Brand rollout: Putting it together

Creating a brand for any law firm is difficult, but doing so for a global law firm carries unique challenges. Most law firm marketing professionals understand the trickiness of shepherding a brand project through consensus-based partnership decision making, and the struggle of maintaining the creativity and originality of the brand ‘big idea’ while doing so. When creating and implementing a brand for a global law firm, the chief marketing officer (CMO) and project team must also develop a keen understanding of regional client and cultural considerations, and that requires building an international project team. Other success factors include ensuring that firm leadership understands and supports the expenditures required to develop and implement the brand; having a project team with the necessary time, right spirit and perspective to work internationally; recognising that the new brand will encroach on deep-rooted attachments to an organisation’s past and managing that change well; and definitively linking the brand strategy to the firm’s core vision and business strategy. Finally, let’s not forget Thomas Edison’s essential truth: “Genius is one per cent inspiration, ninety-nine per cent perspiration.” However strong the creative concept, and whatever the breadth and depth of research and consensus building, successful brands are built over a long period of intensive work, not only on external communication, but on extensive, ongoing internal communication so the law firm members also live the brand.

Building consensus
Branding is a strategic business undertaking, not simply a creative exercise. It can be an effective means of standing out in a crowded, competitive marketplace and an important step in achieving the law firm’s business strategy. An effective brand will also unify the firm and its people behind a clear promise and commitment to its clients. Building an understanding of these two concepts, particularly in senior management ranks, is central to a successful global brand rollout. By being informed and knowledgeable about the branding rationale, firm leadership can rally the rest of the partnership, help build consensus, and recognise when it simply needs to say it has ‘set course and will hold steady’. The latter is especially important when (and not if!) lawyers begin to express differences of opinion based on personal preference. In a global law firm, the leaders who should be informed about, and provide input into, the branding programme include not just the managing partner, but practice and industry group leaders, office managing partners, associate group leaders, as well as other thought leaders and ‘power hitters’ more generally. The early involvement of those who have the power to derail the project at a later, critical stage is an important brand project-management strategy. It is thus not only essential to keep management across the firm’s geographic platform fully briefed and to verify their support before, during, and after the brand development process, but also to ensure they feel involved throughout the effort. Finally, make sure you educate them about the research foundation for your brand, and the scope and findings from your internal outreach. This will ensure they have sufficient facts in hand to manage their ranks effectively, but beyond the support of senior attorney management, other key internal groups should also be brought quickly into the project environment. The leaders of human resources; knowledge management; operations; finance; information technology; recruitment; diversity, pro bono; associate groups, and a number of other areas, will all have roles to play in the brand launch. They are also in a position to influence others and can provide the cultural insights necessary to implement a sustainable global brand.

Forging the project team
Before the project team is created, make sure the firm leadership also understands the branding campaign objectives and completely supports the project. It is the CMO’s role to present a strong business case for undertaking the branding project, to describe the costs and other resources that will be committed to the effort, and then to assess whether there is the right level of support. The business case should be presented to the managing partner and the other attorney leaders identified above, across the entire law firm.
Only then should the project commence with the creation of an international project team. A team representing just one region of the global law firm cannot adequately represent the client needs and cultural differences of a whole firm. And even if they could, gaining buy-in to the brand without a team representing key markets around the world will be difficult. The responsibility of the CMO and project leader is to ensure a willingness to incorporate input and different views from various cultures within the project team.
To build a branding team with the right talent, it is necessary to identify who will provide:

Strategic leadership. Someone focused on the big picture, knowledgeable overall about the firm, its strategy, markets, clients and practices, and its competitive situation;
Design leadership. Someone who can lead the execution of the strategy into a new visual identity;
Communications leadership. Someone who can articulate the strategy and key messages in an effective and persuasive manner, internally and externally;
Web and interactive leadership. Someone who understands the online space and can bring the brand to life in this increasingly important medium;
Project management leadership. Someone (but not the CMO) who can create and manage the project plan, keep steps on track, facilitate interactions within and outside the team, ensure meetings take place, and report on progress;
Input from other key firm groups. Representatives of other internal groups (such as human resources, IT, recruitment and diversity) should be viewed as extensions of the brand project team.

Choosing the right external branding agency is as important as building the internal team. The external agency will bring its best practices and experience of building brands for other clients to your project. Consider the following when selecting an agency:

1. The branding agency should have a geographic footprint that roughly matches the global law firm’s footprint. You will then benefit from broader strategic and creative thinking as well as experience and understanding of the cultural nuances that need to be considered. And of course, convincing your international colleagues their new brand is globally appropriate if you have selected an agency present in just one country will be tough;
2. Seek out the best and brightest agencies with enough critical mass to execute large-scale brand implementations. Failing to secure adequate outside resources can seriously undermine deployment of a global brand. Think through the various phases and places the brand will have to be deployed and consider the communication requirements. In other words, be clear on your project scope before selecting agencies to interview. Issuing a request for proposal (RFP) that clearly states requirements is essential to keep project costs in line and prevent scope creep. Then revaluate the RFP responses with your international team and shortlist three agencies;
3. Next, review and ask detailed questions about projects the agency has executed of a similar scope. Again, include your international working team in evaluation of their creative. Analyse the creative to see if the work is continuously fresh or if a rote feel has crept into parts of the portfolio. Make sure you have confidence in the agency’s own project manager as that individual will be critical to ensuring that the agency meets your deadlines.
4. To ensure that your global brand does not resemble that of other firms, look outside the category of agencies that work primarily for law firms. Consider talent that has developed strategies and creative work that is groundbreaking in other industries. They may not fully understand the legal business, but that is what your international working team brings to the table.
5. Branding projects are massive, long and sweaty projects, so to make sure you have some fun along the way, select an agency with which your internal team has a natural rapport. Are they easy to relate to? Are they being open and honest with you? Do they seem to work well together? Will they be fun to work with?

