Help I need somebody …
Two weeks ago I was speaking at a seminar entitled “Competing in a Changing Environment” 1 on the subject of “Tesco Law” and the implications of Alternative Business Structures on the profession. One of the delegates, a solicitor, asked what our “union” i.e. the Law Society was doing to promote its members’ interests. I demonstrated my ignorance by saying I wasn’t aware of any promotional schemes afoot. Then, as if by magic, as used to be said of Mr Ben (that’s the cartoon shopkeeper not the current Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, still less his father Tony the scourge of the Labour Party in the 1980s but now national treasure), news comes out that the Law Society is running a promotion to boost the solicitor “brand” starting last Monday and running to the 30th October. The theme is “Help, I need somebody … but not just anybody”.
The purpose of the campaign is to help solicitors attract new business and retain existing clients by focusing on the “reassurance to be gained by seeking advice from a properly qualified professional”. The press release describes solicitors’ USP as including the following virtues;
- more expert and reliable than other providers of legal or quasi-legal services
- properly regulated
- excellent value for money
I don’t disagree with any of this and it is just what the profession needs as it copes with a tough recession and, more importantly, tries to adapt to the huge changes that are on the horizon. In these brand driven days raising the profile of the profession is especially important for smaller law firms without large marketing budgets or the time to devote to PR. Many practitioners tend to be sceptical of the Law Society and I doubt this campaign will alter that view, but give it some support.
1. “Competing in a Changing Environment” - Lammore Consulting
Related posts:
There’s a logo we can download and use now from the Law Society home page http://www.lawsociety.org.uk/productsandservices/services/promotingyourpractice.law – I have put it on my website : http://www.landlordlaw.co.uk/. At least it will inform readers that I am actually a solicitor!