Shell Oil. Target Stores. Apple Computers. Camel Cigarettes.
Law firms don’t have that luxury. Most names aren’t picked for their marketability. We get what we get.
Some firms though, blessed with fortuitous names, nonetheless pursue a different path. But firms that ignore the obvious not only miss a golden opportunity, they also risk looking dim, like they hadn’t noticed that they’re sitting on a marketing goldmine.
Smart & Biggar, “Canada’s largest IP firm,” has an almost comically advantageous name. When proclaiming that you possess positive attributes, you must be careful to avoid appearing gauche or boorish. It’s OK to be self-aggrandizing as long as it’s done with a wink, like you’re in on the joke. For example we always liked this:
Firms that connect their marketing to their names make their lives easier. You know that “You’re in good hands with Allstate,” or that “[XYZ] runs SAP.”
We often think,
“I LOVE that ad! (I wish I could remember what company it is for.”)
Florida-based finance firm Bryant Miller Olive had great visibility within its target audience, but needed to build visibility when it expanded geographically. We leveraged the iconic “Olive” in a marketing campaign and website (see them here) that are hard to miss and easy to remember.
Depending on a firm’s style, these types of marketing campaigns can work all-text or supported by visuals. They can be used to market a firm or target specific industry or practice groups.
Even misspellings can work.
Wisconsin’s Whyte Hirschboeck [now part of Husch Blackwell] could have used “white” to morph its website to something more memorable, like this:
Near-misses can work too.
You can even take advantage of names without positive connotations.
Does your firm have a positive word in it?
“Want a good gift for your associates?
“I’ve got the ideal gift idea. Give them Ross Fishman’s ‘The Ultimate Law Firm Associate’s Marketing Checklist,’ a 150-page, well-written, engaging and very practical guide—no, make that, bible—to show associates what they need to do to begin to build internal and external networks and eventually establish a book of business.
“Marketing Checklist offers associates who are early in their careers simple, real-world tips to develop their reputation among the partners at the firm, first, and for more senior associates, it provides tips on how to generate clients.”
– Of Counsel magazine, Editor Steve Taylor’s “Taylor’s Perspective”)
[…] a relatively conservative and wealthy target audience. As we discussed previously in our “Name-based marketing” post, it can be useful for marketing purposes if your firm has a fortuitous […]
[…] acknowledge it. Your audience must see that you see it too. You may choose not to use it, but you can’t ignore the elephant in the room. But having “Best” in your name? […]