Memorandum Re: Thought Leadership Program For: Partners, Principals & Heads of Research

You already have the idea. We put it in writing.

JVM Research & Advisory turns expertise into bylines, briefings, and commentary worth publishing — researched, drafted, and placed, without adding a single hour to a billable week.

Engagements currently open for Q4 2026 intake

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01 — Approach

Most thought leadership sounds like nobody in particular.

Firms are full of genuine expertise — and most of it never leaves the conference room. What gets published is often generic, unengaging, or reads like it was ghostwritten by someone who doesn't understand your business or your clients.

As part of our approach, clients fill out a briefing questionnaire and we have an optional 15 to 30 minute discussion. We then do the research they don't have time for, and produce writing sharp enough to run under their own name — no AI platitudes or filler, and no need for endless editing marathons.

The result is a steady, credited record of bylines, alerts, and commentary that build a name — and a pipeline — quietly, over time.

That record compounds differently now. As search shifts from ranked links to AI-generated answers, keyword density stops being the advantage — being a name a model already associates with substantive, citable work is. A library of credited commentary gets pulled into the answer; a single SEO-tuned post rarely does.

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02 — Coverage

Five beats, each in its own language

Every piece is drafted by someone who already thinks in the field's terms — not a generalist translating after the fact.

Markets & Investment Writing

Commentary on macro trends, portfolio strategy, and asset allocation — sharp enough to hand to allocators and clients who read this for a living.

Geopolitics & Economic Policy

Analysis of political risk, monetary policy, and cross-border developments, written to help clients decide before the headlines catch up.

Legal & Regulatory

Client alerts and bylines on new rulings, enforcement trends, and regulatory shifts, drafted by someone who actually read the filing.

Tax & Trade

Alerts and commentary on tax policy, cross-border transactions, and trade regulation, for practitioners who advise on the details.

Climate & Energy

Briefings on climate policy, the energy transition, and disclosure requirements, written for people making capital decisions.

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03 — About

Eighteen years at the intersection of business and policy.

JVM Research & Advisory is led by Phil MacFarlane, who has spent nearly two decades developing thought leadership for Big Four advisory leaders and other professional-services firms, translating regulatory change, policy trends, and political developments into insights business leaders can act on.

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04 — Engagements

Fee schedule

From a single sharp byline to a firm-wide editorial program run entirely on your behalf.

Single Engagement
The Byline
One deeply researched article, ready to place with a target publication or on your website.
$2,500 / article
One-time · Net 15
  • Briefing questionnaire + optional call
  • Independent research & sourcing
  • 1,000–1,500 word draft
  • Two rounds of revisions
Retain Us
Annual Retainer
The Institutional Program
A full editorial strategy and production line across multiple contributors.
Bespoke
Scoped annually
  • Everything in The Standing Voice
  • Firm-wide content strategy & calendar
  • Quarterly performance reporting
  • Long-form research papers & white papers
  • Policy & issue monitoring
Discuss Scope
§05 — Retain Us

Let's put your team's judgment into print.

Book a twenty-minute call to walk through your firm's goals and which engagement fits.