CMF case studies
CMF · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The Certified Marketing Foundations (CMF) credential is an entry-level certification for people building a marketing career - recent graduates, career changers, and early-career practitioners in coordinator, associate, or generalist roles - who want a structured, verifiable grounding in marketing fundamentals. It is not a specialist credential: it tests breadth across the marketing function rather than depth in one channel. The CMF case studies are 5 cases and about 2,661 words.
1The Subscription Spiral: Discounting to Save a Leaky Funnel
A DTC meal-kit brand has 120,000 active subscribers and a monthly churn rate of 9%, up from 6% a year ago. To slow the bleed, growth has been running 40%-off-first-box promotions, which now drive 70% of new signups.
586 words, about 3 min2The Focus Group That Disagreed With the Data
A regional bank is deciding whether to launch a fee-free checking account aimed at 25–34 year-olds. A 90-minute focus group of 8 participants in one metro area reacted enthusiastically; several said the no-fee positioning was 'refreshing' and 'the reason I'd switch.' Based on this, the product team wants to greenlight a full launch.
537 words, about 3 min3Line Extension or New Brand? The Premium Coffee Decision
A mid-market coffee company with strong brand awareness in value-priced ground coffee (household penetration 34%, average price 7.99 per bag) is considering entering the premium single-origin whole-bean segment at 18.99 per bag. Two options are on the table: launch under the existing value brand name, or create a new premium brand.
540 words, about 3 min4Attribution Fight: Paid Social vs. Brand Search
An online retailer spends $500,000/month across paid social and paid search. Last-click attribution credits paid search with 62% of conversions and paid social with 18%, so the team proposes cutting social by half and moving the budget to search.
500 words, about 3 min5The Influencer Campaign With a Vanity-Metric Problem
A skincare brand ran a 150,000 influencer campaign across 30 mid-tier creators to launch a new serum. The agency reports 12 million impressions, 480,000 engagements, and an engagement rate of 4%, calling it a success.
498 words, about 2 min