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It’s been a difficult year for journalism. Over the last 12 months, we’ve watched as some of the biggest newsrooms of the digital age have shut down or teetered on the edge of failure. Layoffs are happening at a dizzying pace at marquee publications including The Washington Post, Time, Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Times and The Wall Street Journal. More than 500 journalists were laid off in January alone, adding to an already record-breaking streak in 2023.

Yet journalists do not shy away from adversity. They cover global catastrophes, dropping into war zones and braving dangerous environments to bring us the news we need to make informed decisions. So while they’re probably less used to being the story, they know how to face a tough situation with grit, creativity and resilience. And as Greentarget’s own research reveals, the next generation of journalists is positive about the future of the fourth estate.

To learn more about what that future may look like, we recently spoke to Hanaa Tameez, a staff writer for the Nieman Journalism Lab at Harvard University who covers innovation in news media.

Over the last four years, Tameez has followed and reported on new business models, audience engagement strategies, the financial stability of traditional media outlets, and anything that challenges the status quo—including artificial intelligence (AI). Perhaps surprisingly, Tameez is also “generally and genuinely optimistic about the state of the news industry.” Here are three positive takeaways from our conversation.

#1: AI doesn’t spell the death of journalism

In a year when five Pulitzer Prize finalists disclosed using AI in the process of researching, reporting, or telling their submissions, we were keen to get Tameez’s take on how AI may impact journalism in the future.

While she said that “AI can be a threat, especially if it’s in the wrong hands and used for generating mis/disinformation,” Tameez also pointed out that (as some journalists have already discovered), “it also has many capabilities that can advance journalism if used correctly.”

As many commentators and journalists have said, we can’t operate from a position of fear when it comes to AI. Tameez reminded us that, in fact, we’ve been using AI technologies like Google Translate, audio transcription services, Siri, and Alexa for many years—a fact underscored by our own research.

Generative AI platforms are the next iteration of these tools, and they can make our lives and our work easier. However, Tameez cautioned that when it comes to the use of AI, “if you can do it ethically and offer more transparency in journalism, this is always better.”

#2: Niche publications are on the rise

As the news industry continues to fragment and segment, Tameez believes we will see “an increase in publications that cover niche issues” as consumers look to subscribe to outlets that offer in-depth reporting on their interests, such as parenting magazines or sports sites.

Industry and trade publications that target business-to-business (B2B) readers may see a similar boost. Jacob Donnelly, founder of A Media Operator, a publication that focuses on building digital media companies, is “pretty confident about the financial health of the B2B media space right now,” he said on a recent American Society of Business Publication Editors webinar. According to Donnelly, “publishers are starting to realize that smaller, more engaged audiences are where their livelihoods will last.”

Not only are trade publications and niche outlets faring better under the ad revenue model—not entirely surprising, considering their target audiences—they’re also still securing reader subscriptions. The combination helps drive revenue on two fronts.

Semafor’s Max Tani also wrote about the pivot to niche as publications focus on building stronger bonds with their readers:

“You see that everywhere now. The collapse of mass brands like BuzzFeed and Vice, the rise of a generation of much more narrowly focused ones, including this one, and a scramble to rescue beloved outlets like Pitchfork by returning them to a smaller, dedicated audience.”

#3: College journalism is filling local reporting gaps

As local news outlets struggle to stay afloat, an unexpected group is helping to keep local journalism alive: students.

The Christian Science Monitor recently covered how universities are stepping in to fill the gap as local news deserts grow. For example, the college newspaper The Daily Iowan recently purchased two struggling weekly publications. While that move was a first, other universities are stepping up to fill America’s news void in different ways, with initiatives ranging from student-staffed statehouse bureaus to newspapers run by journalism schools.

Tameez told us she has always been “a big proponent of student journalism” because that’s “where journalists learn to work.” She was the editor of her college paper, an experience that taught her how to be a journalist. While her team broke stories that made local news and national stories years later, “they weren’t given the platform in the same way student journalists have a platform now. Because of the challenges in local news, college journalism is filling the gaps.”

That’s not to say that journalism and journalists aren’t struggling—they are.

