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 final article in the series highlights the traits, culture and KPIs that make thought leadership campaigns sustainable drivers of business impact.

In my conversations with CMOs and marketing directors, a common challenge emerges: Many firms struggle to get a campaign off the ground. They are uncertain about where to begin, how to secure lawyer buy-in or how to sustain engagement once the content is produced. Others have launched campaigns, only to be disappointed by the returns.

The gap isn’t usually budget. It’s the operating system.

High-impact campaigns run on a specific mindset, a set of non-negotiable traits and a disciplined approach to measurement. This playbook, also featured on the CMO Series Podcast, breaks down the essential components for turning campaigns into a consistent driver of business impact.

Start with a "win-work" mindset

Campaigns that deliver are built from the start with a clear aim: to win business and strengthen the firm’s brand. That mindset shapes everything:

• Choosing topics strategically: Focus on client-critical issues and firm growth priorities.

• Securing meaningful participation: Lawyers aren’t just drafting; they activate campaigns with clients.

• Promoting collaboration: Align across practices and markets to deliver integrated solutions that are meaningful for clients.

• Sustaining engagement: Plan touchpoints before, during and after launch to maintain momentum.

• Driving accountability: Require lawyers to follow up, report outcomes and tie activity to business development.

Not every campaign will convert into new business (see Article 2). But the ambition to win work and build visibility on specific topics of client importance must be present from the start. Otherwise campaigns risk fading quickly instead of building momentum.

Own a topic: the ‘content franchise’ model

The goal isn’t merely output—it’s ownership. With 43% of B2B marketers saying they struggle to differentiate their content from competitors (Content Marketing Institute), the path ahead is to build “content franchises” that allow firms to own topics of critical client importance. Own the topic, and you create the opportunity to own the solutions clients are seeking.

Firms have two practical approaches for going to market:

• Capital-C campaigns: Large-scale efforts with sub-brands that involve months of prep and a dedicated digital hub. They are best suited to position your firm as a market leader on the topic at hand.
• lowercase-c campaigns: Lighter lifts that prioritize speed to market. Often a coordinated series of alerts, blogs or briefs with unified branding that deliver faster, focused responses to timely client needs.

In fact, some lowercase-c efforts can evolve into larger programs as lawyers from different practices contribute. The Strategic Connector campaign (see Article 2) began as a light, fast-moving effort before expanding into a cross-practice initiative with significant momentum.

Either model works when the topic aligns with client demand and firm priorities, when a critical mass of lawyers is positioned to support paid client work on that issue, and when activation is built into the plan from the outset. Activation here means more than publishing: It includes PR, digital distribution and targeted outreach to key audiences. Crucially, it also involves setting clear expectations for how lawyers will personally leverage the campaign in their client conversations and business development efforts. It also means tapping firm leadership to promote the campaign internally. Doing so creates visibility across practices and encourages colleagues to leverage the material in cross-selling opportunities.

The five traits of a winning campaign

Winning campaigns share a set of non-negotiables:

1. Visible champions: Lead partners who lend credibility and drive momentum.
2. Editorial discipline: Client-ready, timely and practical, with clear takeaways clients can act on.
3. Cross-practice collaboration: Demonstrating how the firm solves complex problems that span silos.
4. Activation: Campaigns succeed only when pushed into the market with purpose and follow-through, backed by PR, digital distribution and active lawyer engagement.
5. Business alignment: Topics map to growth priorities and areas where premium rates can be commanded.

Measure what matters: from awareness to conversion

Campaigns earn credibility when their impact is shown in terms lawyers recognize. That requires a broad set of KPIs that capture data from awareness through conversion.

Top of Funnel (Awareness → Consideration): PR placements, SEO lift, qualified traffic, engagement rates, new subscribers, event participation.

Mid to Lower Funnel (Consideration → Conversion): Speaking invitations, client inquiries, training requests, pitch activity, cross-practice referrals, matters opened.

This isn’t just a marketing and BD task. Lawyers are responsible for turning content into conversations and reporting outcomes. Campaigns create accountability when anchored in high-value commercial priorities. That alignment drives leadership attention, partner commitment and a built-in expectation of results.

Hardwiring a culture of growth

Campaigns are practical levers for culture change. They make cross-practice collaboration habitual, give lawyers a clear playbook for client engagement and normalize reporting on outcomes. While the transformation isn’t overnight—building a true campaign-driven culture is an 18- to 24-month endeavor—each initiative serves as a training ground, building the muscle memory for a more integrated, commercially focused firm.

Firms that embrace this discipline do more than win the next matter. They build an enduring competitive advantage by outmaneuvering rivals, deepening client loyalty and owning the issues that matter most. And the payoff is clear: According to the 2024 Edelman-LinkedIn report on B2B thought leadership impact, 60% of decision-makers say they will pay a premium to work with organizations that consistently produce high-quality thought leadership—proving that this discipline is more than marketing; it’s a path to higher-value business.

Read the other articles in the series:

Why Thought Leadership Campaigns Are the Real Test of Marketing & BD Performance, Charlotte Knight

Earn Your Seat at the Table: How Campaigns Win in the Era of Merit-Based Business Development, Charlotte Knight