Media & Communications Corner: Mark Beese, 'Marketing Guy,' Holland & Hart

Holland & Hart sticks to its messaging to achieve impressions in advertising. First, the campaign aims to position the firm as the go-to law firm in the Rocky Mountain region. 'To do this, the firm uses stunning original western landscapes to associate the firm with the Rocky Mountain West,' says Beese.

The images also visually differentiate the firm from Miami-based Holland & Knight, frequently confused by its similar name. In addition to differentiating the firm by its geographic focus, Holland & Hart's advertising showcases the firm's innovation through its clients' stories. Featured in Holland & Hart's ads are the firm's clients ' literally. Each ad in the series is an original photo of a client's CEO, GC, or other corporate management, in a remote wilderness setting.

'By featuring CEOs of innovative and successful clients, we aim to communicate that we value our clients, and seek to work with creative and growing companies. We leave it to our clients' stories to tell how innovative we are as a firm,' says Beese

Holland & Hart's lawyers are very involved in the advertising campaign, and nominate clients for consideration. 'The clients love it. There is a waiting list for clients to be featured.'

Clients: Take a Hike

How did the CEO get on top of the mountain? The hard way ' with a little sweat and a good, sturdy pair of hiking boots. No blue screens or photo studios are used for Holland & Hart's signature ads. This approach offers a built in lawyer-client relationship development factor that occurs somewhere between the nomination process and the journey to the top of the mountain.

For one ad, Pretap 'PK' Khanwilkar, Vice President of WorldHeart, a heart device company, drove 400 miles to Canyonland National Park at dawn on Memorial Day weekend to hike to a remote, high-altitude photo shoot. He hiked back to the shoot location at dusk for the second take.

Each year, the firm rolls out three to four new ads. Holland & Hart's print campaign can be seen in national legal publications such as Corporate Counsel. In major regional markets, the firm advertises in business publications including the Denver Business Journal, Utah Business Magazine and Las Vegas Business Review.

Taking the campaign one step further, the firm looks for event sponsorship opportunities to tie to its regional advertising, providing 'face time' for the firm with a target audience. This is where its advertising again intersects with business development. In Denver the firm sponsors the 'Fastest Growing Private Companies Lunch' and the 'Colorado Business of the Year event', and hosts the pre-event cocktail party for the finalists.

On the Frontier of Innovation

Holland & Hart's advertising campaign goes beyond print ads, as does its connection with clients. The firm sponsors a short program that airs on Frontier Airlines' Wild Blue Yonder network. As with its print campaign, the in-flight entertainment series, called 'Business Class,' features the same innovative clients telling their stories from the Rocky Mountain West. The 5-minute spots are followed by a 30-second commercial. The firm also runs the print ad in Frontier's in-flight magazine to coincide with the client featured in the program.. What's the client connection? Thousands of clients and potential clients fly frequently on Frontier Airlines with destinations and departures in and between the firm's seven state target area. And of course, Frontier is a client of the firm!

Backstage at Holland & Hart

Holland & Hart designs and manages all advertising in house. A single graphic designer creates all of the firm's print ads. PR is also handled by a small internal team. The firm's primary proposal writer also manages the press release process. A regional marketing coordinator is responsible for media contacts and relations. 'We've organized our marketing team as an internal marketing agency, treating our lawyers like clients,' says Beese.

Blogging Steals the Show

Blogs are also an important element in the innovative marketing mix at Holland & Hart. They are low in cost, high in content, and proven to generate new business leads.

'For one attorney, about half of his new clients are generated from the blog,' says Beese. 'We've attracted clients from Philadelphia to Honolulu.'

The firm's three blogs focus on health care, securities defense and global climate-change law.

'We've found that clients do read blogs, and they respond, looking for opinions from our lawyers on related topics. They view the bloggers as the experts in the featured area.'

Blogs also generate public relations opportunities for the firm. For example, a reporter from the The New York Times recently contacted the firm for comment on a court ruling after reading blog content by a firm lawyer.

