Case 04 · Reputation Vacuum

“A competitor took our biggest client. We never even knew they were pitching.”

Mumbai corporate-commercial firm · 28 lawyers · 14 years

~25%Share of firm revenue lost to a more visible competitor
04 / 08Composite Indian law-firm case

What broke

A long-standing client — six years of continuous corporate work — moved their retainer to another firm. The general counsel said, when pressed: "We see them everywhere. Articles, panels, LinkedIn. We never see your team." The firm had three thought leaders internally, multiple writable practice areas, and no functional firm LinkedIn or media strategy. The partners read it as a price decision. It wasn't.

Why it broke

No active brand strategy. No thought leadership calendar. No media relations. No partner-level LinkedIn discipline. Reputation was built entirely by results — necessary but not sufficient. BTI Consulting research shows high-growth law firms invest 16.5% of revenue in BD & marketing vs. ~5% for flat-growth firms. The firm was at functionally zero structured spend.

How CTD would have caught this

  • Thought leadership calendar with one partner-authored byline per month
  • LinkedIn discipline: each partner posts twice monthly with editorial support
  • Media relations: tracked journalist relationships, planned firm announcements
  • Speaker bureau positioning — get the firm on panels and conferences
  • Quarterly competitive intel: where is the competitor showing up
Tags:
PRBrandClient Retention
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