Turn Client Service into a Client Experience
01.01.03
Services, like goods before them, have become commoditized. It’s harder and harder for clients to distinguish between the offerings of brand name law firm “A” and brand name law firm “B”. And, more and more clients are requesting alternative billing arrangements, such as blended rates and value billing. Translation: clients perceive they aren’t getting the value they desire when lawyers sell time by the hour.
On the Edge: It`s Hip to be Square
11.01.02
"It`s Hip to be Square," so says Cheryl Berman, Chair and Chief Creative Officer of Leo Burnet USA. "Being ‘out of the box’ means being edgy, and edgy is out. People are more skeptical of hotshot know-it-alls. They want track records, proof of what you can really do, what you can really deliver."
Firm Strategy Becomes Marketing/PR Mojo
08.01.02
Once upon a time, there was a law firm called Snow & Snow LLP, a 250-lawyer firm in St. Louis. Its marketing program suffered from a managing partner change every two years—so the popular marketing director, fighting the inconsistencies inherent in biannual 180-degree leadership swings, quit and went to a well-known competitor for more money.
Law Firms Gain Notice by Adopting Shorter Names
06.01.02
According to Deborah McMurray, firms that shorten their names are following standard advertising principles established by corporate America years ago. A firm name "can have impact" and, if distinctive, can be an important client development tool.
Take a Look—Are you a Procedures or an Idea Guy?
04.01.02
In "My Brand is Here to Stay," Passikoff, the President of Brand Keys, notes that, in spite of Wall Street’s spasms over the last year, 11 of the top 25 brands that have the most loyal customers are Internet or telecommunications brands. This is "based on assessments by 16,000 adult brand customers."
On the Edge: What Clothes?
04.01.02
Branding works. It’s proven in all industries, even in the legal industry. However, some law firms spend fortunes on "brands" (like the emperor’s clothes) that don’t really exist.
Increase Marketing Department Credibility: Focus on Marketing Metrics
04.01.02
It’s a perfect time to focus your firm’s strategy and its spending. Law firms from coast to coast are reacting to their clients’ business losses, stock price tailspins and employee lay-offs by engaging in one or more of the following: hiring freezes, across-the-board-cost-cutting, lawyer and staff lay-offs and delaying or canceling growth plans.