Branding

“Branding” is one of the most often used, but least understood of all legal marketing terms. If the “positioning” of a law firm is the leveraging of that which makes it unique, then “branding” is the external manifestation of that positioning. There is real equity in a well-developed brand when the firm and all its symbols (e.g., logos, tag lines, etc.) stand for something that is meaningful to the target market.

In a successful branding effort, the firm’s unique positioning is conveyed across all materials – be they of the print, broadcast and/or digital or on-line nature. The prospect should be exposed to a message many times and through a variety of marketing tools.

In developing a brand, a law firm must be careful to truly reflect its essence. For example, a law firm with a reputation for being tough litigators may not wish to brand itself with an image (e.g., cookies) that suggests sweetness. Similarly, a small firm focusing on elder law probably would not create a brand featuring a bulldog.

A brand also allows a firm to have a “presence” among a targeted community of businesses or individuals – even when no individual from the firm is actually with them.

To fully appreciate the power of a well-developed brand, one must simply look to strong brands that exist outside of the legal community. McDonald’s, Federal Express, and IBM all have very strong brands that allow potential customers to understand full well the products, services, values, attributes that they will be “purchasing.” This reduces the level of perceived risk involved in that purchase – an absolutely critical element in attracting new clients (especially in slower economic times). The adage “Nobody ever got fired for hiring IBM" is particularly true for law firms. There is often just too much at stake for an individual or business to hand over it’s legal needs to an unknown.

That is not to say unbranded firms do not produce quality work or do not have outstanding attorneys. It is just that the lack of a brand often pre-empts potential clients from going with them.

Branding also doesn’t just affect the ability of the firm to generate new prospects. It also allows current clients to feel more secure in the choice of law firm that they have already made. In addition, it offers a significant advantage in attracting the best talent to the firm.