Despite Tameez’s overall optimism, she said that it’s been challenging to watch “real-life journalism getting lost” in layoffs. And while new news outlets are starting up, the rate at which other media outlets are crumbling is accelerating much faster. “It will take time to build a sustainable organization that can engage people in ways they deserve,” she said.

As news organizations adapt to these new challenges and opportunities, Greentarget will carefully monitor and report on the resulting data and trends. The principles of journalism drive smarter conversations, and true authorities have a responsibility to participate skillfully in the ongoing discussion. Quite simply, we all need the services journalists provide.

From our standpoint, Greentarget will strive to continue being empathetic to reporters in an era of smaller staff and a 24-hour news cycle. We know journalists need authorities with perspectives that serve the rapidly evolving needs of their audiences. We will continue to deliver. 

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The public tends to trust businesses and CEOs more than NGOs, government, and the media. That trust is fragile, though. And in the wake of headlines about everything from social issues to geopolitical conflicts, the way executive leaders navigate the pressure to speak out can either strengthen or undermine their stakeholders’ trust in them.

Entering the fray is not without risk, and it’s all too easy to make a PR misstep. That’s why so many executive leaders struggle to know when to make a statement — and what to say if they do.

In our recent webinar, Greentarget’s Executive Positioning experts — Vice President Abby Aylman Cohen, Director of Content & Editorial Strategy Jennifer Smith, and former Senior Vice President Steve DiMattia — laid out a compelling argument for why leaders can’t afford to be caught unawares by the issues that make headlines. Then, they offered practical advice to help firms protect their reputation and maintain trust with their audience in an age rife with polarization and unrest.

Here are three takeaways from the event.

1. Your Authority Hinges on Proactive Communication Planning

Of the respondents who participated in the 2024 Edelman Trust Barometer survey, 62% said they expected CEOs to actively communicate around changes occurring in society as a whole, not just those affecting their businesses. Gen Z employees in particular said they value CEOs who speak out about societal issues.

But considering how fraught and emotional the landscape of public discourse is, it’s easy for executive leaders to fall into one of two camps: Ignore the headlines completely and focus solely on the issues that directly affect the business, or release statements that attempt to please everyone but say nothing meaningful.

Furthermore, it’s common for unprepared leaders to lose control of difficult conversations, especially if they’ve never practiced talking to the media and other stakeholders about challenging topics. When executives are unable to navigate all-eyes-on-them moments, they risk undermining their own authority and harming their organization’s reputation.

For example, the acute need for proactive communications planning was never more apparent than in 2022, when the Supreme Court’s draft Dobbs v. Jackson decision leaked. Between the time the leak made headlines and the final decision was announced, corporate and firm leaders had about five to six weeks to think about how they were going to communicate with their audiences. Yet very few did.

Unlike Dobbs v. Jackson, most events hit the news cycle without warning. But even so, it’s possible for leaders to create a framework that guides if and how they respond. This can underscore their authority and build trust with stakeholders — if they take the time to develop a smart, informed, and flexible communications platform long before there’s a breaking news story.

2. Don’t Scenario Plan for Every Possible Communication Challenge

Over the past several months, Greentarget’s Executive Positioning team has identified some of the top threats we predict will cause communication conundrums for executive leaders. You can do a deep dive into each of these topics by downloading our Executive Positioning Guide or by perusing our blog.

Our guidance has covered topics such as:

  • Polarized rhetoric around DEI and ESG
  • The promise and peril of artificial intelligence
  • Seismic generational shifts in the workforce
  • The 2024 election cycle and social unrest
  • Geopolitical conflicts

This list is by no means exhaustive because the world is always changing. But the good news is there’s no need to create a specific communication plan for every conceivable headline, world event, or threat to your firm’s reputation. 

The crux of our advice around responding to issues like those above is this: Think about how your firm will respond to a crisis. Which stakeholders will you need to consult? How will you develop a response that aligns with your firm’s values?

By doing so, you can turn tense situations into an opportunity to engage your employees and clients and strengthen your firm’s position as a trusted authority. When you do this, you take an important step toward building a flexible framework that will guide when and why you respond to any issue.

3. Now’s the Time to Develop an Executive Communications Platform

The news cycle moves at warp speed, and you can’t afford to be reactive when weighing in on the issues that matter most to your audience. Foresight, forethought, and careful preparation are key.

