Hey Doc, It Hurts When I Do This!

Do not despair. Even the most perfectly executed rebranding campaign will have its ups, downs and moments of psychotic rage. However, while there is no magic formula, there are steps that can be taken to keep the process manageable and help drive meaningful results.

Identify the Decision-Makers

As marketers, we would welcome the opportunity to develop a rebranding campaign in a vacuum with little to no input from others. Unfortunately, life doesn't work that way. As a result, it is critical to identify who the ultimate decision-makers are at the outset of any rebranding initiative. It could be the managing partner, an executive committee or representatives from different offices. In most cases, input from multiple parties will ultimately determine the final decision. Regardless of the situation, understanding the firm's organizational approval structure and hierarchy will significantly influence your development and communication plans.

Define Objectives and Criteria

The decision to undertake a rebranding initiative might be the result of a corporate dynamic (merger, new offices, etc.), a specific marketing strategy or a series of other considerations. Understanding the actual motivations will help you define the campaign's objectives. Put them down in writing to solidify them in your mind and to ensure you communicate them consistently. Use these objectives to formulate the specific criteria that must be addressed for the specific rebranding vehicle. For example, if new advertising is in development, what are its essential ingredients (specific colors, messaging, tone, etc.)? Be specific. Be concise. Be clear.

Communicate, Communicate, Communicate

Like most of us, attorneys do not like to be caught off-guard, have their time wasted or receive conflicting messages. Once you have defined your decision-makers and the campaign's objectives and criteria, you need to be visible and communicative. Establish an internal communication plan. Schedule one-on-one briefings to explain campaign goals and to solicit initial concept feedback. Keep your audience current regarding the process, timeline and deliverables. Ensure that the stakeholders are invested in the process and final product. In doing so, you are not selling, but collaborating.

Put All Your Eggs in One Basket

I know what you are thinking ' “You are advising us to do what?” Hear me out. Across our various functional disciplines, we are trained in marketing to compromise and to present multiple solutions to a given issue. In most cases, this is sound advice. However, be very careful before applying this thinking to rebranding. As mentioned, marketing is subjective. The more options you present, the more opinions you will generate. How often have you presented multiple logo designs convinced that your internal clients would select your choice, only to find that they went in a different direction ' one that you really did not anticipate or desire?

As marketing professionals, there are times when we will develop multiple, equally effective concepts for such things as a new logo or advertising theme. However, more often than not, we feel passionately about one and are confident that it effectively and cleverly addresses the established criteria and overall project objectives. If you believe in it, your confidence and preparation will help you spearhead it. And provided that you have effectively communicated with your audience along the way, the one-concept approach will usually be viewed in a favorable light.

Compromise Only As Needed

No matter how well you manage your rebranding process, some degree of compromise will be inevitable. But this does not mean that you cannot and should not establish guidelines for such concessions. A slight change in a color palette or a copy tweak in a value proposition will rarely bring a campaign to a grinding halt. However, significant shifts in designs, messaging, themes and taglines (or worse yet, combinations of divergent schools of thought) might not only dilute the thrust of the intended concept, but quell stakeholder enthusiasm. On a scale of 1-10, I would rather see a campaign that elicits responses at the high- and low-end of the scale than one that, often through excessive compromise and revisions, stagnates midrange (a.k.a. the branding wasteland). Indifference is failure.

Present Your Case

At some point in the rebranding process, the time will come to present a final concept recommendation. These “pitch” meetings can be tense, but that is understandable. You have invested time, thought and energy into something you believe in and feel is in the firm's best interest. Prepare thoroughly through dry-run sessions with colleagues. Present a methodical, well-organized argument (lawyers appreciate this approach). Summarize the process, review the timeline and acknowledge the roles the decision makers played in bringing the concept to life. Be prepared for questions and for suggestions on possible refinements. Think through your responses, do not get defensive and remember that your role is to provide strategic advice and counsel. Ultimately, the final decision is out of your hands, but if you have followed the suggested steps up to this point, you will have tipped the scales overwhelmingly in your favor. The most difficult phases are behind you. This is simply the opportunity to bring everything together.

