From activity to impact: 3 shifts from LMA leaders

At a surface level, this is being reflected in how teams are evolving. A number of conversations focused on the need for firms to invest more than ever before on high-impact individuals while, in some cases, reducing overall headcount. Expectations for marketing and BD teams are clearly increasing, but it’s worth noting that capacity is not always expanding at the same pace. 

The shift is clear. What’s less discussed is the gap it’s creating between what marketing teams are expected to deliver and what they can realistically sustain.

Shift 1: From activity to outcomes

Campaigns and events are no longer being judged by what they produce, but by what they change. Rather than focusing on format or scale, the emphasis is very much on defining the outcome upfront:

What should be different as a result of this activity?

Planning is increasingly anchored in relationship and commercial impact, whether that is strengthening an existing client relationship, creating access to new stakeholders, or progressing conversations from transactional to advisory.

Success is now being measured less by attendance or typical engagement metrics, but much more around indicators such as:

• the depth of conversations
• increased openness from clients
• follow-up interactions

This shift also places greater importance on how work is defined at the outset. Several sessions highlighted the role of the brief as a way of clarifying objectives, aligning stakeholders and driving strategic decision making rather than just as part of the standard administrative process. Without that clarity, even well-executed campaigns risk missing their intended impact.

Shift 2: From campaigns as outputs to relationship drivers

Campaigns and content are becoming more closely connected to business development.

A session on rainmakers reinforced that trust is the primary driver of growth, built through consistent, often small interactions over time. The most effective approaches are tailored and personal, rather than standardised.

This has implications for how campaigns are designed. Rather than existing as standalone outputs, they need to form part of a wider system that supports relationship-building.

The “trust triangle” (combining expertise, empathy and authenticity) offers a useful lens. Many firms are strong on expertise, but differentiation increasingly comes from how well they understand clients and how genuinely they engage with them.

Campaigns and content play a central role in this. They can provide the structure and consistency that allows relationships to develop over time, reinforcing positioning and supporting meaningful engagement.

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Shift 3: From execution to strategic thinking

The expectations placed on marketing teams in their day to day roles are also shifting internally.

Conversations are moving beyond delivery-focused questions toward more commercially aligned ones:

• Where is the opportunity?
• Which relationships matter most?
• What is holding progress back?

This reflects a broader move toward influence within firms.

There was also a strong emphasis on curiosity and creativity as drivers of better outcomes. Frameworks such as the “creativity compass” highlighted the importance of spending time understanding problems fully, rather than moving too quickly to execution, where there is a risk of solving the wrong (and often less strategic) problem.

A consistent theme across sessions was that strong ideas are shaped by clarity of thinking. A well-defined brief does not constrain creativity, it provides the foundation for it keeping activity fully aligned to strategy.

What this means in practice

Taken together, these shifts point to a clear evolution.

Campaigns, content and brand activity are expected to:

• be more targeted
• carry more strategic weight
• and deliver clearer outcomes

At the same time, team structures are changing, and expectations are increasing.

This creates a practical challenge. Senior hires can strengthen direction, but they do not increase delivery capacity on their own. Technology, including the ubiquitous use of AI, may support elements of execution, but many firms are still working through how to integrate it effectively.

In response, firms are exploring more flexible ways of structuring their marketing functions and in many cases, combining internal strategic capability with scalable delivery to maintain quality and consistency. The consequences of not adapting to these shifts are significant:

• effort spread too thin
• campaigns that look good but don’t move relationships
• teams defaulting to activity over impact because outcomes aren’t clearly defined

Conclusion

The most valuable takeaway from the conference is a shift in expectation.

Brand, campaigns and content are being asked to do more - to influence relationships, support business development, and contribute directly to commercial outcomes.

The firms responding best are not just rethinking strategy, but how that strategy is delivered and combining internal direction with scalable, consistent execution. This is where we’re seeing the most effective approaches emerge; combining strong internal strategic direction with external partners who can provide consistent, scalable delivery without adding internal pressure.

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Bio

Susan Siddall is CEO of Epigram, a creative agency specialising in brand, campaigns and content for the legal and professional services sector. She works closely with firms to develop more strategic, outcome-driven marketing approaches, helping teams connect brand and business development to deliver measurable impact.

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