<b><i>From the Second Annual MLF 50:</b></i> Two Standout Firms Focus on Client-Centric Marketing

By Elizabeth Anne 'Betiayn' Tursi
November 30, 2006

Two firms from the MLF 50 are standouts in the area of client-centric marketing activities and for different reasons. The first, Winston & Strawn, led by Director of Business Development and Marketing Partner Barbara C. Sessions, embarked on an overall visibility campaign with an overarching theme on client-focused service and they did this via their Web site. Web sites are for the most part pictorial and editorial depictions of how law firms perceive themselves. Most sites are almost unbearable to read, difficult to navigate and, for the most part, merely overblown puff pieces. It would seem that there is no real process or planning that goes into the creation of the site, with the appropriate attention to harnessing the energy of the firm and, more importantly, understanding the audience. Winston & Strawn had a plan and a process to create a Web site that addresses those concerns.

No less outstanding in harnessing client-centric based marketing is the firm of Holland & Hart. In 2006, the marketing department, led by Director of Marketing Mark Beese (or as he refers to himself the 'Marketing Guy') engaged in several new initiatives; each of them intimately involving the firm's clients, with the goal of deepening Holland & Hart's relationship with current clients and attracting new ones. The firm's advertising campaign has evolved to highlight innovative and successful clients as part of the Holland & Hart trademark western wilderness.

Winston & Strawn

In August 2006, Winston & Strawn launched its new Web site and integrated a marketing communications program that includes visibility ads, marketing collateral and a formal style guide.

Over a 24-month period, through a thorough discovery process that included interviews with key partners, associates, clients, prospects and other industry participants, Winston's business development department worked with outside consultants at PARTNERS+simons (now Right Hat) to develop messaging that articulates the unique characteristics that differentiate Winston & Strawn:

Clients require that outside counsel fully understand their business and industry, and appreciate the challenges they face each day. Winston & Strawn knows how to approach difficult issues and how to keep from making straightforward ones complex. Our role is to help clients succeed ' on their terms, not ours

The firm focus group tested the message and found that it resonated with the intended audiences and was consistent with their perception of Winston. The firm also tested it with the firm's partners in various offices and practice groups, and it was extremely well received. Winston & Strawn used elements of the message to create a series of visibility ads and a new design style. The message was also effectively incorporated into the firm's new Web site.

Development of Winston's new Web site (www.winston.com) took place over an intensive 6-month period from February to August. The firm worked with outside agency ICVM Group on the project, which included a complete overhaul of the design, functionality and content. In addition to representing the firm's branding efforts, the design of the new site offers improved usability for clients, prospects, recruits, and our own attorneys and staff. Some of the key features and improvements are:

Consistent main navigation, with easy-to-access sub navigation;
'Simplify My Site' personalization tool;
Advanced site search results;
Vanity URLs for bios and practice pages;
Print to PDF, print this page, and e-mail this page functionality;
Direct access to all related legal services, attorneys, news, events, publications;
Experience section that includes representative matters and case studies; and
Re-architected Careers section and 'Simplify Your Career Choice' feature.

To build excitement about the campaign, the firm distributed hard copy mailings, giveaways, and e-mail demos every day during the launch week. To illustrate the various components of the program the firm sent:

On Monday (8/21), a desk puzzle with the word Simplify and graphics from the Web site, a brochure on The New Marketing Communication Program and the e-mail demo 'Getting Around';
On Tuesday (8/22), a '[email protected]' postcard explaining how to make changes/suggestions to the new site and the e-mail demo 'Simplify My Site';
On Wednesday (8/23), a branded carton with two fortune cookies (branding message on fortunes); a brochure on the new Marketing Visibility Advertising and the e-mail demo 'Practice Area Tour';
On Thursday (8/24), another '[email protected]' postcard and the e-mail demo 'Attorney Bio Tour'; and
On Friday (8/25), a magnetic desk toy with new logo and Web site address and the e-mail demo 'Print & E-mail Features.'

The budget for the Web site redesign project was approximately $200,000. The research, design and implementation phases of the overall marketing communications program cost roughly $225,000 (over a 2-year period). Media placements were budgeted for an additional $1.2 million. Costs associated with the launch week were roughly $35,000.

With regard to ROI, the firm commissioned a Test-Control Study to gauge the effectiveness of the advertising to increase overall awareness of Winston's brand. Winston is also using vanity URLs (ie, www.winston.com/wsj) to track Web site traffic generated by the ads.

As part of the Web site project, ICVM Group provided Winston with a Web site traffic reporting system, through LiveStats, where business development staff can view statistics such as number of site visits per day/week, number of page visits, top pages visited and time spent per visit. While the firm does not yet have enough data to analyze traffic trends, early results indicate that the number of page visits and time spent per page have increased slowly but steadily since the site launched.

Winston & Strawn's Web site is a model for other law firms to emulate.

Holland & Hart

By Mark Beese's own admission, the firm 'had the most fun' with its advertising campaign. The firm's positioning statement is: 'Holland & Hart is the leading law firm in the Mountain West.' Its key messages are: Good People, Client Service and Innovation. Its print ads still feature the western landscapes that communicate 'Mountain West' ' the territory of the firm's 13 offices in seven western states. The firm print ads now include a photo and story of a successful, and innovative, client. The print ads are visually interesting, and the stories illustrate that Holland & Hart has clients at the cutting-edge of their business, subtly tying H&H to the client's success and creativity. The firm has produced three print ads that run in regional business publications and national legal press.