Execute

Congratulations! You have approval to proceed. You have cleared all necessary legal hurdles (trademarks, etc.). Great. Now celebrate. Ok, enough celebrating. Why? Because it is now time to deliver. A great deal of satisfaction comes from studying for a big exam or training for an athletic competition. But we all know the true prize is the eventual outcome. Do not open the door for others to rethink their positions or to explore new concepts. Leverage the momentum you generated via the approval process as quickly as possible. If it is advertising ' run it. A website ' launch it. Do not suffer from paralysis of analysis. Perfection is a goal, not an outcome. The key is to get the campaign beyond your firm's walls, to leverage it to the fullest extent possible, to defend your hard work and, hopefully, to see the rewards as your short- and long-term objectives become realities.

Conclusion

Branding is not easy. Rebranding is neither fun, nor easy. Due to the significant impact a rebranding initiative can have on a law firm, and the inherent challenges of such an endeavor, approaching it with great sensitivity and care are critical. No process is bulletproof or can guarantee results. However, if you employ a precise strategy and engage in direct, consistent and personal interactions built upon a foundation of self-confidence, you will realize your rebranding objectives. Who doesn't prefer champagne over aspirin?

David McCann, J.D. , is senior manager of marketing and communications at Snell & Wilmer, a business law firm with offices throughout the western United States and in Mexico. He is also a member of the 2014 Legal Marketing Association Governance Committee. David can be reached at 602-382-6517 or [email protected].

Few initiatives generate more stress, frustration and disappointment for legal marketing professionals than a rebranding campaign. Rebranding efforts may include, among other items, a name change, new logo, revised messaging and advertising imagery, updated marketing materials or a combination of some or all of these components. The objective is to enhance, regain, transfer and/or recreate brand equity.

Ok, that does not sound too difficult or complex, right? So why all the anxiety and cause for concern?

The Greek philosopher Plato is credited with the statement, “Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder.” Not sure how much Plato knew about brand development, but he certainly understood one of its biggest challenges ' subjectivity. Marketing is, by its very nature, an extremely subjective discipline. We all bring different tastes, biases, preferences, opinions and attitudes to the table. And when you consider the number of individuals who usually have a hand in the development, presentation and approval of a rebranding campaign, it is not difficult to imagine how a well-intentioned undertaking can quickly deteriorate into a battle of wills, egos and political maneuvering.

Do not despair. Even the most perfectly executed rebranding campaign will have its ups, downs and moments of psychotic rage. However, while there is no magic formula, there are steps that can be taken to keep the process manageable and help drive meaningful results.

Identify the Decision-Makers

As marketers, we would welcome the opportunity to develop a rebranding campaign in a vacuum with little to no input from others. Unfortunately, life doesn't work that way. As a result, it is critical to identify who the ultimate decision-makers are at the outset of any rebranding initiative. It could be the managing partner, an executive committee or representatives from different offices. In most cases, input from multiple parties will ultimately determine the final decision. Regardless of the situation, understanding the firm's organizational approval structure and hierarchy will significantly influence your development and communication plans.

Define Objectives and Criteria

The decision to undertake a rebranding initiative might be the result of a corporate dynamic (merger, new offices, etc.), a specific marketing strategy or a series of other considerations. Understanding the actual motivations will help you define the campaign's objectives. Put them down in writing to solidify them in your mind and to ensure you communicate them consistently. Use these objectives to formulate the specific criteria that must be addressed for the specific rebranding vehicle. For example, if new advertising is in development, what are its essential ingredients (specific colors, messaging, tone, etc.)? Be specific. Be concise. Be clear.

Communicate, Communicate, Communicate

Like most of us, attorneys do not like to be caught off-guard, have their time wasted or receive conflicting messages. Once you have defined your decision-makers and the campaign's objectives and criteria, you need to be visible and communicative. Establish an internal communication plan. Schedule one-on-one briefings to explain campaign goals and to solicit initial concept feedback. Keep your audience current regarding the process, timeline and deliverables. Ensure that the stakeholders are invested in the process and final product. In doing so, you are not selling, but collaborating.

