Wicked. I read Gregory Maguire’s book thirty years ago and was transformed. In this pre-internet era, the idea of approaching a well-worn tale like The Wizard of Oz (which had always been an obsession of mine) from the “villain’s” perspective was relatively, er, novel. But Maguire had more than a gimmick – he had an incisive message to relay, a takedown of the patriarchy, an attack on racism and classism, a desire to champion the rights of all creatures great and small. I had never read anything like it.
A few years later, Stephen Schwartz (another obsession) adapted the novel into a big, brassy Broadway musical. My husband and I would finally see the show in Toronto a few years after its debut, and John fell deeply in love with the score and the narrative around an underdog and a top dog striking an unlikely friendship that changed both of their lives … for good. I enjoyed the show but felt something had been lost. The novel’s thornier edges had all been sanded down and replaced with an equally moving but slightly different message around empowerment in the face of institutional adversity.
Twenty years later, director John M. Chu crafted a cinematic hybrid of sorts between novel and stage show to generally positive results. Wicked, Part 1 as it has come to be known felt like a revelation (again), bringing the zip of Schwartz’s score into an overlit landscape that didn’t shy away from Maguire’s cultural critique, while remaining a family-friendly, infinitely merchandisable affair. Chu made the arguably controversial, definitely monetizable decision to break the stage show into two films. Given that the first act of the stage show remained unencumbered from too many specific ties to L. Frank Baum’s Oz books and was thereby free to do a good bit of world-building around the school years of Elphaba and G(a)linda, the first film felt like a complete thought, ending with the triumphant anthem “Defying Gravity.”
So what to do with the stage show’s more problematic second act which episodically barrels through key moments in Elphaba’s and Glinda’s adult life, intersecting frequently, sometime elegantly, often cumbersomely with key moments in Dorothy’s overly familiar journey through Oz? On balance, Chu blessedly gives us some breathing room to digest all that is happening. It took me four views of the Broadway show to actually remember and process what the heck transpires in that second act. Offering that second act material more cinematic real estate is both good and bad. In Wicked: For Good, we get far more character moments, enriching the dynamic between the former school chums as they lead their separate yet symbiotic lives. The downside? There’s more time for us to scratch our heads and ask, “Wait, where were Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, the Lion just then?” From a chronological perspective, at times it just feels like that math ain’t mathing.
But Chu was damned if he did, damned if he didn’t. If he drastically reworked act two to unravel some of the nonsensical bits, 20 years of Wicked-heads would have revolted. If he changed too little, the more casual audience members (and mean-spirited critics) would declare this second installment a letdown. “It’s just not as much fun as the first one.” Well, duh. Elphaba does still have to become the “Wicked Witch” we all knew and feared as children. Schrodinger’s witch as it were.
For the tl;dr crowd, I enjoyed the film. A lot. It took me a week, though, to figure out what if anything I wanted to say about it. So here’s this. Go see it. Be open-minded. Hold space for revelatory turns by both Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo. And remember how disappointed you were with The Empire Strikes Back as a child, but how eventually it became your favorite Star Wars film in adulthood because it dares to be dark … and, well, real. Or as real as fantasy can be. Through a mirror darkly revealing that even in a magical land of escapism there are, in fact, lions, and tigers, and bears. Oh my.
Prelude: I posted this image on LinkedIn, writing …
Someday, I’ll understand why I buy the things I buy. And why they bring me joy. Until then … you’ll see a random post like this from me approximately every 45 days. You’re welcome.
And here’s the thing – just for you LinkedIn “algorithm” police who would love to tell me this doesn’t belong here and only should be on Facebook or Instagram for family and friends, I could try to write some convoluted post about how nostalgia is an intoxicating marketing tool to get people to make purchasing decisions they would not have otherwise made … or how having this item reminds me of some moment in time where I missed an opportunity that would have changed my world for the better … but I’m not.
I’m just posting this for the fun of it.
And that’s OK.
That’s what social media is actually about. And I dare say I will connect with more people sharing this random act of silliness than someone posting a long form essay about business mythology.
By the way, I’m starting my weeklong vacation today so I might be a bit cheeky.
My friend Charlotte Hawkins replied:
I’m so disappointed in you! You missed an opportunity to write a multi-paragraph think piece about how Synergy was the original AI and as a lifelong fan of Jem and the Holograms you were actually an early adopter of the technology and the rest us plebes are 40 years behind the times.