Audience Awareness: Testing, One, Two, Three.

The firm tracks recall rates for its ads on a regional and national basis. 'Generally, our ads are among the top 20% of all law firm ads in recall, and often among the top 5%,' says Beese.

They also survey clients and prospective clients in the firm's major markets to measure reputation, awareness, ad recall, likelihood to hire and recommend and other measures. Informal polling is also used to determine whether ads are creating the desired buzz. Holland & Hart's marketing team often re-purposes its PR 'hits' on their web site, or features them on one of their blogs. When appropriate, the firm also may purchase electronic rights to enable the article to be shared with clients and friends.

Face Time Takes the Leading Role

When it comes to spending marketing dollars, Beese says that both advertising and public relations are important to the firm, but neither surpass the importance of face time with clients, potential clients, referral sources, and influencers.

'Given the choice between advertising/PR and face time with a well-targeted audience or prospect, we'll invest in face time, every time,' he says.

'Advertising and PR set the stage for relationship building. Good advertising and PR should help reinforce a good reputation, but it is no substitute for great work, outstanding client service, word-of-mouth buzz, and personal relationships.'

He says that a firm's reputation, enhanced and communicated via marketing, reduces the anxiety threshold of the potential client and opens the door to a new client relationship.

'If they have heard of Holland & Hart, and already have the idea that the firm is the leading law firm in the Rocky Mountain West, then some of the credibility-checking behavior will be reduced and they can focus on determining if they can trust the Holland & Hart lawyer they are about to meet. From there, it's the attorney's responsibility to engender trust. It's all about trust.'

Pamela Ulijasz is a Vice President, Public Relations with Jaffe Associates, and is based in Chicago and Madison, WI. She can be reached at [email protected] or 312-829-0583.

Holland & Hart 'marketing guy' Mark Beese uses a combination of public relations and advertising to set the stage for business development. The doors open on new client relationships when potential buyers are familiar with the firm's capabilities and reputation in the legal marketplace.

'I think public relations and advertising are primarily branding and positioning opportunities,' says Beese. 'Buyers of legal services are looking to match the background and capability of an attorney and her/his firm with their particular need for a specific matter or case. Advertising and public relations set the stage ' literally create a platform ' for attorneys to differentiate themselves from the competition,' he says.

Setting the Stage with Advertising and PR

Holland & Hart sticks to its messaging to achieve impressions in advertising. First, the campaign aims to position the firm as the go-to law firm in the Rocky Mountain region. 'To do this, the firm uses stunning original western landscapes to associate the firm with the Rocky Mountain West,' says Beese.

The images also visually differentiate the firm from Miami-based Holland & Knight, frequently confused by its similar name. In addition to differentiating the firm by its geographic focus, Holland & Hart's advertising showcases the firm's innovation through its clients' stories. Featured in Holland & Hart's ads are the firm's clients ' literally. Each ad in the series is an original photo of a client's CEO, GC, or other corporate management, in a remote wilderness setting.

'By featuring CEOs of innovative and successful clients, we aim to communicate that we value our clients, and seek to work with creative and growing companies. We leave it to our clients' stories to tell how innovative we are as a firm,' says Beese

Holland & Hart's lawyers are very involved in the advertising campaign, and nominate clients for consideration. 'The clients love it. There is a waiting list for clients to be featured.'

Clients: Take a Hike

How did the CEO get on top of the mountain? The hard way ' with a little sweat and a good, sturdy pair of hiking boots. No blue screens or photo studios are used for Holland & Hart's signature ads. This approach offers a built in lawyer-client relationship development factor that occurs somewhere between the nomination process and the journey to the top of the mountain.

For one ad, Pretap 'PK' Khanwilkar, Vice President of WorldHeart, a heart device company, drove 400 miles to Canyonland National Park at dawn on Memorial Day weekend to hike to a remote, high-altitude photo shoot. He hiked back to the shoot location at dusk for the second take.

