Why Branding Matters

Market leaders in every industry have one thing in common: a clearly defined brand. An authentic, memorable brand attracts clients and top talent and sets the tone for everything from daily operations to long-term growth.

In a fiercely competitive environment, a well-executed brand strategy can tip the balance from average performance to market leadership. Through ongoing efforts to keep your brand top-of-mind, you will achieve and consistently reinforce your firm’s leadership position, helping ensure that you are on the short list for clients and recruits who drive growth and financial success.

Our Experience

Zeughauser Group is the industry leader in positioning and branding for law firms. Drawing on decades as law firm and corporate executives, we understand the process that clients and recruits take to choose your firm over others. We have helped develop some of our industry’s most successful branding campaigns for large, multi-practice and multi-office firms, as well as firms focused on specialized practices, sectors, or geographies.

Our Approach

The first step in becoming a top-tier brand is to articulate a positioning strategy that communicates your value proposition—a reason why prospects choose you over your competition. This strategy is the foundation for all brand expression, from websites and marketing collateral to pitches, presentations, advertising, and public relations programs.

Steps in our process include:

• Establishing a small internal team to spearhead the process
• Conducting due diligence on your firm, your clients, and your competitors
• Interviewing key internal stakeholders and clients
• Designing and conducting statistically valid research to assess your firm’s market standing
• Analyzing the competition
• Articulating a differentiated positioning strategy
• Developing a plan to implement the positioning and build the brand
• Conducting internal branding workshops to equip your lawyers and staff to use and build the brand

One key to our success is the ability to help clients achieve stakeholder consensus and move projects steadily forward. During brand implementation, we are often asked to help manage projects to successful completion and, along the way, to identify design, content, and technology suppliers to help with specialized services.

Relevant Experience

• For one of the world's top law firms, we led a multi-organization team charged with developing positioning strategy, helping the firm integrate the brand platform internally and communicating the value proposition externally through advertising and other media.
• For a recently merged Am Law 100 firm, we advised on the creation of a new positioning for the integrated firm, as well as on a plan for client communications and future business development initiatives.
• For a global firm, we developed a plan to raise awareness for one of their premier service offerings spanning multiple sectors and every major global market while maintaining alignment with the umbrella firm brand.
• For one of the world’s largest firms, we led market research to refine positioning strategy and hone a global advertising campaign.
• For numerous firms, we developed positioning platforms and branding platforms, managing the execution of, among other tools, distinctive websites that position the firms as market leaders.
• For a Global 25 firm, we refreshed the brand messaging and presentation and developed a comprehensive internal and external implementation plan.
• For several specialty boutiques in areas such as tax and intellectual property, we developed initiatives to help drive brand awareness and favorability.
• For multiple multi-office, multi-practice national firms, we developed messaging and brand expression to drive memorability and enhance awareness of the firm’s breadth.