#announcements
Important info for Customer Marketers & Community members
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Has anyone created Case Studies /Success Stories WITHOUT talking to the customer? We've got contractual logo use approval and sales had product marketing interview the customer's account manager to get details about how they are using the product but no one actually connected with the customer. I am concerned with the difference between logo usage and telling a story publicly they didn't sign off on or even know would be written. Wondering if this flow has worked for others, if I am just overreacting, etc.
So many thoughts on this one...first, logo use and story use are totally different things - to use a logo to showcase they are a customer is one thing, but to define their story without them actually giving it is another - I don't think you're overreacting on that one - customers need to be involved if their voice is being used.
That said, we leverage customer reviews all the time as stories and that doesn't necessarily require customer approval - at PeerSpot the quality of our reviews lends itself to a direct export and case study - the customer has already shared the experience and attached their name to it, so without edits, the testimonials and story can be used.
@Marie Elliott, we use what you're describing regularly but for internal training and educational purposes only. if we share the story externally, it is only as an anonymized story. def would not publish a story publicly without customer sign off, especially if they've only agreed to logo usage.
that said, it can be helpful to have a starting point and draft for a story, so if you can get in touch with the customer, you could have a head start towards getting a public story approved
@Alison Bukowski agreed, using their own words from reviews makes complete sense. I'm going to push to at least send them the heads up and ask for feedback before we use it in marketing campaigns.
I agree with what's been said. Really difficult to surmise that logo use equals full publication rights to a story. In this instance, I normally use internal stories or win slides to tell these stories until you get the opportunity to speak with the customer. This way your team still benefits from the learnings associated with the story without putting the relationship on rocky footing.
Yeah, if you don't get customer approval for something like that it will blow up in your face. My boss was just sharing with me yesterday how he did a customer testimonial video for a vendor we use and how their marketing team included a quote he said off the record as part of their digital campaign. Never asked his permission to be included in a campaign outside the video. It really damaged the customer relationship.
Thanks, all. Hoping we can right the ship quickly with the team. 🤞