Law Firm Branding: 3 Tips for Success

What is branding?

In this article, ‘brand’ does not refer to the sign under intellectual property law. Rather, we are looking at the question of what makes a brand (or branding) successful beyond this.

A brand is first and foremost a gut feeling. It is the sum of emotions, thoughts and associations that are evoked in the target groups through communication. Your brand embodies what your targets feel when they think of your company or when they see your content.

The logo of a law firm is one part of this. But it is only a small part of the whole brand. Why is that? Because the logo is always used in a context. Many other elements play an equally important role in the external perception. The overall picture of the logo, imagery, colours, typography, placement of elements, language, etc. is ultimately decisive in how we really perceive a brand.

Therefore, a good logo is cool. Much more important, however, is how your brand appears and is used in its entirety.

Good branding for a law firm makes the communication stand out from the crowd. The brand ensures that the target groups (re)recognise the content and associate it with the law firm. This is the only way for the communication measures to work and for the budget invested in marketing to have the desired effect.

The following three elements are important for good branding for law firms.

1. Branding arises from the identity of the law firm

At the core of the brand is the identity of the company. This identity is the result of conscious decisions about what characterises the brand and why it is important.

Corporate design is often equated with branding. In fact, design is the visual translation of a brand's identity.

Before the design or graphic refresh of a brand can begin, the identity of the brand must therefore be established or reviewed. This brand identity should be managed and developed at the highest level of management. In a law firm, the partners are usually the people who create the identity. For this reason, many branding projects that bypass the partnership fail.

Specifically, the starting point is questions such as:

• What character traits characterise our brand?
• What benefits does our brand bring to our target groups, the market and possibly beyond?
• How does our brand present itself to the outside world?

For new brands, everything starts on a blank sheet of paper. The identity is the basis for branding.

When further developing or modernising a brand, it is important to find out which elements of the existing brand should be continued. An analysis of the identity and a comparison with the existing application of the brand shows the extent to which there is a need for action. Re-brandings or facelifts of brands always build on the reputation contained in the brand. As a rule, this should be retained.

Good brands have character. Be aware of your identity, stand by it and make it visible. Be bold!

2. Good brands bring joy (internally and externally)

You often read: Brands have to be appealing to the target groups. That's not wrong, of course. But it is a somewhat soft-headed statement. 

We think: Good brands bring joy! 

Whether it's a LinkedIn post, a Christmas card, a letter or a business card - the recipients of your communication should be happy about your content. They probably won't be jumping for joy. But even when it comes to business content or difficult topics, the form of communication can be quite pleasant.

What is enjoyable? That varies, of course. Every brand has to decide here: What personality types do we primarily want to appeal to. Are they more adventurous people? Are they performers or more traditionally inclined people? Being aware of what the target groups like creates a character that appeals to the desired people.

You should bear the following in mind:

• There are all different personalities in every target group. For example, if your target group is in-house counsellors in the insurance industry: You will also find people who appreciate humour, those who are risk-takers and others who are more cautious.
• You want to appeal to everyone? That's not possible. Brands that try to do this end up in the invisible ‘mass of sameness’. When you give your brand a character, you speak directly to people. And you bet: If you do this really well, people who you thought were completely different will get in touch.

3. Brands are flexible and dynamic

Tight corsets for brands are a thing of the past. Of course, good brands today still have guidelines that must be adhered to in their implementation. However, especially in a modern, digital and competitive environment, companies are required to utilise their brands flexibly. 

Brands today are ‘living organisms’ that are constantly evolving. They are vital and accessible. Companies that simply stick to the same look will quickly wear out and lose the attention of their target groups. They are used to looking for new points of attraction.

Success comes to those who revitalise and develop their own brand with strategic foresight.

Flexibility and dynamism also include realisation. Rigid and complex design processes slow down communication. Formats and templates must therefore be prepared in such a way that companies can react quickly. Good coordination with the agency is recommended here: What should be done in-house? Where does the agency come in and take over the design of (more complex) communication media?

How HeadStarterz can help

As experts in branding and corporate communications, we support law firms and other companies with brand development and brand management. Would you like to refresh your company's image or better align your communications with your target groups? We are happy to help: hello@headstarterz.com