Posted on 4 July 2011
Branding
Law firms may wish to take steps to ensure their brand is protected from being associated with adult material, a possible risk posed by the imminent introduction of the new .xxx top-level domain.
A new domain name .xxx is due to be released in September as the primary top-level domain name for the adult entertainment industry. The registry in charge of this domain has agreed to allow registered trademark holders to ‘block’ domains corresponding to their trademark so that they may not be used for adult entertainment purposes.
Applications to block a domain will be accepted from 7th September and applicants must be able to prove ownership of a registered trade mark. Although we explored the documentation in detail, we have not yet been able to establish whether this needs to be a US trademark.
Full details of the timeline for implementation of the new domain are available at about.xxx, which at the time of writing is safe for viewing at work.
If you have any questions about how this might affect your firm, please post in the comments and we will do our best to help.
Posted on 23 February 2011
Branding, Practice Groups
Law firms almost always structure their identity in the same way - using one name and a single visual system throughout. Amongst large firms I can’t find a single example where this isn’t the case.
It strikes me as odd that nobody has tried an alternative structure, especially given the convention for organising firms in to departments and practice groups. These self-contained business units tend naturally to develop a culture and identity quite separate from that of the firm as a whole and perhaps there is an opportunity to capitalise on those difference by developing alternative ways to structure their brands
In Wally Olins on Brand
the author gives us three structures that large organisations typically use to organise their business units. We’ve redrawn law firm specific versions of his diagrams below.
Monolithic Identity
A monolithic identity structure is the status quo for law firms. Businesses use one name and a single visual system across all business units. Monolithic structures are perhaps the easiest to manage and each business unit contributes toward the value of the brand as a whole. The converse is also true where a failing in one business unit can have a substantial impact on the whole group.
Endorsed Identity
Companies forming a group are perceived either by written or visual endorsement to be part of that group. We occasionally see this approach taken in relation to marketing and information products produced by law firms, but rarely is anything other that the firms main identity used in relation to service delivery.
Branded Identity
In organisations that take a branded approach the identity of the parent organisation is dispensed of completely and each business unit has a visual identity designed to appeal to its own target market specifically. It would be very interesting to see a large law firm move towards this model. Given that PEP is often very high among small specialist firms, I think there is strong potential for individually branded practice groups to become little profit power-houses, especially given the reduced overheads and resource sharing that comes with being part of a large organisations.
Posted on 11 January 2011
Branding, Integrated Marketing, Microsites, Practice Groups
Yesterday saw the launch of yet another tech law microsite, this time by international law firm Taylor Wessing. The site is part of an integrated campaign that includes a dedicated Twitter account and sponsorship and content syndication to a new section of The Guardian newspaper’s website.
DownLoad, the name Taylor Wessing has chosen for it’s new site, is entering a crowded space and the firm will face stiff competition. Notable examples include Pinsent Mason’s OUT-LAW.com service which, having been established for over 10 years, has grown beyond all reasonable definitions of a microsite.
The launch got us thinking about what it takes to launch and profit from a practice group microsite. The following post is our thought on the steps firms need to take to ensure they get maximum return from their investment.
1. Stay Focussed
The aim of a practice group microsite is to promote and stimulate interest in a single area of the firm’s expertise. It is, by definition, and exclusive activity and that is the precise reason that such sites are effective. Don’t be tempted to let other practice areas encroach on your patch. Unless the content is directly related to your subject area, it belongs elsewhere.
2. Think like a publisher
Most lawyers are experts at producing content. Many can rattle off a briefing here and a summary there without even breaking a sweat. The problem is that, left to their own devices, lawyers often produce content that is skewed toward personal preference or the educational imperative of whatever matter they happen to be working on at the time. Publishers approach things differently. In order to stay in business a publisher and turn a profit he must asks the market what it wants and then produces content to meet that need. Think like a publisher and ask what your readers want before you sit down at the keyboard.
3. Work hard on the branding
The branding of a practice group microsite is a delicate act. Balance must be struck between the competing requirements to be in keeping with the brand of the firm while developing the microsite as a destination in it’s own right. Even grass-roots efforts built by lawyers themselves should seek advice on how the design of the microsite will impact the brand of the wider firm.
4. Integrate campaigns
As a rule, marketing campaigns have a multiplier effect on each other. That is to say that two or more campaigns run in support of each other will almost alway out-perform the same number of campaigns run in isolation. Microsites are the perfect tool to put at the heart of an integrated campaign being both a destination and a source of referrals. They should provide a landing site for press adverts, social media activity, and pay-per-click advertising and refer visitors to your branded research, events and main website.
5. Provide next steps
The purpose of a microsite is not to build a readership for the sake of the numbers. Every single page should have clear next steps that visitors can take in order to develop a deeper connection. Commonly called ‘calls to action’ these next steps might include: tools to share content, an email subscription form, event registrations, links to sponsored research, and invitations to make contact.