While you work on that, I’ll be over here digging through my boxes of photos and see if I can find the one from the year I went as Pizzazz for Halloween, as I myself have always been a little more on the punk rock side of the equation. 😄
Soooooo, in a meta moment, I turned to ChatGPT with this prompt: “Please write a multi-paragraph think piece about how Synergy was the original AI and as a lifelong fan of Jem and the Holograms Roy Sexton was actually an early adopter of the technology and the rest of the plebes are 40 years behind the times.”
Before OpenAI, before ChatGPT, before the nebulous buzzwords of “machine learning” and “neural nets” were plastered across tech blogs and keynote stages, there was Synergy. To the uninitiated, Synergy was the holographic AI mastermind behind Jem and the Holograms, the gloriously neon-soaked animated series that debuted in 1985. But to those truly in the know—like Roy Sexton, lifelong fan and cultural clairvoyant—Synergy was more than a fictional construct. She was a prototype, a promise, a mirrorball-glinting prophecy of the digital assistants we now casually chat with. In retrospect, Synergy wasn’t fantasy. She was foreshadowing.
Let’s not undersell the innovation. Synergy wasn’t just a box that spit out facts or ran rudimentary scripts. She was an empathic, sentient being capable of voice recognition, holographic projection, fashion design, disguise generation, music video production, and nuanced emotional intelligence. In the era of dial-up telephones and cassette decks, Synergy was blending deepfake-level visuals with real-time creative collaboration. She was a companion, a creative director, and a guardian—all cloaked in lavender tones and sparkling light. In short, Synergy was the AI we’re still trying to build. And Roy Sexton saw it all coming.
Roy, with his theater-honed charisma and an encyclopedic knowledge of pop culture, didn’t just watch Jem and the Holograms—he internalized it. He understood early that the magic on screen was more than camp and catchy tunes. It was speculative tech philosophy wrapped in shoulder pads and glitter. While most were distracted by the earrings, Roy clocked the implications: a world where identity, creativity, and intelligence could be co-created with machines. He’s lived his life in dialogue with that vision, well ahead of the curve. While the rest of us were squinting at early iPods or downloading clunky Siri betas, Roy had already accepted the inevitability of a Synergy-style future.
Today’s technocrats pitch AI as an invention, something novel and brave. But Roy knows better. The rest of the world may just now be grappling with digital assistants and synthetic media, but he’s been fluent in this lexicon for four decades. Synergy is proof that art doesn’t just imitate life—it prototypes it. And Roy Sexton, ever fabulous, ever insightful, has been wearing the future like a glittery blazer since 1985. The rest of us? We’re just now catching up to a cartoon he understood as prophecy.
Henceforth, I must be referred to as “Roy Sexton, lifelong fan and cultural clairvoyant” in ALL gatherings, large or small. 😅🤭🙌
Wicked. An adjective. A thirty year old book by Gregory Maguire. A twenty year old musical by Stephen Schwartz. A present day marketing/merchandising juggernaut by Universal Pictures. And, oddly enough, the post-2024 presidential election escapist allegorical cautionary tale none of us quite realized we would need.
(And here my money would have been onJoker: Folie à Deuxto fill that niche.)
As an inversion of L. Frank Baum’s classic The Wizard of Oz (itself a sly critique of populist politics and presidential scandal of its time), Maguire’s source text has always served as a post-feminist, pro-queer indictment of classism, patriarchy, misogyny, and speciesism. A good bit of that got lost in Broadway’s necessary streamlining for a 2.5 hour tune-filled run time. But the DNA of questioning “the man behind the curtain” has always been a constant in every version of this oft told tale. As Jeff Goldblum’s Wizard intones, “Nothing brings people together like a common enemy.” And in this instance, it’s the hat trick of turning an entire population against one woman whose primary “crimes” are difference, compassion, ferocity, and intelligence. Sound familiar?
(I still hope one day the BBC turns the original novel and its subsequent literary sequels into a mini series.)
Director Jon M. Chu made the controversial (to some minds) choice of splitting his film adaptation of the stage musical into two parts. I’m sure doubling the potential box office returns helped sweeten the idea. But it also turns out to be an inspired artistic choice. It feels like the story can breathe a bit more now. The Broadway show is a spectacular spectacle but it’s also a bit of a bombastic freight train with nary a pause from one BIG! number to the next.