By taking time now to decide how and when your firm will respond to salient issues, you can ensure your messaging lines up with your firm’s priorities and reinforces your position as an authority worth heeding with the audiences that matter most.

Our Executive Positioning Guide provides in-depth advice on how to get started, but it comes down to taking the following steps:

  • Consider your audience, and the best channel(s) to reach them
  • Invite a diverse cross-section of stakeholders into the process
  • Get clear about your firm’s values (and make sure your messages align with what your firm stands for)
  • Make your firm’s approach to deciding how and when to speak out public — and communicate your “why”
  • Embrace a commitment to authenticity (i.e., walk the walk of whatever you speak out about; don’t just talk the talk)

Engaging Greentarget to lead you through a rigorous planning process can bring significant clarity here. Entering into this process now — before an urgent PR situation occurs — gives you time to thoughtfully consider all the angles and arrive at a position that’s authentic, well-reasoned, and nuanced.

Want to Learn More About Greentarget’s Executive Positioning Practice?

Exemplifying our commitment to being a trusted advisor to clients, Greentarget’s Executive Positioning team provides C-suite executives (managing partners, CEOs, executive committees, and boards) with insights to anticipate, understand, and respond to important global and social developments—as well establish proactive internal and external communications campaigns around other pivotal moments, be they related to company purpose, talent initiatives, succession plans, and more.

We’ve helped clients navigate how to communicate about racial justice, the invasion of Ukraine, the Israel-Hamas war, the repeal of Roe v. Wade, artificial intelligence, and so much more. We’d love to help you, too — so let’s talk.

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Recent headlines have laid bare the many challenges facing management consulting firms. From reports of partners infighting over profits and ousting their leadership to clients expressing skepticism about consultants’ value and AI’s potential to replace lucrative consultant-driven analysis. It’s all contributing to a widespread image problem as slowing demand reverses the pandemic-era consulting boom.

What is currently an image problem could easily become a talent problem if reports of financial, cultural and reputational woes drive current or aspiring consultants to conclude that the management consulting industry’s entire value proposition (ironically, a term coined by McKinsey itself) is broken. 

Take this piece that ran last month in The Wall Street Journal: “Consultants Are Paid to Fix Businesses. Why Can’t They Fix Their Own?” The story’s provocative title is just the beginning of a sharp, unflinching indictment—one that continues in the more than 400 reader comments that follow.

All this comes as consulting talent is placing more importance on factors like company culture and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives—especially those at the start of their careers. Capitalizing on this shift, the up-and-coming management consulting firm Embark recently ran a series of full-page, canary yellow WSJ ads declaring “consulting is dead.”

Embark’s value proposition? “People do their best work when they’re happy. And happy consultants make happy clients.”

It’s a powerful sell at a moment when many consultants appear ready to jump to new opportunities—in fact, a recent survey from recruiting firm The Barton Partnership found that more than one-third of respondents in consulting expect to move companies in the next 12 months.

Why Junior Talent Is Management Consulting’s Most Important Stakeholder Group Right Now

Make no mistake about it. If you’re a leader at a management consulting firm, the public’s negative perception of your industry is a vulnerability — one that emerging competitors like Embark are poised to seize upon. 

Your instinct will undoubtedly be to manage clients closely and devote extra attention to assuring them of your value. 

But if you “over-rotate” to that, you’ll miss something critical. Existing and future junior talent are the lifeblood of your firm. They drive value and increase profit margins, especially in times of slow economic growth (like now). And the affordable labor they provide is where your leverage and profitability lie.

Do you think your junior talent is happy? Are they appropriately challenged and fulfilled in their current roles? Is this a priority among your partnership?

It should be your only priority right now.

3 Messages Young Management Consulting Professionals Need to Hear

Management consulting has long been an attractive career option for ambitious young professionals willing to pay their dues in exchange for resume-building connections and the promise of high income down the road. But recent and emerging MBA grads are increasingly questioning and rejecting long-held norms in favor of roles that offer work-life balance and purpose-driven work.

Over the next fifteen years, the American workforce will undergo a sea change as Gen Z (those born between 1996 and 2010, currently 14 to 28 years old) come to make up the lion’s share of your talent pool. For Gen Z, flexible hours, a full life outside of work, and high pay are table stakes. They also want to work for organizations that align with their values and ideals.

