief data and AI officer also selected a large language model (LLM) and cloud provider that could meet the needs of the domain as well as serve other parts of the enterprise. The chief data and AI officer also oversaw the implementation of a data architecture so that the clean and reliable data (including service histories and inventory databases) needed to build the gen AI tool could be delivered quickly and responsibly.

Creating value beyond the hype

Let’s deliver on the promise of technology from strategy to scale.

Our book Rewired: The McKinsey Guide to Outcompeting in the Age of Digital and AI (Wiley, June 2023) provides a detailed manual on the six capabilities needed to deliver the kind of broad change that harnesses digital and AI technology. In this article, we will explore how to extend each of those capabilities to implement a successful gen AI program at scale. While recognizing that these are still early days and that there is much more to learn, our experience has shown that breaking open the gen AI opportunity requires companies to rewire how they work in the following ways.

Figure out where gen AI copilots can give you a real competitive advantage

The broad excitement around gen AI and its relative ease of use has led to a burst of experimentation across organizations. Most of these initiatives, however, won’t generate a competitive advantage. One bank, for example, bought tens of thousands of GitHub Copilot licenses, but since it didn’t have a clear sense of how to work with the technology, progress was slow. Another unfocused effort we often see is when companies move to incorporate gen AI into their customer service capabilities. Customer service is a commodity capability, not part of the core business, for most companies. While gen AI might help with productivity in such cases, it won’t create a competitive advantage.

To create competitive advantage, companies should first understand the difference between being a “taker” (a user of available tools, often via APIs and subscription services), a “shaper” (an integrator of available models with proprietary data), and a “maker” (a builder of LLMs). For now, the maker approach is too expensive for most companies, so the sweet spot for businesses is implementing a taker model for productivity improvements while building shaper applications for competitive advantage.

Much of gen AI’s near-term value is closely tied to its ability to help people do their current jobs better. In this way, gen AI tools act as copilots that work side by side with an employee, creating an initial block of code that a developer can adapt, for example, or drafting a requisition order for a new part that a maintenance worker in the field can review and submit (see sidebar “Copilot examples across three generative AI archetypes”). This means companies should be focusing on where copilot technology can have the biggest impact on their priority programs.

Copilot examples across three generative AI archetypes

• “Taker” copilots help real estate customers sift through property options and find the most promising one, write code for a developer, and summarize investor transcripts.
• “Shaper” copilots provide recommendations to sales reps for upselling customers by connecting generative AI tools to customer relationship management systems, financial systems, and customer behavior histories; create virtual assistants to personalize treatments for patients; and recommend solutions for maintenance workers based on historical data.
• “Maker” copilots are foundation models that lab scientists at pharmaceutical companies can use to find and test new and better drugs more quickly.

Some industrial companies, for example, have identified maintenance as a critical domain for their business. Reviewing maintenance reports and spending time with workers on the front lines can help determine where a gen AI copilot could make a big difference, such as in identifying issues with equipment failures quickly and early on. A gen AI copilot can also help identify root causes of truck breakdowns and recommend resolutions much more quickly than usual, as well as act as an ongoing source for best practices or standard operating procedures.

The challenge with copilots is figuring out how to generate revenue from increased productivity. In the case of customer service centers, for example, companies can stop recruiting new agents and use attrition to potentially achieve real financial gains. Defining the plans for how to generate revenue from the increased productivity up front, therefore, is crucial to capturing the value.

McKinsey Live Event: Unlocking the full value of gen AI

Join our colleagues Jessica Lamb and Gayatri Shenai on April 8, as they discuss how companies can navigate the ever-changing world of gen AI.

Upskill the talent you have but be clear about the gen-AI-specific skills you need

By now, most companies have a decent understanding of the technical gen AI skills they need, such as model fine-tuning, vector database administration, prompt engineering, and context engineering. In many cases, these are skills that you can train your existing workforce to develop. Those with existing AI and machine learning (ML) capabilities have a strong head start. Data engineers, for example, can learn multimodal processing and vector database management, MLOps (ML operations) engineers can extend their skills to LLMOps (LLM operations), and data scientists can develop prompt engineering, bias detection, and fine-tuning skills.

A sample of new generative AI skills needed

The following are examples of new skills needed for the successful deployment of generative AI tools:

• data scientist:
• prompt engineering
• in-context learning
• bias detection
• pattern identification
• reinforcement learning from human feedback
• hyperparameter/large language model fine-tuning; transfer learning
• data engineer:
• data wrangling and data warehousing
• data pipeline construction
• multimodal processing
• vector database management

The learning process can take two to three months to get to a decent level of competence because of the complexities in learning what various LLMs can and can’t do and how best to use them. The coders need to gain experience building software, testing, and validating answers, for example. It took one financial-services company three months to train its best data scientists to a high level of competence. While courses and documentation are available—many LLM providers have boot camps for developers—we have found that the most effective way to build capabilities at scale is through apprenticeship, training people to then train others, and building communities of practitioners. Rotating experts through teams to train others, scheduling regular sessions for people to share learnings, and hosting biweekly documentation review sessions are practices that have proven successful in building communities of practitioners (see sidebar “A sample of new generative AI skills needed”).