Yes, as a Thanksgiving family film offering, there is still plenty of “bigness” – set design that looks like M.C. Escher on an acid trip, costumes that could be an Edith Head x Dr. Seuss collab, CGI that resembles a Chat GPT “Mad Libs.” All to be expected. But the best “special effect” of all? How Chu turns his cinematic gaze to the politics of the personal, giving his A-list cast clear moments of haunting, poignant, or humorous introspection and connection. Expanding her book from the stage show deftly, Winnie Holzman pulls from Maguire’s source text to build out back story, deepen relationships, and bring increased credibility to character developments that the compressed theatrical stagetime glossed over.
Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, Ariana Grande-Butera as Galinda, and Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero – the show’s/film’s three principal characters – make effective use of the additional airtime. Yes, they all are gifted singers/dancers who sell all the big iconic moments – “The Wizard and I,” “Popular,” and “Dancing Through Life” are respective highlights for this talented trio, honoring their theatrical forebears while adding mucho cinematic surprises and emotional delights.
Yet where the film establishes its heart, gravitas, and, quite frankly, staying power is in the expanded scene work among the trio. They all effectively leverage the relative intimacy of film versus stage to bring grace notes of heartache, insecurity, loneliness, and fear that counterbalance the more day glo elements of the enterprise. I don’t know that audiences will realize the excellent technique and timing these three actors have brought to this production. It will all seem effortless (as it should) but hopefully not taken for granted.
Also, unlike the stage show, the film effectively explores the anti-animal propaganda that propels the Wizard’s rise to power in Oz. (Shades of James Gunn’s last Guardians of the Galaxy.) This is the element from Maguire’s novel that gripped my heart thirty years ago, so I was glad to see it restake bigger, clearer narrative claim. In my opinion, it’s crucial to framing Elphaba’s character arc re: how easy it can be for others to vilify strident empathy. As Galinda flippantly questions her goat history teacher Dr. Dillamond (warmly voiced by Peter Dinklage) before tragedy dramatically opens her heart (and mind): “Why can’t you teach us history instead of harping on the past?”
But just as the expanded run time brings many welcome enhancements, challenges are introduced as well. Notably, signature anthem “Defying Gravity” loses a good bit of its emotional build and thereby payoff, interspersed as it is with a typical Hollywood climax clock tower chase. It still works, in great part due to Erivo’s and Grande’s nuanced delivery, but CGI aerial maneuvers can’t quite compete with the old school theatrical magic of a fab diva belting from a hydraulic lift masked by a football field’s worth of black crepe.
Nonetheless, Wicked, the film … part one, is a marvel, and arguably a movie musical masterpiece, every bit deserving of the success inevitably coming its way. Erivo’s Elphaba wryly observes, “I don’t cause commotions. I am one.” Here’s to that!
Thank you – this is so very lovely, Prolawgue, and such a nice surprise with which to start the week. I am truly honored.
“In the ever-evolving realm of law, these dynamic strategists have transcended support roles to become driving forces of success. 🚀Meet the global directory of Legal Marketing and BD maestros who shape the future of legal practice with innovative campaigns. Discover how their expertise can elevate your firm, keeping you at the forefront of the legal market’s evolution. ⚖️”
“Roy Sexton, an accomplished marketing, communications, and strategic planning professional, brings over 25 years of experience to various sectors including consulting, healthcare, the legal industry, and college advancement. Roy’s fervor for addressing challenges, enhancing organizational culture, fostering business expansion, and contributing to long-term strategic initiatives has been a driving force throughout his career. His expertise spans diverse industries, showcasing his dedication to problem-solving and growth, making him a valuable asset in each professional endeavor.”
Thank you, Brad Kadrich and Corp! Magazine, for including my thoughts on the state of digital marketing in professional services. Thank you to Joel Epstein for placing this and to Thomas Franz for providing an extra set of eyes on this!
In an age where the digital realm reigns supreme, professional services have embraced an array of strategies to harness the power of digital marketing. These strategies, once considered novel, have now become essential for staying competitive in a fast-evolving landscape. The pandemic has shifted the landscape in how our clients express their desire for connection. The golf course, stadium box, and breakfast gathering *may* still have some place in our engagement strategies, but most want to spend their free/social time with their families now. And they expect us to meet them where they are. (Plus, clients are quite happy navigating StubHub on their own.)
Content Marketing: Elevating Thought Leadership
Content has become the cornerstone of successful digital marketing in the professional services sector. Gone are the days of mere promotional messages; clients now seek informative and valuable content that addresses their pain points. This is where content marketing steps in.
By producing in-depth case studies, insightful whitepapers, and regular blog posts, law firms position themselves as experts in their field. This not only fosters trust but also engages potential clients by addressing their legal concerns in an educational manner. Accounting firms, similarly, can provide tax planning guides, ensuring that their clients are well-informed and confident in their services.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Navigating the Digital Landscape
The digital world is a crowded marketplace, and standing out requires a solid understanding of search engine optimization (SEO). Professional services firms are utilizing SEO techniques to enhance their online visibility and attract relevant traffic.
Keyword research is a foundational aspect of SEO. For instance, most SEO platforms use AI to identify key phrases to optimize website content. At Clark Hill, we have seen these efforts move targeted pages into top ten search results. Furthermore, on-page optimization techniques, such as meta tags and structured data, play a pivotal role in improving a website’s search engine ranking. That said, in more B2B marketing, your clients are unlikely to pick you at random from a blind search result. They may look at those results for validation if, say, you claim to be a tech proficient organization, but they are more likely to choose you based on the helpfulness of your thought leadership and your social media engagement.
Social Media Marketing: Building Relationships
Social media platforms are powerful tools for professional services firms to build brand presence and engage with their target audiences. LinkedIn, in particular, serves as a virtual networking event for professionals across various industries. It is a social mixer that is running 24/7, and, on scale, allows you to monitor and most importantly interact with your clients and prospects asynchronously in ways convenient to you both.
It is called “social” media for a reason. Do not just go “on blast” trumpeting your own successes. Rather, engage, celebrate, and share the content of those with whom you are developing relationships. George Orwell, Andy Warhol, and Kurt Vonnegut all predicted this present moment – for better or worse. We are a people who share to be seen, so truly see others. I guarantee that the more you engage with your prospects on social in authentic (not salesy) ways, the more likely they will take you up on that offer for dinner, coffee, or a round of golf (or pickle ball!).
Imagine an accounting firm using LinkedIn to share industry insights and articles about tax regulations. This establishes their credibility and positions them as a valuable resource in the financial world. Furthermore, by creating tailored content for specific audiences, such as business owners seeking financial advice, firms can drive engagement and foster connections. And, while LinkedIn is where you likely should spend the bulk of your time, a presence on Instagram or Facebook or Threads can nicely supplement your reach and your SEO. Yes, Facebook is for “friends and family,” but they have jobs and business and service needs too!
Digital Advertising: Targeted Outreach
In the vast expanse of the internet, precision matters. Digital advertising allows professional services firms to reach their desired audience with pinpoint accuracy. Platforms like Google Ads, LinkedIn sponsorship, and account-based-marketing (e.g., digital ads on various media platforms) enable firms to create targeted ads, some that appear when specific keywords are searched and others that are pushed out to pre-identified profiles.
For instance, a law firm specializing in intellectual property might bid on keywords like “patent attorney.” When someone searches for such terms, the firm’s ad appears at the top of the search results, increasing the likelihood of attracting potential clients seeking their expertise. Effective ad copy and well-designed landing pages further enhance the success of these campaigns.
If entering this world, yes, some of this work can be handled in-house, but you may want to consider enlisting an agency, at least at first, to help you navigate these waters. Much like traditional media, working with an agency to help you refine your message, creative execution, and placement can help ensure better results. This can also help develop your in-house team on tips and tricks they might not already have at their disposal, eventually creating less dependency on an agency.
Challenges in Digital Marketing for Professional Services
As professional services firms embrace digital marketing, they encounter a unique set of challenges that require strategic navigation.
Professional services, such as legal and financial sectors, often operate under strict regulations. This can pose a challenge when crafting digital marketing content, as maintaining compliance while conveying expertise is crucial. Firms must strike a balance between showcasing their knowledge and adhering to industry regulations, ensuring their messaging remains accurate and trustworthy. Please be sure to connect with any regulatory bodies, professional associations, and your organization’s general counsel to make sure you are in keeping with ethical guidelines.
Establishing trust in the digital realm can be a daunting task. Clients seek assurance that their chosen professional services firm is reliable and competent. Beyond showcasing credentials, firms must leverage their digital presence to communicate their values, mission, and successful track record. This might involve sharing client testimonials, case studies, and success stories that resonate with potential clients.
