Websites: 21 firms do not have a tagline or brand statement
There is “an emerging class” of law firms among the top 100 which have adopted brands “evoking emotional buy-in and defining themselves as social and client champions”, a report has found.
But away from these “examples of brilliance”, a large proportion of top 100 “struggle to differentiate” their brands, with five having very similar taglines.
The launch this month by Freshfields of the brand tagline ‘Make bold moves’ reflected a “significant shift towards emotionally engaging and impactful brand positioning”.
However, 21 firms did not have a tagline or brand statement, “relying on name recognition or insight”.
Professional services research company Flare Insight found that 37 of the top 100 firms promoted thought leadership and campaigns on their homepages – rather than just articles and news – a third showcased their responsible business values, while 12% introduced their brand through videos.
Law firm brands – from the vanilla to the visionary that of the 79 firms with a tagline, a third focused solely on the firm’s attributes, eight solely on the client, while the rest focused on the client relationship.
Researchers broke down this group down into six broad groups. The largest, made up of 28 firms, could be described as “client centric and personalized”, they said.
“The best emphasise a deep commitment to understanding and meeting the unique needs of their clients, often highlighting bespoke solutions, personalised attention, and a focus on building long-term relationships.”
Gowling WLG’s homepage provided a “compelling combination of relevant thought leadership, a strong brand statement and introduction to its responsible business objectives” under the tagline: ‘You. Left, right and centre of everything’.
The next group (13 firms) were “innovative and future focused” in their branding, highlighting their “agility and progressive nature”. All of them were outside the top 10 in terms of size.
These firms’ brand statements reflected a commitment to staying ahead of industry trends and embracing new technologies, with three “hailing themselves as unique or the future of professional services”.
Bird & Bird’s tagline, ‘Guarding Innovation, Shaping the Future’, and brand statement encapsulated “their ability to guide a company as it grows and navigates change, as well as its sector and technology expertise”.
A “different class of firms”, whose brand taglines outlined their role as ‘socially responsible advocates’, demonstrated dedication to “making a positive impact on their clients, their people, and their communities”.
Researchers said 11 of the top 100 could be classified as ‘stewards and champions’, with “two of the most compelling advocate brands” specialising in personal injury – Leigh Day, with its ‘Lawyers against injustice’ tagline and Thompsons with ‘Changing lives for the better’.
A further 11 of firms could be categorised as ‘legal experts with comprehensive services’, highlighting “their ability to handle complex legal issues and provide comprehensive solutions” with the focus on the firm itself. An example was Devonshires’ tagline, ‘A law firm with personality’.
The report described nine firms as ‘ambitious enablers’, emphasising their role in “empowering clients to achieve their goals” with “punchy and compelling” statements highlighting their proactive approach. This group included Freshfields.
The smallest cluster of brands, seven of them, were classified as having “global presence and excellence”, highlighting international reach and commitment to excellence, as in A&O Shearman’s tagline, ‘Global excellence, delivered seamlessly’.
Catriona Collier, founder of Flare Insight, said there was “no excuse” for law firms taking a “safe approach” to brand positioning.
“The threat above from US firms cannibalising their work, and hungrier mid-tier firms and boutiques picking them off from below means that major law firms need to position themselves with absolute clarity in order to win and retain the work that they want.
“The fact that five firms in the top 100 have almost identical taglines beggars belief. Firms must ensure they keep on top of what competitors are doing with their positioning, otherwise, they risk becoming generic and indistinguishable.”
Leave a Comment