It’s tempting to ignore these trends and expectations, especially if long hours and intense travel schedules have always been the price of entry at your firm. However, we believe that of all the disruptions currently facing the management consulting industry—overall economic conditions, reduced corporate spending, and efficiencies from AI— the potential for disruption within your talent pipeline should be among the most concerning.

Here are three core messages your junior talent needs to hear and, most importantly, believe.

1. We’re Listening to You

Do you care about the needs and desires of junior talent? Do you provide junior talent with forums through which to share their perspectives? Are you regularly asking for their input on the business, its goals and your culture? And do you understand what they’re looking for in a career? Most importantly, how are you applying all of this information?

To formulate an internal communications strategy that resonates with Gen Z, ask current employees to respond anonymously to questions like:

  • What are the first three adjectives you would use to describe the firm?
  • What do you like most—and least—about working here?
  • What is a work example or experience that made you proud to be part of the firm?
  • How would you rate your experience as an employee at our firm?
  • What are the reasons for your score? 
  • Would you recommend this workplace to a friend? Why or why not? 
  • What could we do to improve the employee experience? 

If some of these questions sound familiar, it’s because they’re borrowed from the classic “Net Promoter Score” playbook, used to gauge the loyalty and referral potential among existing clients. It’s time to pivot this emphasis toward your aspiring talent.

By gathering candid feedback and looking for opportunities to evolve in response, you’ll give junior talent one of the things they want most in their professional life: a voice.

2. You’ll Be Doing Meaningful Work (Not Sitting Idle)

Junior consultants, often hired straight from prestigious universities, are increasingly finding themselves in a value paradox. Despite their impressive academic credentials, they don’t yet know what it takes to deliver tangible value for clients. And too often, firms leave them sitting idle on the proverbial bench for weeks or months until there’s a client assignment available for them. Then these inexperienced junior consultants are expected to be ready to go, suitcases packed and passports in hand. 

It shouldn’t be this way. But if temporary bench time is unavoidable, your junior talent needs to know how you do plan to give them work experience and training. Some firms are creating rigorous, MBA-like development tracks specifically geared toward teaching new professionals the ropes with an emphasis on what matters most to clients: industry knowledge and POV. Others are setting KPIs to incentivize senior consultants to mentor junior staff.

Whatever the case, it’s critical to communicate that your firm has developed pathways for meaningful training and engagement. Tell the stories, internally and externally, that emphasize how quickly new hires are brought on to substantive projects that provide a sense of purpose and challenge.

3. You Have Flexible Options for Career Advancement

Junior consultants want to do challenging, interesting work—but they also want to enjoy rich, full personal lives. Many are no longer willing to be away from home to stay on-site with a client Monday through Thursday, week after week. 

Does your firm offer opportunities for growth for employees who don’t want to follow the traditional consultant-as-road-warrior trajectory? For example, some firms have recently started offering flexible pathways for growth and advancement for young associates uninterested in pursuing the traditional partner track. Management consulting firms with similarly innovative playbooks should be shouting from the rooftops about their programs offering junior consultants grind-free options for growth and development.

If it’s absolutely essential for junior talent to pay their dues with long hours and demanding travel schedules, focus on the creative ways your firm has built programs to incentivize them. Sabbatical programs, remote work options in between offsite assignments, expedited non-equity partner tracks and travel perks all make the road warrior life more appealing. 

Now’s the Time to Communicate a Path Forward for Junior Management Consultants

Management consulting leaders who proactively evolve their cultures to meet the expectations of junior talent will position themselves for long-term success. By contrast, those who cling to antiquated norms may find themselves struggling to secure the talent pipeline they need to drive future growth.

The choice is yours.

Provide junior talent with a consistent communication platform (town halls, online forums, etc.) and listen attentively. Tell current and future hires about the training and meaningful work they can expect from day one. And promote your firm’s flexible pathways for building a rich and fulfilling career.

When you do, you can position your firm to not only overcome the industry’s negative image problem, but to lead in service to the young, bright minds that will determine your organization’s future success.

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Long before the deal is finalized, embargoes are lifted, and the press release hits the wires, communications teams need to plan for — and internally message — what a merger means on LinkedIn.