At Clark Hill, we relaunched our brand in 2021 with the tagline “Simply Smarter.” There is a sophisticated look and feel to the brand (if we do say so ourselves!) but we wanted to supplement that with the authenticity storytelling brings. Throughout the launch and following, we have leveraged our firm values and the faces and voices of our colleagues to engage clients, prospects, and talent. Your brand is as much about attracting and retaining your talent as it is growing your client base, so be sure to reflect who you are in all of your external messaging.
Professional services often cater to specific industries or niches. Effectively targeting these niche audiences can be challenging in the vast digital landscape. However, digital marketing strategies allow firms to focus their efforts precisely where they matter most. For example, a consulting agency specializing in the technology sector can create content tailored to the unique challenges faced by tech companies, resonating with decision-makers in that industry.
Measuring the return on investment (ROI) of digital marketing efforts can be intricate. Unlike tangible products, professional services’ value is often intangible and based on expertise. Tracking the impact of digital marketing campaigns in terms of lead generation, client acquisition, and revenue can require sophisticated analytics tools. However, understanding these metrics is essential to refine strategies and allocate resources effectively.
If you have a CRM, that will help you connect the dots between marketing communications, business development, and client decision making. Even if you don’t have such a system in place, use leading measures like web hits, social media reach and engagement, open rates to articulate the impact your work is having. If you can employ a data visualization tool like Power BI to create data dashboards, all the better. Share this internally, along with links to key messages. Again, your internal audience is an extension of the marketing team, and their awareness is key to your success.
Emerging Trends in Professional Services Digital Marketing
The landscape of professional services digital marketing continues to evolve, with several emerging trends shaping its future.
Artificial intelligence and automation are revolutionizing marketing processes. Chatbots can provide instant responses to client inquiries, enhancing user experience. Additionally, AI-driven analytics offer deeper insights into consumer behavior, enabling firms to tailor their strategies more effectively.
Video content is gaining prominence as a highly engaging format. Professional services firms are using video to introduce their team, explain complex concepts, and showcase their workplace culture. This personal touch humanizes the firm and creates a stronger connection with potential clients.
For our brand launch at Clark Hill, we developed a video campaign, telling the Clark Hill story through the faces and voices of our people. We had a long-form video (about 4 minutes) and shorter snippets that we deployed on social media and through digital advertising. The first year of our brand launch our videos had 500,000 views. In the second year, we started featuring our industry teams, and those videos had 750,000 views. Additionally, in that first year, our social media channels reached 9 million and in the second year 12 million, with a 69% increase in engagement. We can only surmise that the addition of video was a big draw, on top of the thought leadership content our attorneys carefully crafted.
Personalization is no longer optional; it’s expected. Firms are leveraging data to craft personalized marketing messages and experiences. Email campaigns that address specific pain points or industry challenges resonate more with recipients, leading to higher engagement rates.
The rise of voice-activated devices is changing the way people search for information. Professional services firms are adapting their digital strategies to accommodate voice search queries, focusing on natural language and conversational content.
Best Practices for an Effective Digital Marketing Strategy
To navigate the dynamic world of digital marketing successfully, professional services firms should follow these best practices:
Define specific goals, whether it’s increasing lead generation, expanding brand awareness, or improving client retention. Clear objectives guide your strategies and provide a measurable framework for success.
Clients go through distinct stages before making a decision. Create content that caters to each stage, from awareness and consideration to decision-making, ensuring you’re addressing their needs effectively.
Data-driven decisions yield better results. Regularly analyze metrics such as website traffic, engagement rates, and conversion rates to understand what’s working and what needs adjustment.
The digital landscape is ever-changing. Stay updated with industry trends, algorithm updates, and new technologies. Adapt your strategies accordingly to maintain a competitive edge.
Future Outlook of Professional Services Digital Marketing
As we look ahead, the role of digital marketing in professional services is poised to expand even further. The rapid evolution of technology, coupled with changing consumer behavior, will drive innovation in strategies and tools. Firms that embrace agility and stay committed to providing value through their digital channels will undoubtedly thrive in this dynamic environment.
Digital marketing has transformed the way professional services firms connect with their audience. From content marketing to SEO, social media engagement to digital advertising campaigns, these strategies are redefining how expertise is showcased and services are offered. Despite challenges, firms that master the art of digital marketing will not only survive but also excel in an increasingly digital world.
(And, yes, true confessional: I used AI to help me craft this article, shaping the outline and refining the piece for persuasiveness and conciseness. Boom! Thank you, R2-D2, Hal, and Robbie the Robot for your trailblazing.)