Each year, the firm rolls out three to four new ads. Holland & Hart's print campaign can be seen in national legal publications such as Corporate Counsel. In major regional markets, the firm advertises in business publications including the Denver Business Journal, Utah Business Magazine and Las Vegas Business Review.

Taking the campaign one step further, the firm looks for event sponsorship opportunities to tie to its regional advertising, providing 'face time' for the firm with a target audience. This is where its advertising again intersects with business development. In Denver the firm sponsors the 'Fastest Growing Private Companies Lunch' and the 'Colorado Business of the Year event', and hosts the pre-event cocktail party for the finalists.

On the Frontier of Innovation

Holland & Hart's advertising campaign goes beyond print ads, as does its connection with clients. The firm sponsors a short program that airs on Frontier Airlines' Wild Blue Yonder network. As with its print campaign, the in-flight entertainment series, called 'Business Class,' features the same innovative clients telling their stories from the Rocky Mountain West. The 5-minute spots are followed by a 30-second commercial. The firm also runs the print ad in Frontier's in-flight magazine to coincide with the client featured in the program.. What's the client connection? Thousands of clients and potential clients fly frequently on Frontier Airlines with destinations and departures in and between the firm's seven state target area. And of course, Frontier is a client of the firm!

Backstage at Holland & Hart

Holland & Hart designs and manages all advertising in house. A single graphic designer creates all of the firm's print ads. PR is also handled by a small internal team. The firm's primary proposal writer also manages the press release process. A regional marketing coordinator is responsible for media contacts and relations. 'We've organized our marketing team as an internal marketing agency, treating our lawyers like clients,' says Beese.

Blogging Steals the Show

Blogs are also an important element in the innovative marketing mix at Holland & Hart. They are low in cost, high in content, and proven to generate new business leads.

'For one attorney, about half of his new clients are generated from the blog,' says Beese. 'We've attracted clients from Philadelphia to Honolulu.'

The firm's three blogs focus on health care, securities defense and global climate-change law.

'We've found that clients do read blogs, and they respond, looking for opinions from our lawyers on related topics. They view the bloggers as the experts in the featured area.'

Blogs also generate public relations opportunities for the firm. For example, a reporter from the The New York Times recently contacted the firm for comment on a court ruling after reading blog content by a firm lawyer.

Audience Awareness: Testing, One, Two, Three.

The firm tracks recall rates for its ads on a regional and national basis. 'Generally, our ads are among the top 20% of all law firm ads in recall, and often among the top 5%,' says Beese.

They also survey clients and prospective clients in the firm's major markets to measure reputation, awareness, ad recall, likelihood to hire and recommend and other measures. Informal polling is also used to determine whether ads are creating the desired buzz. Holland & Hart's marketing team often re-purposes its PR 'hits' on their web site, or features them on one of their blogs. When appropriate, the firm also may purchase electronic rights to enable the article to be shared with clients and friends.

Face Time Takes the Leading Role

When it comes to spending marketing dollars, Beese says that both advertising and public relations are important to the firm, but neither surpass the importance of face time with clients, potential clients, referral sources, and influencers.

'Given the choice between advertising/PR and face time with a well-targeted audience or prospect, we'll invest in face time, every time,' he says.

'Advertising and PR set the stage for relationship building. Good advertising and PR should help reinforce a good reputation, but it is no substitute for great work, outstanding client service, word-of-mouth buzz, and personal relationships.'

He says that a firm's reputation, enhanced and communicated via marketing, reduces the anxiety threshold of the potential client and opens the door to a new client relationship.

'If they have heard of Holland & Hart, and already have the idea that the firm is the leading law firm in the Rocky Mountain West, then some of the credibility-checking behavior will be reduced and they can focus on determining if they can trust the Holland & Hart lawyer they are about to meet. From there, it's the attorney's responsibility to engender trust. It's all about trust.'

Pamela Ulijasz is a Vice President, Public Relations with Jaffe Associates, and is based in Chicago and Madison, WI. She can be reached at [email protected] or 312-829-0583.