Testimonial Research & Strategy Case Study — TimberTech
Transforming static testimonials into evidence-backed conversion engines
How it started
In high-stakes building materials, customer proof points are critical to winning market share. TimberTech (AZEK) had built strong testimonial assets, but in a fast-moving digital ecosystem, even compelling stories risk losing velocity if they don't adapt to new formats, platforms, and shifting buyer expectations.
With 72% of marketers reporting that testimonial videos yield between 50% and 500% ROI, AZEK recognized a high-leverage opportunity. They didn't just want to refresh creative—they wanted to empirically test what drives credibility and purchase intent among high-net-worth homeowners planning major renovations.
To move away from intuition-driven marketing and establish evidence-backed creative guardrails, they called Program 11.
What we did
Program 11 launched a 6-week Creative Lab: an empirical sprint blending market analysis, competitive auditing, and quantitative consumer testing.
Competitive & Comparative Scan: We audited 12–18 months of testimonial content across in-category building materials, adjacent home categories, and outside-category innovators in beauty, fintech, and DTC retail.
Consumer Validation Sprint: We fielded an online survey targeting 500 U.S. homeowners ($500,000+ home values) planning outdoor renovations within 18 months. By testing modular content snippets—hooks, proof levels, caption styles, and calls-to-action—we isolated the exact building blocks that lift consumer action.
Our a-ha moment: The research uncovered a major industry blindspot: the gap between inspiration and instruction. While homeowners enjoyed quick, high-level transformation videos, visual speed meant nothing if it came at the expense of practical how-to detail, material specs, or realistic expectations.
How it’s going
Program 11 handed AZEK a Pilot Playbook that translated raw survey data into pilot-ready creative packages, complete with mood boards, script lines, shot lists, UGC prompts, and channel distribution guardrails.
This evidence-backed roadmap with ready-to-test creative packages was designed for rapid execution within 60 days.
By replacing creative guesswork with structured consumer insights, AZEK established a scalable narrative infrastructure to drive higher conversion rates, optimize production investments, and lift brand value across digital and retail channels.
