A WAKE-UP CALL FOR LAW FIRMS - 47 DIFFERENT FIRMS, ONLY A HANDFUL ARE MEMORABLE
After a two-day deep dive into the world of law firms, I wanted to share some thoughts on how you can make your legal brand more memorable.
What we look for in a brand is distinction.
Purpose. Identity. Bold and inspiring. But that is not what we found.
It went something like this.
Let's have a look at the Law sector. Are they driven by more than just money? Do they stand out? How do they position themselves?
Day one. Website scanning...
1, 2, 3... OK
10, 11, 12... hmmm
25,26,27... arghhhhh
OK, I'm not digging, I'm scanning, but customers need to get it quickly too.
I keep looking. Desperately wanting to find one, just one business leading with a clear well-communicated brand message.
28,29,30…
You all say you're different. But (and this is the bit that made me itch) the stuff you say makes you different, is the same stuff other law firms say makes them different. So turns out you are not different after all.
Go on, have a guess, what makes law firms different.
We put our people first
We listen to our clients
We are innovative
I know this is only the surface. But people (and I mean customers) don't want to work hard to ‘get it’.
Day two. Now I’m digging…
Excitement building. There are law firms doing great stuff (culture, DEI, client insight). Interesting. Intelligent. Forward-thinking. In many ways, at the forefront. BUT, 47 different firms, only a small handful are memorable
So, what did I learn, and how can you build a stronger brand identity for your law firm?
If innovation is your thing, this should feature in all areas of your business, not just client services. Take charity partnerships as an example; why not breathe innovation into this space. Use your smart brains, and innovative behaviours to solve problems, not just fund them.
Responsible business practices (like BCorp) will not provide your brand with identity. Sure, there are only 4 law firms in the UK that have BCorp status, but there are a swathe more on the journey. Accountability, transparency, and framework will help you measure and improve your impact. But this alone does not distinguish your brand. How you use those community hours and money does.
‘Giving back’ is part of the legal sector's DNA, but doing lots confuses the brand message. It's not to say you should stop your people from supporting charities they care about, but does this support your brand proposition? Does this belong on your website?
If you want to know more about how Cause Alignment can help strengthen your unique brand identity, please get in touch.