AlixPartners
Telling the story of tech’s shift from growth to profitability.
I supported AlixPartners’ writing team on a research report on the technology sector. Working remotely via an agency, I co-wrote sections of the report, including the introduction, and wrote the web landing page. My job was to help turn the research into an engaging explanation of what was changing in tech and why it mattered.
Sector
Management consulting
Deliverable
Research report and landing page
Role
Content writer
Audience
Executives and leaders
In use
Published research with coverage in the finance press
The report brought together a survey of 146 technology executives. The web feature gave readers an introduction to the findings and a route into the full report. CFO Dive subsequently covered the research.
5
report pages I owned
146
tech executives surveyed
CFO Dive
independent coverage
Check out the work
My contribution to the report
I worked on pages 2, 4, 5, 9 and 10. They cover the opening argument, the explanation of the findings and the move into practical recommendations.
Page 2
The opening argument
The introduction connects the industry’s pursuit of scale with its new need to generate profit. The comparison with the dotcom era gives readers some context before they reach the survey findings.
Pages 4–5
Explaining the findings
These pages connect changing growth targets to higher financing costs, weaker demand and pandemic hiring. The writing helps readers follow the financial pressures behind the change in prioritisation from growth to profits.
Pages 9–10
What businesses could do
The report then moves into the practical response. These sections connect AlixPartners’ recommendations with examples of its client work, including changes to product development, automation and investment decisions.
Data storytelling
Explaining what a statistic means in real life
One finding from the 2023 research
82%
of the tech companies surveyed had noticed a change in credit and financing availability.
Page 5 is a good example of the writing this needed. The statistic establishes how widely financing conditions had changed. The explanation then follows the effect through the business: more expensive debt, pressure on cash and a greater need to fund growth from the company’s own operations.
That connection gives a reader something to consider in their own business. It also explains why the report’s recommendations follow from the research.
Web copy
Giving readers a reason to click
The landing page needed to make the subject relevant quickly. I brought forward the main findings, explained the pressures on the sector and introduced the practical response. Short sections and links into the report helped readers choose where to explore further.
How the web story is organised
Start with the change. Explain why the sector’s earlier approach to growth was coming under pressure.
Bring forward the findings. Give readers the main survey results and show how the picture differs by company size.
Explain the pressures. Group the discussion around financing, demand and hiring, with links into the report.
Introduce the response. Show what the full report offers to readers considering their next steps.
Publication and coverage
Where the research appeared
30 August 2023
AlixPartners launch
The firm announced the research and its recommendations, directing readers to the web feature and report.
5 September 2023
CFO Dive
Independent coverage reported the shift towards profitability and the survey’s findings on further job cuts.
6 September 2023
Mondaq
AlixPartners also published the report’s argument and findings as an article on the professional information platform.
Need something similar?
Do you have research that needs a clear story?
I can work alongside your team on report sections, introductions and web copy, helping readers understand the findings and why they matter.