It’s important to bear in mind that successful gen AI skills are about more than coding proficiency. Our experience in developing our own gen AI platform, Lilli , showed us that the best gen AI technical talent has design skills to uncover where to focus solutions, contextual understanding to ensure the most relevant and high-quality answers are generated, collaboration skills to work well with knowledge experts (to test and validate answers and develop an appropriate curation approach), strong forensic skills to figure out causes of breakdowns (is the issue the data, the interpretation of the user’s intent, the quality of metadata on embeddings, or something else?), and anticipation skills to conceive of and plan for possible outcomes and to put the right kind of tracking into their code. A pure coder who doesn’t intrinsically have these skills may not be as useful a team member.

While current upskilling is largely based on a “learn on the job” approach, we see a rapid market emerging for people who have learned these skills over the past year. That skill growth is moving quickly. GitHub reported that developers were working on gen AI projects “in big numbers,” and that 65,000 public gen AI projects were created on its platform in 2023—a jump of almost 250 percent over the previous year. If your company is just starting its gen AI journey, you could consider hiring two or three senior engineers who have built a gen AI shaper product for their companies. This could greatly accelerate your efforts.

Form a centralized team to establish standards that enable responsible scaling

To ensure that all parts of the business can scale gen AI capabilities, centralizing competencies is a natural first move. The critical focus for this central team will be to develop and put in place protocols and standards to support scale, ensuring that teams can access models while also minimizing risk and containing costs. The team’s work could include, for example, procuring models and prescribing ways to access them, developing standards for data readiness, setting up approved prompt libraries, and allocating resources.

While developing Lilli, our team had its mind on scale when it created an open plug-in architecture and setting standards for how APIs should function and be built.  They developed standardized tooling and infrastructure where teams could securely experiment and access a GPT LLM , a gateway with preapproved APIs that teams could access, and a self-serve developer portal. Our goal is that this approach, over time, can help shift “Lilli as a product” (that a handful of teams use to build specific solutions) to “Lilli as a platform” (that teams across the enterprise can access to build other products).

For teams developing gen AI solutions, squad composition will be similar to AI teams but with data engineers and data scientists with gen AI experience and more contributors from risk management, compliance, and legal functions. The general idea of staffing squads with resources that are federated from the different expertise areas will not change, but the skill composition of a gen-AI-intensive squad will.

Set up the technology architecture to scale

Building a gen AI model is often relatively straightforward, but making it fully operational at scale is a different matter entirely. We’ve seen engineers build a basic chatbot in a week, but releasing a stable, accurate, and compliant version that scales can take four months. That’s why, our experience shows, the actual model costs may be less than 10 to 15 percent of the total costs of the solution.

Building for scale doesn’t mean building a new technology architecture. But it does mean focusing on a few core decisions that simplify and speed up processes without breaking the bank. Three such decisions stand out:

• Focus on reusing your technology. Reusing code can increase the development speed of gen AI use cases by 30 to 50 percent. One good approach is simply creating a source for approved tools, code, and components. A financial-services company, for example, created a library of production-grade tools, which had been approved by both the security and legal teams, and made them available in a library for teams to use. More important is taking the time to identify and build those capabilities that are common across the most priority use cases. The same financial-services company, for example, identified three components that could be reused for more than 100 identified use cases. By building those first, they were able to generate a significant portion of the code base for all the identified use cases—essentially giving every application a big head start.
• Focus the architecture on enabling efficient connections between gen AI models and internal systems. For gen AI models to work effectively in the shaper archetype, they need access to a business’s data and applications. Advances in integration and orchestration frameworks have significantly reduced the effort required to make those connections. But laying out what those integrations are and how to enable them is critical to ensure these models work efficiently and to avoid the complexity that creates technical debt  (the “tax” a company pays in terms of time and resources needed to redress existing technology issues). Chief information officers and chief technology officers can define reference architectures and integration standards for their organizations. Key elements should include a model hub, which contains trained and approved models that can be provisioned on demand; standard APIs that act as bridges connecting gen AI models to applications or data; and context management and caching, which speed up processing by providing models with relevant information from enterprise data sources.
• Build up your testing and quality assurance capabilities. Our own experience building Lilli taught us to prioritize testing over development. Our team invested in not only developing testing protocols for each stage of development but also aligning the entire team so that, for example, it was clear who specifically needed to sign off on each stage of the process. This slowed down initial development but sped up the overall delivery pace and quality by cutting back on errors and the time needed to fix mistakes.

