A customer case study tells someone else's story, so consent comes first, before any drafting. The customer should agree how they will be named, which channels the story can appear on and for how long. AI can then prepare questions, draft the story and check it against what was agreed, but people approve it at four points.
This is general information, not legal advice.
Key takeaways
- The customer is a third party who has signed nothing with you, so their consent comes before drafting, not before publishing.
- Consent should be specific: named or anonymous, which channels, which figures, and for how long.
- According to the ACCC, creating fake or misleading reviews is against the law, and testimonials fall under the same scrutiny.
- Quotes collected in customer research are leads for a case study, not permission to publish them.
- Four approvals sit between a story and publishing: customer consent, business accuracy, customer sign-off and release.
Why does customer consent matter for case studies?
Because the story, the name, the logo and the numbers belong to the customer, not to you. They gain little from the case study, may have an employer policy they do not know about and can change their mind. Asking first, and recording exactly what they agreed to, protects them and protects the relationship.
The failure is rarely malicious. It usually looks like this: an enthusiastic email in March, a draft in May, internal approval in June, publication in July, and the customer reading it for the first time in September. Each step felt reasonable, and nobody asked.
AI makes this easier to get wrong, because drafting is now fast. A team can turn a call transcript into a polished case study in an afternoon. Speed is fine; skipping the customer is not.
What should customer consent cover?
Consent should cover how the customer is identified, whether by name, industry only or fully anonymous; which channels the story can appear on; which figures and quotes can be used; whether named individuals agree to be named; and how long it can run. Record it in one place and check every draft against it.
| Consent covers | Example |
|---|---|
| Identification | Named company, named person, or "a regional logistics firm" |
| Channels | Website and sales decks, but not paid ads |
| Figures | Time saved can be used; revenue cannot |
| People | Operations manager named; others not |
| Duration | Two years, then reconfirm |
Personal information rules apply too. According to Australia's privacy regulator, the Privacy Act applies to all uses of AI involving personal information. Uploading call recordings or emails that identify people into an AI tool is a use of personal information, so check what your tools do with it.
Where can AI help with case studies?
AI can draft the consent request for a person to send, prepare interview questions, turn an interview transcript into a draft, and check that draft against what the customer agreed to. That last check is the most valuable: it catches a figure that was not cleared or a name that should be anonymous.
What AI should not do is contact the customer, record consent from a warm email, or upgrade an anonymous story to a named one because it reads better. Those are decisions for people, and some of them are the customer's alone.
Research quotes need particular care. Quotes gathered in customer interviews or from public reviews were not given for publication in your marketing. The guide to customer quote banks explains why they are leads to follow up, not licences to publish.
What are the four approvals for a case study?
There are four, and two belong to the customer. The customer consents to the story being told. Next, the business approves the copy and every claim. Once that is done, the customer signs off the finished words, exactly as written. Then a person at the business publishes it. No approval stands in for another.
- Consent. The customer agrees what can be told, where and for how long.
- Accuracy. The business checks every claim and figure.
- Sign-off. The customer approves the final text.
- Release. A person at the business publishes and distributes it.
The law adds weight to accuracy. According to the ACCC, it is against the law for a business to create fake or misleading reviews, and a December 2023 sweep found 37% of 137 businesses raised concerns about reviews and testimonials. A case study that overstates results is a misleading testimonial. The guide to audit trails covers recording who approved what.
What about anonymous case studies?
Anonymous case studies are a good option when a customer is happy to help but cannot be named. They still need consent, because details such as industry, size and location can identify a business. Agree how much detail is safe, and never make an anonymous story identifiable later without asking again.
Anonymous does not mean weak. A specific problem, a clear before and after and an honest account of what was hard can persuade more than a logo. According to Edelman and LinkedIn, about 73% of B2B decision-makers trust thought leadership more than marketing materials, and candour is a large part of why.
Skein drafts case studies only within what a customer has agreed to, with the customer signing off the final words and a person at the client publishing; the AI engineering page shows the process. That suits a B2B company with happy customers and no time to write their stories. A business whose customers cannot be identified at all may prefer anonymised examples.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need permission to write a customer case study?
Yes. The story, name, logo and figures belong to the customer, so get their agreement before drafting. Record what they agreed to, including how they are named, which channels, which figures and for how long, and have them sign off the final text before publishing.
What should a case study consent form include?
It should state how the customer will be identified, which channels the story can appear on, which figures and quotes can be used, whether named individuals agree to be named, and how long the consent lasts. Keep it in one place and check every draft against it.
Can AI write customer case studies?
AI can prepare interview questions, turn transcripts into drafts and check drafts against what the customer agreed. People should obtain consent, approve the claims and publish, while the customer signs off the final words. AI should never contact the customer or record consent on its own.
Can I use customer reviews in marketing without asking?
Public reviews were written for the review site, not for your marketing. Quoting them in ads or case studies can raise consent and misleading-conduct concerns, especially if negative reviews are omitted. Ask the reviewer before reusing their words, and never edit them to change their meaning.
What happens if a customer withdraws consent?
Remove the case study from every place you control, such as the website, sales decks and ads, and update your consent record. Note anything that cannot be retracted, such as downloaded copies or press coverage, and tell the customer honestly what has and has not been removed.
Related reading
- ACCC. "Online reviews for products and services." Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, accessed 30 October 2026. https://www.accc.gov.au/business/advertising-and-promotions/online-product-and-service-reviews
- Office of the Australian Information Commissioner. "Guidance on privacy and the use of commercially available AI products." OAIC, 21 October 2024, updated 17 January 2025. https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/privacy-guidance-for-organisations-and-government-agencies/guidance-on-privacy-and-the-use-of-commercially-available-ai-products
- Edelman and LinkedIn. "2024 B2B Thought Leadership Impact Report." Edelman, 2024. https://www.edelman.com/insights/thought-leadership-gets-b2b-buyers-back-into-game