Branding

“Branding” is one of the most often use, but least understood of all 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, because the firm and all its symbols (e.g., logos, tag lines, etc.) stand for something meaningful – even in the absence of firm personnel.

In a successful branding effort, the firm’s unique positioning is conveyed across all materials – be they of a 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.