Put All Your Eggs in One Basket

I know what you are thinking ' “You are advising us to do what?” Hear me out. Across our various functional disciplines, we are trained in marketing to compromise and to present multiple solutions to a given issue. In most cases, this is sound advice. However, be very careful before applying this thinking to rebranding. As mentioned, marketing is subjective. The more options you present, the more opinions you will generate. How often have you presented multiple logo designs convinced that your internal clients would select your choice, only to find that they went in a different direction ' one that you really did not anticipate or desire?

As marketing professionals, there are times when we will develop multiple, equally effective concepts for such things as a new logo or advertising theme. However, more often than not, we feel passionately about one and are confident that it effectively and cleverly addresses the established criteria and overall project objectives. If you believe in it, your confidence and preparation will help you spearhead it. And provided that you have effectively communicated with your audience along the way, the one-concept approach will usually be viewed in a favorable light.

Compromise Only As Needed

No matter how well you manage your rebranding process, some degree of compromise will be inevitable. But this does not mean that you cannot and should not establish guidelines for such concessions. A slight change in a color palette or a copy tweak in a value proposition will rarely bring a campaign to a grinding halt. However, significant shifts in designs, messaging, themes and taglines (or worse yet, combinations of divergent schools of thought) might not only dilute the thrust of the intended concept, but quell stakeholder enthusiasm. On a scale of 1-10, I would rather see a campaign that elicits responses at the high- and low-end of the scale than one that, often through excessive compromise and revisions, stagnates midrange (a.k.a. the branding wasteland). Indifference is failure.

Present Your Case

At some point in the rebranding process, the time will come to present a final concept recommendation. These “pitch” meetings can be tense, but that is understandable. You have invested time, thought and energy into something you believe in and feel is in the firm's best interest. Prepare thoroughly through dry-run sessions with colleagues. Present a methodical, well-organized argument (lawyers appreciate this approach). Summarize the process, review the timeline and acknowledge the roles the decision makers played in bringing the concept to life. Be prepared for questions and for suggestions on possible refinements. Think through your responses, do not get defensive and remember that your role is to provide strategic advice and counsel. Ultimately, the final decision is out of your hands, but if you have followed the suggested steps up to this point, you will have tipped the scales overwhelmingly in your favor. The most difficult phases are behind you. This is simply the opportunity to bring everything together.

Execute

Congratulations! You have approval to proceed. You have cleared all necessary legal hurdles (trademarks, etc.). Great. Now celebrate. Ok, enough celebrating. Why? Because it is now time to deliver. A great deal of satisfaction comes from studying for a big exam or training for an athletic competition. But we all know the true prize is the eventual outcome. Do not open the door for others to rethink their positions or to explore new concepts. Leverage the momentum you generated via the approval process as quickly as possible. If it is advertising ' run it. A website ' launch it. Do not suffer from paralysis of analysis. Perfection is a goal, not an outcome. The key is to get the campaign beyond your firm's walls, to leverage it to the fullest extent possible, to defend your hard work and, hopefully, to see the rewards as your short- and long-term objectives become realities.

Conclusion

Branding is not easy. Rebranding is neither fun, nor easy. Due to the significant impact a rebranding initiative can have on a law firm, and the inherent challenges of such an endeavor, approaching it with great sensitivity and care are critical. No process is bulletproof or can guarantee results. However, if you employ a precise strategy and engage in direct, consistent and personal interactions built upon a foundation of self-confidence, you will realize your rebranding objectives. Who doesn't prefer champagne over aspirin?

David McCann, J.D. , is senior manager of marketing and communications at Snell & Wilmer, a business law firm with offices throughout the western United States and in Mexico. He is also a member of the 2014 Legal Marketing Association Governance Committee. David can be reached at 602-382-6517 or [email protected].