With more than 1 billion users across 200 countries and nearly 65 million decision-makers, LinkedIn cannot be ignored. But the No. 1 platform for B2B lead generation isn’t always as business friendly as one may think. Case in point: merging LinkedIn company pages.

While M&A activity is common in business, there is no clear process for combining two (or more) company pages and keeping all of their associated followers and employees. Worse, the options that are available can conflict with agreed-upon merger messaging.

Knowing in advance what is and isn’t possible will spare you any last minute surprises and help you set appropriate expectations internally. Done correctly, LinkedIn should be one of your most powerful tools for messaging a merger to clients, competitors, peers, prospects and employees, all in one place.

Use LinkedIn to Build Trust, Not Break It

Much like the countless other logistical, operational, and internal and external communications tasks associated with combining companies, there is no single step-by-step process to merge company pages on LinkedIn.

At least LinkedIn gives it to us straight: “It’s not possible to migrate followers from the Page of an acquired organization to the acquiring organization’s Page.” It is possible to merge duplicate pages, provided those pages genuinely do represent the same entity. But LinkedIn is quick to point out that this does not apply in the case of M&A.

In the platform’s telling, it’s about trust. Users, both followers and employees, choose to engage with a particular company’s page for a reason. Moving their allegiance to another organization without their buy-in is a violation of that trust—a social media version of bait-and-switch.

While it will take time to engage followers and inspire them to manually make the move to a new page, it’s also an opportunity to preserve, and maybe even deepen, their trust.

So, what options do organizations have to manage their LinkedIn M&As?

Acquired & Affiliated: What You Can Do to Combine LinkedIn Company Pages

While LinkedIn doesn’t have a system to manage a true merger, it does make some accommodations for acquisitions.

For companies directly acquiring and subsuming another brand, this is fairly straightforward. Once the acquisition goes through, message LinkedIn support and request that the acquired page be listed as an acquisition. This adds a banner at the top of the LinkedIn page to direct visitors to the parent company. It also connects the two pages as affiliated via a widget in the page sidebar.

Acquiring a LinkedIn page won’t transfer followers, content or employees. But administrators can request:

  • Open job listings transfer to the new page.
  • That the employee count of acquired pages be reflected in the total number of employees on the parent company’s page.

The acquisition won’t deactivate the page. People searching for it on Google or LinkedIn will still be able to find and follow the acquired page, though the banner will hopefully dissuade them from doing so.

How to Merge LinkedIn Company Pages When Acquisition Isn’t an Option

When this is not an option—say, in a merger of equals, where one company cannot be perceived as acquiring the other—the options are more limited. In these instances, LinkedIn recommends:

  • Creating a new page for the new entity and building a new audience from scratch.
  • Submitting a request to affiliate any prior company pages with the new entity. This will connect the pages via the affiliate sidebar widget but won’t do anything to redirect new visitors or mark the old pages as defunct.

Where possible, we advise our clients to avoid this approach. Building an audience around a company page on LinkedIn is slow, extensive and expensive work, and starting from zero is a tough value proposition to sell to senior leadership. Rather than benefiting from the combination of two audiences, you lose followers on both sides of the transaction.

Instead, consider rebranding an existing page. If the name of one merger partner remains substantively similar, it may be possible to rebrand that page to represent the new entity. That will allow you to keep at least one set of followers and employees before affiliating or acquiring the pages of any additional merger partners.

Marketing the Merger: Inspire Followers and Employees to Join Your Journey

Regardless of the path companies choose, marketers and communicators must encourage people to engage with the new entity. As soon as there is a page to follow, put it to work.

Build brand equity by:

  • Providing merger updates that tag the new page and feature an explicit call-to-action message to follow it for future updates.
  • Updating all company page descriptions to let each audience know where the account is moving and direct them accordingly.
  • Posting regular moving announcements to keep the news top of mind for connections.
  • Post-merger, sharing a series of posts solely to remind followers to switch to the new page for continued updates. The frequency and duration of these posts should reflect the quantity and value of followers on the now-defunct page.
  • Sending direct messages announcing the merger and/or invites to follow the new page to particularly high-value followers. Both will require a personal page already connected with the target follower to do the outreach and must follow LinkedIn limits on the number of direct messages and invites that can be sent during certain time periods. 

