Branding

Continuing on the subject of branding ... . I saw first hand how branding works for the attorney whom I visited with last week. Still seeking more information on the subject, I had a chance to go to a blog by Patrick Lamb. He has a segment of his blog devoted to Branding and Sales. Worth a read is his post titled, "Branding? Yes!" which you can find about 2/3's of the way down in that category. He commented on branding in the context of the use of a Firm logo. He wrote:

Logos by themselves probably mean very little. That said, however, logos in the context of a meaningful branding program probably means a great deal. Well said, Mr. Lamb.

In my view, a logo in the context of a well thought out plan should be seriously considered. Once again the trick is to avoid being caught up in things like cost and style, and vague policy statements used by the designer you hire. A number of logo designers that have helped me and my business partners can deliver a logo for less than $3,000. That's the cost of two doctor depositions in a typical case. A logo may even contain the messsage, such as "we treat you the way you want to be treated." Combine it with a vanity number such as 1-800-JUSTICE or 800-444-4444, and it adds up to the complete image and brand you wish to convey.

I continued reading Mr. Lamb's useful blog and found that he linked to Dan Hull, who had posted his comments on the use of a logo: "Law Firm Logos are Goofy, Useless, and a Waste of Time and Money ...I would add that if you have a logo, don't change it--but if you don't have a logo, don't bother to develop one." You can read that here.

Here is the logo that works for the Levin,Papantonio firm:




If you walk into Mike Papantonio's office, you will see a column found in the logo on each side of the door. Does that logo convey the fact that "Pap" has a $100+ million dollar verdict to his credit? Or that the firm is nationally recognized? Probably not, but the way it is used among a certain set of attorneys conveys the instant message of who that firm is, when the big picture of the LP brand is considered.

I hope many of my competitors in my area of the law - representing injured consumers - follow those who advise that the creation of a logo is "goofy." Keep to the basic letterhead, the white paper, the tombstone yellow pages ads. Keep the tag line, "no recovery unless we win." The last thing I need is an innovative competitor (or two or three) in my area of the law. If others read that a logo can be had for about 10% of what some contribute to political campaigns on a yearly basis, then everyone may have one, right?


Does your firm have a logo? Grant Morain does here in Georgia. If you navigate his site, the arrow in the logo leads you to that page, a nifty little trick: