We’re at the point where we want to systematize how we create case studies that work across Russian and US markets. Right now, we’re still doing a lot of manual, bespoke work for each collaboration. It’s good, but it’s not sustainable.
I’m thinking about building a repeatable framework—something like:
- Problem Statement (research both markets’ perspective on the challenge)
- Actions Taken (documented with market-specific context)
- Results (lead with metrics universal to both sides, then add market-specific indicators)
- Collaboration Insights (the human/partnership stuff)
But I’m not sure if I’m overcomplicating it. Maybe the framework should be even simpler. Or maybe the framework needs to be flexible in specific places.
One thing I know for sure: I don’t want to create a ‘Russian version’ and a ‘US version’ of the same case study. That feels lazy. But I also don’t want to create two completely different narratives that contradict each other.
Has anyone built a scalable system for this? What’s your framework, and where do you let flexibility in?
I’ve been thinking about this exact problem for my agency. Here’s what I’ve learned: the framework should be rigid (so you can scale it), but the content should be flexible.
So yes to your problem–action–results structure. That’s solid. But here’s the key difference: I document actions and results in two categories: ‘shared priorities’ (metrics and outcomes both sides care about) and ‘market-specific indicators’ (the things only one side cares about).
When it comes time to tell the story, I always lead with shared priorities—that’s the throughline everybody can agree on. Then I create two supplements: one focused on how this benefited the Russian market/partner, one for the US side. It’s like one main narrative with two appendices.
This scales because once you’ve documented the ‘shared vs. specific’ split upfront, the writing is just connecting the dots. I’ve got templates now, and I can turn around a bilingual case study in about half the time it used to take.
Pro tip: automate the data collection side. Get the influencer, the brand, and your team to fill out a structured intake form right after the campaign ends. Capture the quantitative stuff, but also qualitative feedback from each party about what ‘worked’ from their perspective. Once you have that, the framework almost builds itself.
Also, I’d suggest keeping it to three core sections, not five. Simplicity scales. The more complex your framework, the more corners get cut when you’re under deadline.