Ensure data quality and focus on unstructured data to fuel your models

The ability of a business to generate and scale value from gen AI models will depend on how well it takes advantage of its own data. As with technology, targeted upgrades to existing data architecture  are needed to maximize the future strategic benefits of gen AI:

• Be targeted in ramping up your data quality and data augmentation efforts. While data quality has always been an important issue, the scale and scope of data that gen AI models can use—especially unstructured data—has made this issue much more consequential. For this reason, it’s critical to get the data foundations right, from clarifying decision rights to defining clear data processes to establishing taxonomies so models can access the data they need. The companies that do this well tie their data quality and augmentation efforts to the specific AI/gen AI application and use case—you don’t need this data foundation to extend to every corner of the enterprise. This could mean, for example, developing a new data repository for all equipment specifications and reported issues to better support maintenance copilot applications.
• Understand what value is locked into your unstructured data. Most organizations have traditionally focused their data efforts on structured data (values that can be organized in tables, such as prices and features). But the real value from LLMs comes from their ability to work with unstructured data (for example, PowerPoint slides, videos, and text). Companies can map out which unstructured data sources are most valuable and establish metadata tagging standards so models can process the data and teams can find what they need (tagging is particularly important to help companies remove data from models as well, if necessary). Be creative in thinking about data opportunities. Some companies, for example, are interviewing senior employees as they retire and feeding that captured institutional knowledge into an LLM to help improve their copilot performance.
• Optimize to lower costs at scale. There is often as much as a tenfold difference between what companies pay for data and what they could be paying if they optimized their data infrastructure and underlying costs. This issue often stems from companies scaling their proofs of concept without optimizing their data approach. Two costs generally stand out. One is storage costs arising from companies uploading terabytes of data into the cloud and wanting that data available 24/7. In practice, companies rarely need more than 10 percent of their data to have that level of availability, and accessing the rest over a 24- or 48-hour period is a much cheaper option. The other costs relate to computation with models that require on-call access to thousands of processors to run. This is especially the case when companies are building their own models (the maker archetype) but also when they are using pretrained models and running them with their own data and use cases (the shaper archetype). Companies could take a close look at how they can optimize computation costs on cloud platforms—for instance, putting some models in a queue to run when processors aren’t being used (such as when Americans go to bed and consumption of computing services like Netflix decreases) is a much cheaper option.

Build trust and reusability to drive adoption and scale

Because many people have concerns about gen AI, the bar on explaining how these tools work is much higher than for most solutions. People who use the tools want to know how they work, not just what they do. So it’s important to invest extra time and money to build trust by ensuring model accuracy and making it easy to check answers.

One insurance company, for example, created a gen AI tool to help manage claims. As part of the tool, it listed all the guardrails that had been put in place, and for each answer provided a link to the sentence or page of the relevant policy documents. The company also used an LLM to generate many variations of the same question to ensure answer consistency. These steps, among others, were critical to helping end users build trust in the tool.

Part of the training for maintenance teams using a gen AI tool should be to help them understand the limitations of models and how best to get the right answers. That includes teaching workers strategies to get to the best answer as fast as possible by starting with broad questions then narrowing them down. This provides the model with more context, and it also helps remove any bias of the people who might think they know the answer already. Having model interfaces that look and feel the same as existing tools also helps users feel less pressured to learn something new each time a new application is introduced.

Getting to scale means that businesses will need to stop building one-off solutions that are hard to use for other similar use cases. One global energy and materials company, for example, has established ease of reuse as a key requirement for all gen AI models, and has found in early iterations that 50 to 60 percent of its components can be reused. This means setting standards for developing gen AI assets (for example, prompts and context) that can be easily reused for other cases.

While many of the risk issues relating to gen AI are evolutions of discussions that were already brewing—for instance, data privacy, security, bias risk, job displacement, and intellectual property protection—gen AI has greatly expanded that risk landscape. Just 21 percent of companies reporting AI adoption say they have established policies governing employees’ use of gen AI technologies.

Similarly, a set of tests for AI/gen AI solutions should be established to demonstrate that data privacy, debiasing, and intellectual property protection are respected. Some organizations, in fact, are proposing to release models accompanied with documentation that details their performance characteristics. Documenting your decisions and rationales can be particularly helpful in conversations with regulators.

In some ways, this article is premature—so much is changing that we’ll likely have a profoundly different understanding of gen AI and its capabilities in a year’s time. But the core truths of finding value and driving change will still apply. How well companies have learned those lessons may largely determine how successful they’ll be in capturing that value.

The authors wish to thank Michael Chui, Juan Couto, Ben Ellencweig, Josh Gartner, Bryce Hall, Holger Harreis, Phil Hudelson, Suzana Iacob, Sid Kamath, Neerav Kingsland, Kitti Lakner, Robert Levin, Matej Macak, Lapo Mori, Alex Peluffo, Aldo Rosales, Erik Roth, Abdul Wahab Shaikh, and Stephen Xu for their contributions to this article.

This article was edited by Barr Seitz, an editorial director in the New York office.

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