Finally, define the roles and responsibilities for project team members, and develop a clear project plan with concrete milestones. Technology can help the team work together seamlessly across borders. Web and video conferencing and other forms of internet and telephone connections can bring international teams together quickly and cost-effectively. Web-based ‘e-rooms’ can house project plans and other working documents. Whatever the benefits of technology, however, nothing can replace personal interaction and communication at critical project junctures. Now you are set to roll.

Creating the research foundation
Adequate research with your key audiences is the foundation of any successful branding initiative. It will ensure your brand is perceived positively; makes an emotional connection; and is relevant and special. Further, when the inevitable personal likes and dislikes surface within your law firm, your most effective sales points for the new brand will be client and internal comments from the research.
One element of a successful brand is that it stands out in the crowd. So the research phase of creating your global brand begins with looking at your competitive set. Review competitor websites and marketing materials, and examine how each firm is portrayed in the media. Only by understanding them can you understand where, why, and how your firm is different or better.
Your research should include interviews with clients, prospects, potential recruits and laterals, your internal constituency and even competing firms. These discussions will reveal their perception of your firm – you may find it different from what you believe internally. Finally, you should conduct research across your geographic footprint to ensure your brand is relevant and appropriate in your regional markets as well as cohesive globally.
The research findings will help you to frame a strategy for the brand. This typically includes a positioning statement that sets the firm apart from its competitors and describes the unique personality traits and core brand values that will serve as the foundation for all creative work.

Creative decisions
Then, with your strategy defined, your team assembled, and research conducted, the real fun can begin – creative development. Some of the critical elements to consider when bringing a brand to life are colour, imagery, tone, and language.
Much has been studied and written about colour and its associations within various cultures. As more brands globalise, colour may be becoming less of an issue, but it is still wise to consider cultural differences when making such decisions. It is not advisable to use orange hues when marketing in the Middle East, nor black in Asia Pacific. Tuning in to some basic cultural sensitivities upfront can help to avoid major disruptions down the road.
With regards to imagery, generally the safest route is to avoid looking ‘too anything’. Rather than using imagery that is clearly British or Chinese or American, aim for photos or illustrations that are distinctive, but culturally neutral. Focus on imagery that conveys your brand personality. If your brand is defined by characteristics such as ‘challenging’, ‘smart’, ‘savvy’, or ‘trusted’, make sure your imagery conveys this.
Your brand voice, both visual and verbal, has enormous potential to help convey the brand personality. Is the brand serious? Quirky? Energetic? All of the above? Factor this into the creative development. Language could also have impact on how your brand is perceived by a global audience. Are your materials written in British English or American English? Is there a hybrid English developed to accommodate all markets? Should they be translated to the local languages? Thoughtfully consider these issues from the onset to ensure smooth project flow.

Executing, communicating and ‘living’ the brand
With the behind-the-scenes work completed, it is now time to launch the new brand to the firm. Timing is everything, so consider the many elements that will need to be coordinated for brand launch. Develop a detailed plan to identify and orchestrate the date, time, and place(s) for the launch; what will happen as part of the launch; who will participate; and with whom you will communicate. Senior leadership should play a prominent role in any and all activities to send a clear signal about the importance of the brand and how it will help the firm execute its business strategy.
Key messages need to be formulated and infused throughout the brand-launch materials, as well as follow-up materials distributed post-launch. Select the right channels and applications to present the new brand to ensure the most impact. Consider whether there will be an e-mail blast each day before the launch. A video broadcast on the firm’s intranet? Materials delivered to all lawyers and staff? Posters in the firm’s offices? There may also be an opportunity to get people together for an in-person announcement. A multi-faceted plan incorporating many of these elements will create the most impact for your launch.
As you approach the ‘full-court press’ phase of the launch, momentum will be strong, new challenges will crop up, and tensions may be higher than normal among team members.
It is easy to delay the launch until everything is set and approved and re-worked, but with a project so big, you have to set what can seem like unachievable deadlines and then meet them. Push yourself! This attitude will not only help you get through this demanding time, but also generates a wealth of positive energy and teamwork. The momentum will drive you; the energy will reward you.
Once the new brand has been launched, the job of internalising it has just begun. The most successful launches include a programme with communications tools and ongoing training to reinforce the strategic rationale and importance of the brand continually, and how everyone at the firm can contribute to its success.
From the way that a receptionist answers the phone, to the way an office manager prepares a lunch meeting and a lawyer advises a client, all actions must reflect what the brand stands for. All individuals can help to proliferate the progress of the brand with their own actions, but you have to tell them how to do it. So in structuring these communications, it is important to remember it is a long-term commitment that must be executed in various ways.
A phased, multi-media approach will help people digest the messages at different times and in different ways. There is no single way to get it done. The key is in the mix.
When your new brand has built up traction among the lawyers and staff, you must establish desired brand actions for all your people so they can deliver on the brand in their daily work. This is true of all brands, but is especially important for law firms, where the face-to-face interactions between lawyers and clients are key to building a successful relationship. How does a lawyer in Munich deliver a consistent level and style of service as his or her counterpart in Beijing or Los Angeles? This can and should be a reflection of the brand actions.
No two brand-development – efforts are the same. The only common denominator is that all such efforts will encounter multiple challenges that must be managed and overcome. With thorough planning, strategic thinking, the proper support, and a winning team, however, you will be well on your way to success.

Jolene M. Overbeck is global chief marketing officer at DLA Piper. She can be contacted at jolene.overbeck@dlapiper.com