"Brand building: the quiet cultural revolution"
How do we create law firm brands that genuinely speak to everybody? Expectations and values across generations are shifting quickly, reshaping law firm culture and brand positioning. "It's not woke, it's about responding intelligently and strategically to the changing world around us," says Paul Askew.
Sorting through my rather crowded bookcase I came across some old (vintage?) copies of ID Magazine, the cultural bible of my 20s and 30s. The theme on the spine in November 2007 was 'Be reasonable. Demand the impossible'. It struck me as a neat way to sum up marketing and communications in law firms today.
Having powered through the pandemic, hybrid working, quiet quitting, economic and political upheaval, constant technology evolution and the advent of AI, we are working faster, longer, and demands are greater than ever. Speaking to some of my peers, delivering the seemingly impossible has become the norm.
In addition, with five generations in the workforce today with different values, needs, and goals, internal and external engagement is exceptionally challenging for us in marketing and communications. What does all this mean for law firm culture, how do we create meaningful connections, and how do you flex and build your brand?
As ever, going back to basics and looking at audience needs is mission critical. In marcomms we generally have about five seconds to grab attention before a reader moves on, even lower on social channels. And I question the value of the latter at times, screaming into the void without a targeted strategy is, frankly, a waste of resources.
So, what to do? We all know good brand governance begins internally. But with changes in culture and attitudes, rooting brand messaging in shifting sands is challenging. What are the broad issues at play and is there common ground to build upon? I think there are two important factors to be considered: the relevance of hierarchy in law firm culture today and, embedding purpose at the heart of strategy and brand positioning.
Is hierarchy dead?
Much is written about changing attitudes at work - a quick Google will bring back endless results. We know that, broadly speaking, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z favour more collaborative, fluid structures, where experience, insight and emotional intelligence define leadership and respect, as opposed to position alone.
Traditionalists and Boomers, understandably, tend to value hierarchy, achievements and formal positions more so, but have embraced more collaborative technology enhanced approaches over the last decade, particularly post pandemic.
Of course, I'm generalising here, and there are exceptions. My point is the way we work has shifted seismically, and regardless of generational labels or traits, our expectations of work, where we work, what organisations stand for, and how they position themselves and attract clients as a result, continues to change rapidly.
All of this seems to question the long established, entrenched view of law firm career development and culture. Perhaps controversially, I'd suggest we are in a period where choice is king (or queen). Yes, post pandemic, many of us reevaluated work versus life goals. As that thinking has matured, I think there is less willingness to simply jump on the corporate treadmill, and keep running, without question.
“We all know good brand governance begins internally. But with changes in culture and attitudes, rooting brand messaging in shifting sands is challenging. I think there are two important factors to be considered: the relevance of hierarchy in law firm culture today and, embedding purpose at the heart of strategy and brand positioning”
What is it I’m contributing to other than commercial value? Does this firm align with my principles? Do I like these people and how is my contribution valued?
Defining purpose and impact is now front and centre for many firms, forming part of brand positioning and employer branding, supported by internal networks and frameworks. From diversity and belonging programmes to decarbonisation and achieving net zero, these are high on the priority list for Millennials and Gen Z. I anticipate even greater focus here, unifying generational groups with common goals, as firms strive to attract talent and futureproof their proposition against the stark backdrop of economic and political uncertainly, and of course the climate emergency.
The problem here is these expectations seem to conflict with traditional law firm structures. The end goal for many, may not be partnership or head of marketing or business development, these days it may often be purpose or lifestyle oriented.
Spoiler alert! I don’t have a silver bullet nor the column inches to try to address change in law firm structures. But I do know ignoring the needs and ideas of younger lawyers and business services professionals could be catastrophic in the fast-changing world in which we find ourselves.
Brand building: people before profit
OK, I've committed that to writing, but I genuinely believe it. Law firms are people businesses, understanding the values of those people (spanning generations) and the creation of a collective sense of purpose beyond applying the law and financial gain alone, will become essential in my opinion. The difficult balance is achieving profitability while also investing in values driven efforts and making that part of the business DNA.
This requires a gutsy approach but I believe it can be done. While some may see it purely as an increase in operational cost, it’s worth noting a focused strategy and purpose-oriented brand is very attractive to clients and can help to differentiate law firms. And if you need evidence, sustainability questionnaires have featured in tenders and RFPs for some time, and we know tough sustainability regulation in many industries is imminent. So, for the hard-nosed, this is simply about reflecting the needs of clients.
Now, I realise this is not 'new news' to the initiated amongst us, but we are considering multigenerational perceptions here. And there are those who may perceive it as wokeism going too far, and why change what has worked well for decades. It's not woke, I think it's about responding intelligently and strategically to the changing world around us. As we all know, if we don’t evolve, we risk irrelevance.
Practically, this is about using research effectively and thinking carefully about the choices we make in marketing and comms strategy, acknowledging the shift in values and creating organisational cultures and brand strategies that are fit for the future, where we all thrive. Whatever your role, there is an opportunity to influence outcomes, however small.
Integrating purpose into firm and marketing strategies in a focused way will drive value and engage everybody internally and externally. This is the common ground. It begins with your internal networks and comms channels, through to joint initiatives with clients and complimentary organisations, business development events and, of course, how you position and amplify the firm externally. Many firms are already doing this well, and I applaud it.
Leadership buy-in and clear direction is crucial. Evidencing this through strategic campaigns which demonstrate culture and value driven themes can also help create genuine and transparent engagement, building your brand for the greater good, and that could be the secret sauce. Is the impossible, possible?