case studies can be fascinating reading and are often very compelling. The presentation of a real person instead of vague numbers (e.g., ‘sam’ instead of ‘200 people’) induces us to relate more to the...

case studies can be fascinating reading and are often very compelling. The presentation of a real person instead of vague numbers (e.g., ‘sam’ instead of ‘200 people’) induces us to relate more to the person in the study, and we often put more faith in the case study because of this. (This is the reason why advertisers rely more on testimonials from satisfied customers than on statistics.) unfortunately, the vividness of a case study does not demonstrate that it is representative. for example, an advertisement may relate the story of ‘Joan’s’ success with an exercise programme, even though ‘Joan’ may be the only person to have been satisfied!

Think of an example of a testimonial ad you’ve seen: on what basis do you decide whether the case is representative or not? What else might you want to know in making your assessment?