Once the merger is complete, any merging pages should be updated to point people to the new brand page, regardless of whether they’re getting the acquisition banner. The cover image, tagline and about section can all be used to direct followers to the new company page.

While people can still follow these pages, all content should clarify that new updates won’t be forthcoming.

Tapping Your Best Brand Advocates: Engage Employee Ambassadors

Employee content receives about eight times more engagement than brand channel content. Encouraging your workforce to spread the news can drive real impact, so building an employee advocacy and engagement program should be part of a broader M&A communications plan.

Done right, updating LinkedIn won’t just be another technical step in the merger process, but something employees are excited to share with their networks. Components can include:

  • Dedicated LinkedIn training. A merger is a great opportunity for employees to grow their networks and learn new skills specific to LinkedIn.
  • Comprehensive instructions on how to update personal pages. If employees are intimidated by LinkedIn, offering detailed information on what profile sections to update and how to tag their new employer will be welcome.
  • Bespoke headers. Leverage branding materials to create new LinkedIn headers for employees to use.
  • A library of assets. As with a product launch or traditional campaign, companies want to share key messages and updates about the transition. Make it easy for employees to join the chorus by providing a slate of content to post that they can tailor for themselves.
  • An incentive program. Stoke employee excitement and show the company values employee advocacy by rewarding great posts — whether that’s by picking a post of the week or simply having key leaders periodically comment on employee content.
  • Executive thought leadership platforms. A merger or acquisition provides the perfect timing for senior leaders to grow their authority on LinkedIn.

Effective M&A communication strategies make the most of LinkedIn’s wide reach and potential to build brand equity. By proactively including it as a pillar in your communications plan—equal to press releases and internal announcements—you’ll set yourself up for success and returns on the world’s most trafficked business platform.

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Generative AI is already threatening to change our lives and take our jobs—now, it’s coming for search. The implications are scaring content creators, including marketers at professional services firms who worry their experts’ thought leadership will get lost in a sea of AI-generated noise.

They have cause for concern. In addition to AI clogging up Google with more garbage SEO clickbait, search engines’ own generative AI-powered answers could give users all the information they need without requiring a click at all.

It might be tempting to cower in fear; after all, it’s hard enough to break through as it is, and that was when you were just competing against other people. But, as we’ve written before, the emergence of generative AI is actually a significant opportunity for professional services firms. That’s because they specialize in the niche, insightful, and timely perspectives on complex topics that AI, which merely generates content based on what’s already been said, can’t mimic.

Remember, the audiences that professional services firms want to reach (i.e., executive decision-makers) aren’t going to base multimillion-dollar decisions on four bullets spat out by an AI-powered search engine. They want strategic counsel from trusted authorities whose content shows they know what they’re talking about. And as you’ll see below, that kind of high-quality content still rises to the top.

What’s Actually Happening to Search?

It’s important to first clear up some common misconceptions about the current state of search. Namely: generative AI—and/or the use of generative AI in developing an article—won’t cause a drop in search rankings on its own.

Google’s SEO rules still apply, however complicated or ever-changing they may be. In fact, just this week Google announced adjustments to its search algorithm aimed at surfacing high quality, helpfulcontent over spammy, recycled results—effectively taking aim at content produced for the sole purpose of ranking highly.  

Yet even as Google looks to limit low-quality content, existing SEO best practices—particularly those that help to balance readability and searchability—should still be applied. At their core, these include:

  • Make your site accessible, fast, and optimized for mobile.
  • Use multiple subheads that align with what people need to know and are searching for.
  • Strategically weave in relevant, “winnable” keywords (those that balance search volume and ranking difficulty), and use clear, simple prose when possible.
  • Demonstrate expertise, experience, authority, and trust (EEAT)—for instance, by citing links, firsthand examples, and drafting substantive bios for contributors.

In short, the quality of content being produced is still, and perhaps increasingly, a critical factor in SEO, whether you’re using generative AI to help you write it or competing with other AI-produced articles.

“We’ve given longstanding guidance to create content that’s first and foremost helpful, and we work very hard to ensure that our ranking systems reward content designed for people first. Many sites perform well on Search simply by creating this helpful content, without undertaking extensive SEO efforts,” Google spokesperson Jennifer Kutz told The Verge this January.

