All change

With Legal Marketing embarking on its second year hitting desks and, following a fantastic response from yourselves and others in the industry, we’ve decided to give it a bit of a boost.

More often than not, I struggle to shoehorn the number of articles we get sent into one issue every two months. I also speak to a significant number of people on the telephone, wanting to know when the next magazine will be coming out. We’ve therefore decided that since we have the demand, the content and the enthusiasm, we’re going to switch the magazine to monthly circulation.

From August onwards, you’ll now receive the magazine ten times per year, including two double issues. We’ll also be bringing you more ‘Special focus’ supplements on hot topics in marketing. Subjects in the pipeline so far include recruitment, market intelligence, client-relationship management, and press and media relations.

There are also two new additions to the editorial team. Andrew Hedley, who I’ve no doubt many of you will know already, has now joined the editorial board. You can read his thoughts on differentiation in this issue’s cover feature on page 10. Welcome, Andrew.

I would also like to introduce our new regular columnist, Peter Rush. Currently tenders manager at UK firm Pannone, Peter will be passing on his “zeitgeist for pitching and tendering” each month in his ‘Pitch doctor’ column. Having read the first instalment on page 30, I’m sure you’ll all find it highly entertaining and informative.

One final change is the departure of editorial board member Gillian Gilthorpe, who is leaving her firm, Robert Muckle LLP, to enter the world of consultancy. I would like to thank her for her valued advice and written work for the magazine, and wish her the best of luck in her new role.

As always, if you have any campaign experiences or general opinions that you would like to write about for the magazine, do get in touch. Similarly, if you have any news announcements, questions or feedback, I would love to hear from you. You can reach me at kclifton@ark-group.com.

I hope you enjoy this issue of the magazine – and see you next month!

Kate Clifton
Editor

Features

Feature: Community spirit This article is for subscribers only
The concept of corporate-social responsibility (CSR) has been moving up the business agenda for some years. This is part of a growing awareness that organisations need to play their part responsibly and constructively in society if they are to retain the trust and confidence of government, the electorate, customers and thus, also retain the right to continue to go about their business with the minimum – or at least a tolerable level – of political and regulatory intervention.

Masterclass: Splashing the cash Free
The partnership model has always defined the place of marketing within law firms, especially the larger ones. When dealing with the diverse demographic of a large partnership, it is rare to see other than lowest-common-denominator policies applied to the funding of professional-services marketing. The issue centres on the lack of retained earnings and the willingness to apply vital funding to ensure that the firm has a committed and differentiated long-term strategy.

Case study: Fisher & Phillips LLP This article is for subscribers only
The national labour and employment law firm Fisher & Phillips LLP in the US has a ghost. She’s been spotted in New Jersey, Chicago, Charlotte, Atlanta, Houston, Portland, Irvine and several other locations. We’re not afraid of her, because she’s helping us to build our brand and our business.
The ‘ghost lady’, as we call her internally, is featured in an advert published in more than 20 publications across the US.

Case study: Bond Pearce LLP This article is for subscribers only
For the enlightened law firm, corporate-social responsibility (CSR) should represent an overreaching philosophy covering not only community, charitable and pro bono activities but also embracing the approach a business takes to the impact of its activities on the environment, its dealing with employees, its diversity policies, its relationship with its clients and suppliers, and its own corporate governance.
CSR should embrace the very ethos of a firm and reflect how it is perceived by its employees, clients and the marketplace.

Case study: Lovells LLP This article is for subscribers only
Lovells’ graduate website was recently awarded first place in the ‘Best Graduate Recruitment Website’ category at the 2007 TARGET National Graduate Recruitment Awards, after winning the same award in 2006. The site was judged against those of several leading professional-services firms. The Lovells website excelled when assessed under factors including visitor hits, ease of navigation, good quality design, functionality and the overall integration of its marketing campaign.
Lovells launched www.lovells.com/graduates in August 2004. The objective was to produce a website that was not only highly informative, but also at the leading edge of recruitment websites in the UK for its design and functionality.

Opinion: Try it, you might like it Free
There is a book by Dr Seuss called Green Eggs and Ham with which you may be familiar. The story is straightforward. Sitting reading his book, our protagonist, whose name we never discover, is disturbed from his scholarly reverie by a character called Sam-I-Am. This strange little creature quickly makes his presence felt and asks if our man likes to eat ‘green eggs and ham’ – our man confirms he does not. There then ensues around 15 pages where Sam-I-Am comes up with a different way that this gastronomic delicacy might be enjoyed … to no avail.

Regulars

The pitch doctor Free
Welcome dear reader to my first column on pitching and tendering your business in the fastest moving and most shape-shifting market ever.
My brief and purpose is simple. To help you remove ‘amateur night’ and the attitudes and behaviours that go with it from the pitching and tender process.
Business development and marketing frontliners will know what I am talking about.

Opinion: Bumper sticker 'v' marketing philosophy Free

Cover feature: Horses choosing courses This article is for subscribers only
We frequently hear that sophisticated purchasers of legal services are, more and more, choosing ‘horses for courses’ in the selection of their lawyers. By matching the complexity and risk of the work with the capabilities and reputation of the firm for each service required, they aim to deliver best value.
In this context ‘best value’ from the viewpoint of the purchaser can often mean that the job is done at the minimum level of competence to deliver a satisfactory outcome. But with the comfort of an appropriately credible law-firm brand to protect the buyer’s position should it all go wrong!

Thought leader Free
If you have a business that has a unique product in the marketplace and you launch it with a strong marketing and branding campaign, supported by market research, it is not difficult to see that you should have a successful company.
Unfortunately, it is not so easy for law firms to improve their market position when they are in a mature market and all firms are basically communicating the same message. We are all aware that buyers of legal advice rarely distinguish between law firms on the basis of technical expertise, but rather what else is added in terms of service.