Key Takeaways
- Wiss used an integrated communications strategy to strengthen its position around AI-powered accounting and technology-enabled advisory services.
- Over approximately 15 months, the program generated more than 100 earned media placements and nearly 1 billion media impressions.
- Wiss moved from last place among its primary competitors to the #1 share of voice and maintained top rankings throughout the engagement.
- Executive thought leadership, proactive media relations, digital marketing, and third-party validation worked together to build sustained market visibility.
- Data-driven optimization helped identify the narratives and channels generating the greatest business impact.
How Wiss Built Visibility Around AI-Powered Accounting
The accounting industry is undergoing one of its biggest transformations in decades. Artificial intelligence is changing how firms deliver services, the newest technological advancements are redefining the role of advisory, and clients increasingly expect accounting partners to bring both financial expertise and technology leadership to the table.
As one of the nation’s fastest-growing accounting and advisory firms, Wiss was evolving beyond its traditional identity. The firm’s strategic investment in AI-powered accounting solutions marked a broader transformation – one that required reshaping market perception alongside the business itself.
Wiss had built a respected reputation across accounting, tax, and advisory services. The firm also needed to establish credibility around AI-powered accounting while continuing to strengthen its authority across its traditional focus areas. Increasing visibility among business and technology audiences became another priority as competitors increasingly entered conversations around AI.
10Fold developed an integrated communications strategy combining proactive media relations, executive thought leadership, and digital marketing into a unified program. Over approximately 15 months, the strategy generated more than 100 earned media placements, nearly 1 billion media impressions, and helped move Wiss from last place among its primary competitors to the #1 share of voice.
Repositioning an Established Accounting Brand for the AI Era
Wiss was evolving an established brand while introducing a new market narrative centered on AI-powered accounting and technology-enabled advisory services.
The communications strategy focused on reshaping market perception through consistent education, executive expertise, industry insights, and timely commentary around the trends transforming accounting and finance.
Timing presented an important consideration. Reporters increasingly wanted customer stories, implementation results, and measurable proof points around AI adoption. Many organizations are still developing those assets as they implement emerging technologies.
Wiss’s communications strategy built authority through executive expertise, industry insights, and timely perspectives on the trends reshaping accounting and finance. This approach created opportunities to position Wiss executives as knowledgeable sources on the future of accounting and AI-powered financial services.
Building an Integrated PR and Digital Thought Leadership Program
Wiss partnered with 10Fold to develop an integrated communications strategy that aligned with the firm’s business transformation. The program combined earned, owned and paid communications to consistently position Wiss executives at the center of conversations about the future of accounting.
Midway through the engagement, 10Fold intentionally evolved the communications strategy to place greater emphasis on AI-powered accounting and technology transformation. Those narratives quickly became some of Wiss’s highest-performing media topics, validating the firm’s repositioning and opening new opportunities with business and technology media.
The strategy included:
- Executive thought leadership: Developed distinct platforms for multiple subject matter experts across AI-powered accounting, tax strategy, wealth management, financial advisory, family office services and the future of finance.
- Proactive media relations: Created ongoing media opportunities around AI adoption, workforce transformation, the CPA shortage, tax policy and business trends, resulting in consistent visibility between company news announcements.
- Strategic media relationship development: Built relationships with journalists across business, accounting and technology publications including Accounting Today, CFO Dive, CIO.com, TechTarget, Financial Advisor, Bloomberg Tax, Forbes CFO Newsletter, Yahoo! Finance and other influential outlets.
- Integrated digital marketing: Extended earned media through executive social media, LinkedIn thought leadership, LinkedIn Live programming, paid LinkedIn campaigns and educational content that continued conversations beyond traditional media coverage.
- Awards and third-party validation: Developed award submissions that strengthened Wiss’s market credibility and reinforced its evolving position as an innovative accounting and advisory firm.
- Performance-driven optimization: Continuously measured competitive share of voice, referral traffic, audience engagement and campaign performance to refine messaging and identify the topics generating the greatest business impact.
Rather than operating PR and digital independently, every major campaign was designed to reinforce the others. Earned media informed executive social content, LinkedIn Live generated new thought leadership assets, paid campaigns expanded the reach of high-performing content and ongoing analytics helped optimize future campaigns.
From Traditional Accounting Firm to Industry Thought Leader
The integrated communications strategy significantly expanded Wiss’s visibility while supporting its broader business transformation.
Key results included:
- More than 100 earned media placements over approximately 15 months, generating nearly one billion media impressions.
- Growth from last place to the #1 share of voice among key competitors while maintaining top rankings throughout the engagement.
- Expanded visibility across business, financial and technology publications including CFO Dive, CIO.com, TechTarget, Bloomberg Tax, Financial Advisor, Yahoo! Finance and other influential media.
- Five industry award wins that strengthened third-party credibility for Wiss’s innovation and leadership.
- Multiple executives established as trusted industry voices through media interviews, contributed articles, podcasts, executive social media and Forbes Finance Council.
- An integrated digital program that connected earned media with LinkedIn Live, executive social media, paid LinkedIn campaigns and educational content to amplify audience engagement and extend the impact of thought leadership.
- A scalable communications platform capable of supporting Wiss’s continued business transformation and future growth.
Key Lessons for Professional Services Firms
Wiss’s transformation highlights several lessons for professional services firms navigating periods of change:
- Business transformation requires communications transformation. As organizations evolve, their market narrative needs to evolve alongside them. Communications can help audiences understand what is changing, why the change matters, and how the organization is responding to new market opportunities.
- Executive Expertise Creates Market Authority. Consistent executive thought leadership builds credibility around the issues shaping an industry. Developing clear subject matter expert platforms gives reporters, analysts, buyers, and other audiences reliable sources for industry insight.
- Integrated Communications Creates Momentum. Combining earned media with executive social media, digital marketing, and owned content extends the life and impact of campaigns. Each channel can reinforce the others while creating additional opportunities for engagement and visibility.
- Data Should Guide Communications Strategy. Competitive share of voice, engagement analytics, referral traffic, and campaign performance provide the feedback needed to refine messaging and identify the topics generating the greatest business impact.
Building Market Authority During Industry Transformation
The firms that successfully navigate industry disruption invest in technology while educating the market, building executive credibility, and shaping the conversations driving their industries forward.
For Wiss, that meant expanding its market narrative around AI-powered accounting while strengthening its established authority across accounting, tax, and advisory services.
The result was a more visible and scalable communications platform that connected media relations, executive thought leadership, digital marketing, and third-party validation around a unified business transformation story.
Ready to Reposition Your Brand for What’s Next?
Whether you’re transforming your business, entering a new market, or introducing innovative services, an integrated communications strategy can help reshape market perception, build executive credibility, and establish your company as a trusted industry leader.
Read the full Wiss case study to learn more about the strategy and results.