Article Summary
According to the author, of "Branding is the heart of your marketing message"in Law Magazine (2013), branding in not optional as every law firm, practice group, and individual lawyer has a brand; it is image advertising and brand awareness marketing. Every law firm wants to be the Kleenex of the profession, replacing "I need a criminal defense lawyer" with "I need Johnnie Cochran" (Buchdahl,2013). This is troublesome as the concept of differentiation is lacking in most firms branding efforts; firms need to control the messaging to the best of their ability by planning, having a strategy, implementation, and ongoing monitoring for true effectiveness (Buchdahl,2013). Most attorneys argue that individual brands supercede the firm's because clients hire lawyers, not the firm. The author makes a case for firm branding, rebranding, positioning, advertising, and, consistency.
Why a Firm Brand if Clients Hire Lawyers?
Firms who fail to developed client connections, can lead to a business to seek new legal support following the retirement of high profile lawyer;
Strong firm brands can help
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Consistency is Paramount
Consistency should not be ignored, regardless of a new brand or rebranding;
Firm marketing managers should own the brand and do their best to protect it, including everything from consistency in colors, logos, imagery, messaging and promotional language to discussions relating to where the firm name appears and how the wrong place might send a message that is off-brand;
The brand is what marketers are selling and people are buying, foreign to some attorneys, the truth is that it is at the core of everything the firm does, and it should be protected (Buchdahl,2013).
Law Firm Branding vs. Textbook