The conventional wisdom in professional services rests on the argument that marketing is a luxury, not a commodity, for partner-based firms.  The push and pull between traditionalists and outliers is that marketing services present an unnecessary cost center to a firm.  This argument is typically justified by the “numbers.”  The cost of a marketing strategy and department needed to execute on marketing initiatives can be a significant investment and the return on this investment is often hard to monetize.  We get it.