Written by guest contributor, Phill McGowan, founder of Phill McGowan Marketing and experienced law firm marketer with more than a decade helping firms drive growth through thought leadership. 

The second article in the series explains why thought leadership campaigns succeed or fail, and how that shapes firm success in the merit-based BD era.

Business development has entered a new merit-based era — one that reshapes relationships rather than replaces them. The most important decisions are made long before you’re in the room. Gartner research shows that 83% of a typical B2B buying decision is made before a client ever speaks with a firm. The decisive stage is the independent research phase, where clients are actively looking for solutions and signals of credibility.

In this environment, substantive insights and relevancy become the currency that win consideration and trust. Perhaps that’s why thought leadership now ranks second only to trusted recommendations when decision-makers research outside firms for hire (Greentarget’s 2025 State of Digital & Content Marketing report).

Firms that win in this environment are those that can shape this stage of the buyer journey with authority. Thought leadership campaigns are the most effective way to do it. They connect a firm’s brand to the issues clients care about most, compel collaboration across practices and markets and give lawyers timely reasons to engage—armed with insights that are urgent, relevant and actionable.

What Makes Campaigns Succeed vs. Fail

Not all campaigns deliver equally. The difference is clear in three anonymized examples from the AmLaw 100:

The Sunk Cost. A campaign on regulatory and operational challenges in life sciences produced a handful of articles, but the effort quickly fizzled. Lawyers ignored client-friendly templates, disengaged after publication, and few promoted the work. Business conversations that did arise were not shared with BD. Without a champion after the launch phase, the effort became a classic “publish and pray” campaign—a sunk cost with no measurable return.

The Blockbuster. A campaign on how aviation innovation could reshape the e-commerce marketplace brought together a global team of lawyers to produce more than a dozen articles. The group chair served as a visible champion, rallying colleagues, shaping content and working with BD to target specific clients. Firm leadership promoted the effort broadly, creating cross-selling opportunities. The campaign generated significant PR coverage, led to a high-profile speaking invitation that otherwise would have required major sponsorship, attracted new clients and delivered millions of dollars in new business. Even more than a year after initial publication, the campaign continued to draw strong digital engagement.

The Strategic Connector. A campaign on supply chain challenges expanded quickly as lawyers across practices and geographies joined in. More than 15 lawyers contributed 20+ blog posts covering ESG, finance, trade and geopolitics. Unified branding and tagging tied the effort together, building a subscriber base and momentum. Beyond client visibility, the campaign forged new internal lawyer relationships across regions and practices—proof that such efforts can strengthen collaboration and cross-selling.

The lesson: Campaigns succeed when they are championed, aligned and executed with foresight. Done right, they don’t just build visibility; they create measurable outcomes that justify investment and foster stronger internal collaboration.

Key ingredients include:

• Lawyer champions who give the campaign credibility, momentum and client relevance.
• Alignment with BD teams so campaigns are integrated into workflows and tied directly to business priorities.
• A multi-format media approach that meets clients where they are — through podcasts, video, infographics, events, LinkedIn posts or e-alerts — and avoids the trap of relying on a single channel. According to Passle, single-format content risks missing over 80% of the market (General Counsel Survey 2023).

Campaigns as Enablers of Modern BD

Campaigns give structure to the BD behaviors clients now expect. In a market where, according to Passle’s General Counsel study, 77% of general counsel spend more than eight hours a week consuming thought leadership, campaigns provide a platform for lawyers to proactively educate clients on critical issues—positioning the firm as a partner that delivers forward-looking perspective rather than reactive commentary. Edelman research underscores why campaigns matter: 73% of decision-makers trust thought leadership more than marketing materials when assessing capabilities.

It’s no surprise that larger firms are building campaign infrastructure directly into their marketing functions. Dedicated campaign managers, content strategists and digital specialists are being hired to ensure campaigns are not one-off experiments but part of the firm’s go-to-market strategy. For CMOs and directors, the signal is clear: Campaigns are fast becoming the organizing framework for modern BD.

The Seat at the Table—and Beyond

In today’s merit-based BD environment, campaigns are one of, if not, the most effective ways to earn a seat at the client table, shaping decisions long before an RFP is ever issued. In fact, new research from MomentumABM shows 81% of decision-makers say thought leadership helps their buying groups align on key issues with confidence.

But the true power of a great campaign goes beyond just securing a seat. When firms are first-movers on critical issues, they can eliminate the RFP process altogether. Clients stop shopping around — they hire the firm that sets the agenda. In a market that increasingly values foresight and credibility over loyalty, that is the ultimate return on investment.

The next and final article in the series will examine the traits, culture and KPIs that enable thought leadership campaigns to deliver lasting business impact.