Holland & Hart launched a partnership with a valued client, Frontier Airlines, by creating the first business segment on their in-flight television network, Wild Blue Yonder (WBY), featuring the same creative clients. Frontier is based in Denver, and flies to nearly all of the cities in which we have offices. While United Airlines was in bankruptcy, Frontier gained much of United's business travelers. Frontier's business demographics were similar ' or better in some areas ' than the local business journals in which the firm advertises across the West. Most travelers do not pay the $5 for DirecTV, and opt to watch the free 'Wild Blue Yonder' network, which features music, travel and short feature videos. Despite a strong business traveler segment, WBY did not have a business feature. Holland & Hart purchased TV time and produced 'Business Class' (a pun because Frontier does not have either first or business class seating), a 5-minute video featuring an innovative and successful business based in Mountain West ' that happens to be a Holland & Hart client. The segment is followed by a 30-second commercial for the law firm.

The first segment featured Outlast Technologies, a company that uses space-age materials to make everyday items better. The second segment featured the founder of Spyder Active Sports, the top ski brand. The third ad segment features the founders of MedQuest/Worldheart, a company that makes artificial hearts that have saved more than 1400 people (so far).

The client featured in 'Business Class' is also featured in a two-page spread in Frontier's in-flight magazine. Because it is a partnership, Frontier has allowed Holland & Hart attorneys to write a monthly business/legal column in their in flight magazine.

The firm launched the program with an event. Executives from Frontier Airlines, Wild Blue Yonder Network, and other H&H clients attended the event. More than 150 attorneys and staff also attended. The media also attended, resulting in several print stories and a piece on the evening news at 10:00 pm. All for a law firm ad about their clients.

The firm measured the results of the Frontier program in several ways. First, the firm worked with Frontier Airlines to conduct an online survey of frequent fliers to measure recall, awareness, and opinion of Holland & Hart's ad, the Business Class Program, and other WBY features as a comparison. The results were helpful in determining: 1) if the firm should proceed with the program; and 2) if so, what the firm needed to change to increase its effectiveness. The firm received more than 750 responses and gained valuable insights. The firm also conducted an independent intercept survey at the airport that provided some depth to the online survey. The results of both surveys, along with an unscientific survey of H&H's 750 attorneys and staff who provided anecdotal feedback, gave the firm sufficient metrics to move ahead with the project.

Holland & Hart's in-house trial consultancy firm (four Ph.D.'s and a five-person video/graphics studio) is one of the few in-house trial strategy firms in the nation. Fifty percent of Persuasion Strategies (www.persuasionstrategies.com) revenue comes from law firms and clients outside of Holland & Hart. This year, the firm held a live, half-day mock trial and invited in-house counsel from around the country ' both clients and non-clients ' including select members of the Association of Corporate Counsel. The mock trial gave the firm an opportunity to demonstrate its graphics and consulting expertise, using live mock jurors. A recap session with an audience of general counsel gave a telling picture of a jury's ever-changing anti-corporate bias. The results were recorded in an article and printed in a 16-page full color insert. A reader survey showed that 63% of all readers recalled the insert, and 77% read most of the article and recalled Persuasion Strategies. The article has been repurposed as a PDF and posted on the firm's Web site for use in pitches and presentations and as a key marketing piece for conferences and bar association meetings.

Another interesting aspect of the firm's commitment to client service is H&H's launching of a speakers' series to assist in educating attorneys in the areas of client service (building trusting relationships with client), leadership (a NBC field correspondent and former General who has served in Iraq speaking on 'leadership lessons from the front'), storytelling (creating an authentic and emotional story) and others. H&H calls this their 'Great Minds Series.' The series will be broadcast via video to all of the firm's 13 offices.

Over the past 5 years, the marketing team has taken the Holland & Hart brand from being known as a small regional firm to a nationally recognized regional leader. The firm's business development efforts focus on client teams, client visits (surveys), individual and group training and coaching.

How It's Done

Both Winston & Strawn and Holland & Hart demonstrate in a very prominent manner how marketing has the power to connect and reinforce client relationships, and after all is said and done ' that is what it is really all about.

In upcoming issues of MLF, I will be presenting more firms from the MLF 50.

Two firms from the MLF 50 are standouts in the area of client-centric marketing activities and for different reasons. The first, Winston & Strawn, led by Director of Business Development and Marketing Partner Barbara C. Sessions, embarked on an overall visibility campaign with an overarching theme on client-focused service and they did this via their Web site. Web sites are for the most part pictorial and editorial depictions of how law firms perceive themselves. Most sites are almost unbearable to read, difficult to navigate and, for the most part, merely overblown puff pieces. It would seem that there is no real process or planning that goes into the creation of the site, with the appropriate attention to harnessing the energy of the firm and, more importantly, understanding the audience. Winston & Strawn had a plan and a process to create a Web site that addresses those concerns.

No less outstanding in harnessing client-centric based marketing is the firm of Holland & Hart. In 2006, the marketing department, led by Director of Marketing Mark Beese (or as he refers to himself the 'Marketing Guy') engaged in several new initiatives; each of them intimately involving the firm's clients, with the goal of deepening Holland & Hart's relationship with current clients and attracting new ones. The firm's advertising campaign has evolved to highlight innovative and successful clients as part of the Holland & Hart trademark western wilderness.