The real concern, then, is generative AI-powered tools offered by Google itself, which they’ve started to rollout through its “search generative experience” experiment, which summarizes results and presents it as the top answer. Worries follow: for instance, why go to a law firm’s article describing a new regulation when Google can answer the question itself?

On the other hand, as noted above, leading executives will make hiring decisions based on more than whether or not you can merely describe a new regulation. They’ll want to see that professional services firms can provide unique insights, points-of-view, or guidance in light of that regulation. Generative AI can’t replicate that.

The Opportunity for Professional Services Firms

So what will help your content rise in the search rankings?  

Making it helpful and relevant. Ensuring it showcases expertise and experience. Using keyword research to identify targeted, but relevant search terms. Deploying clear, concise, and easy-to-follow prose. And making sure you’re talking about something unique and complex enough that it can’t be simply (or merely) answered or summarized by a robot.

This is familiar to us at Greentarget. After all, our North Star for strong thought leadership content has long been this matrix, highlighting the importance of relevancy, urgency, uniqueness, and utility:

Each day, we work with professional services firms to do just this. Our research team helps uncover winnable search terms that fill white space, ensuring our clients are speaking on timely topics that aren’t saturated with existing content—AI generated or not.

Our content team distills complex insights into clear, engaging prose, drawing out what’s most useful to key audiences and highlighting experts’ firsthand experience and unique perspectives. And our digital team optimizes those pieces for search, be it beefing up contributor bios, identifying strong keywords or revising subheads and headlines.

This has led to a timely IPO readiness guide discussing tax and accounting challenges for prospective public companies, an award-winning research report on M&A disputes, and countless bespoke topics that our media relations team has leveraged to secure highly visible opportunities for our clients—all of which drive real referrals and website traffic.  

To sum up, here’s a quick primer:

  1. Showcase Expertise / Experience – Author bios with details on qualifications and well-researched content that demonstrates a deep and unique understanding of a topic.
  1. Manage / Build Authority – Ensure your existing online reputation is strong. With each article, try to increase the number of backlinks and sources citing the piece, and encourage sharing and engagement.
  1. Be Trustworthy – Be factual and accurate, cite trustworthy sources, make your content is accessible, and focus on quality content.

And remember the new golden rule: if generative AI can already say it, maybe you don’t need to say it at all. Quality content, that which is truly novel, distinctive and timely, still reigns supreme.

The Importance of Owned Content in the AI Era

Eventually, generative AI may cause organic search traffic to plummet on all but the most niche topics. Yet, as we’ve discussed above, this is an opportunity for professional services firms and thought leaders to stand out in a crowd: by creating unique and insightful content that only they can, based on their firsthand knowledge and experience.

But that’s not the only opportunity. In fact, as AI threatens already-struggling newsrooms, the importance of owned thought leadership content only grows. Fewer outlets and the declining viability of those outlets to rank high in search underscores the potential of owned content—be it a branded digital magazine, feature style articles and whitepapers, research reports, blogs, or LinkedIn posts.

These platforms put marketers back in the driver’s seat, empowering them to deploy targeted distribution strategies (e.g., email newsletters, paid social, even print) that are not (solely) at the whim of Google’s ever-fluctuating SEO rules. They can even complete the circle and provide fuel for earned media opportunities. Our IPO readiness guide, for instance, led to a byline opportunity for our client in TechCrunch.

To learn more, contact our team here.

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Over the next fifteen years, the American workforce will undergo a seismic shift. Baby Boomers will fully retire, and Gen Xers won’t be far behind. And that means Gen Z (those born between 1996 and 2010, currently 14 to 28 years old) will soon make up a significant share of your prospective talent pool.

Is your professional services firm ready for this inevitable sea change?

Gen Z has been shaped by vastly different cultural contexts than previous generations. Two events in particular — Covid-19 and the Great Recession — have influenced how members of this emerging generation approach their professional and personal lives. Whereas older generations considered things like flexible hours, work/life balance, and high pay to be hard-won rewards, Gen Z expects them as a given. What’s more, Gen Zers care deeply about working for organizations that meaningfully align with their personal values and ideals.

These realities create risk for firms like yours, especially if your current culture doesn’t match Gen Z expectations. Many Gen Zers are uniquely uninterested in chasing the proverbial brass ring. They want to do good, interesting work — but they also want to enjoy rich, full personal lives. If these priorities appear to conflict, conventional wisdom predicts a crisis for professions that serve the most challenging and sophisticated clients. Managers are fearful that a refusal to bend on cultural change will drive talent away.

Gen Z is an Executive Positioning Challenge

Much of our recent guidance on critical issues – whether it be geopolitical conflict, AI, DEI and ESG backlash, the 2024 election – is rooted in this assertion: if you are clear about what your firm stands for and can demonstrate how its values and expectations are in alignment, you will have an easier (or at least less fraught) time communicating controversial topics or positions that can create misunderstanding and conflict and damage the firm’s reputation. This is also true of the Gen Z challenge, and you can address it with the following steps.

1. Define your audience – You may only want Gen Zers who still aspire to the brass ring – they exist, no generation is a monolith. But focusing on that cohort may turn away the best talent and limit the diversity and alacrity of thought you can access. Either way, the first step is to define the audience you want to attract and retain. Then gather information about what they care about most and react to workplace culture.

2. Create a feedback loop – Effective communication requires a feedback loop. This can include formal and informal channels through which you gather input from your audience, identify expectations, and measure whether your messages are landing as intended. Regular contact with affinity groups, associate committees, or trusted intermediaries can inform your approach.

3. Declare what you stand for – We’ve written elsewhere about the University of Chicago’s Kalven Report. Create a process that is open to a diversity of stakeholders and engage them in a conversation about the values and principles that drive behavior at your firm. Clarify how you will make decisions that impact all the generations in your workforce and publish your guidelines for all to see. Going forward, your decisions may not make everyone happy, but they shouldn’t be surprised.

4. Reiterate and reinforce –If you can identify and occupy the space in which the firm’s priorities and expectations overlap with your audience’s values and aspirations, then you can alter your culture to encourage greater engagement. With every alteration you make to workplace culture, reiterate, and reinforce the values that drove the decision.

Meaningful Work and a “You Belong Here” Culture

What sort of alterations are appropriate? Corporate Counsel underscores the need to move beyond “no-meeting Mondays and free-pizza Fridays.” Such perks simply don’t go far enough to create the kind of culture that appeals to Gen Z. While aspects of your firm’s culture may be difficult, if not impossible, to change, there is room to maneuver within the “softer” elements of your culture that you can control.

McKinsey’s research findings show that Gen Z is passionate about:

· Advocating for social, racial, and environmental justice issues

· Finding purpose in their life and work

· Experiencing a sense of belonging within the context of a supportive community

· Expressing themselves individualistically

Considering this, you may need to formalize regular communication regarding:

· Your firm’s mission and values. What do you stand for and what is the impact your firm is making on your community, the nation, and the world, and well as on your clients and profession?

· Your firm’s commitment to DEI. What steps have you and are you taking to make your firm an authentically diverse, equitable, and inclusive place?

· Opportunities for meaningful work. What stories can you share about the ways colleagues are able to immerse themselves in work that has influence in their field, or to society as a whole?

· The global and social issues you support. Are there unique positions of authority your firm can hone to participate skillfully in the conversations that matter most to Gen Z?

Don’t Underestimate Gen Z’s Impact on Your Professional Services Firm

There’s no one-size-fits-all strategy for making your professional services firm an employer of choice for Gen Z. And you certainly won’t be able to flip a switch and get where you need to be overnight.

But even today, you can start doing the work of understanding what motivates and drives Gen Z. And you can begin communicating in ways that will pay dividends in the future.

Though urgent issues undoubtedly occupy your attention on a day-to-day basis, getting ahead of the coming generational shift is vitally important. By making this a priority now, you can future-proof your firm and set yourself up for continued success.

Need some help directing a smarter conversation with Gen Z? Let’s talk.

About the Executive Positioning Practice

Exemplifying Greentarget’s commitment to being a trusted advisor to clients, our Executive Positioning team provides C-suite executives (managing partners, CEOs, executive committees, and boards) with insights to anticipate, understand and respond to important global and social developments, analyzing key issues that can impact reputation and compel leaders to communicate.

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