Building your firm’s brand

A robust marketing strategy can distinguish a law firm from the competition, writes Aman Abbas

Legal services marketing as a discipline is mostly unheard of, at least in India. As marketers, we did not get the opportunity to learn this in any school. There are no specialized legal/professional services marketing firms that can provide a 360-degree view either.

Those who work in this field must know the business of law, policy environment and deal market in order to understand the dynamics that bring in work for law firms. Marketing is impactful only when it is in line with business goals. Public relations (PR) agencies carry out media relations, which is a small part of the whole mix.

The Indian legal profession is one of the last few sectors to remain closed to foreign players. Indian firms bill in US dollars for work that comes in through the “best friends” system, which consists of warm and reciprocal business ties with foreign counterparts. With newer firms growing bigger and expanding their reach globally, this will become tougher. Therefore, marketing professionals need to consider all the elements to create a robust strategy that focuses on below-the-line activities such as content marketing, social media marketing and PR.

So, what are the measures that Indian law firms can put in place to ensure that they are strategically positioned for success?

Aman Abbas is the CEO of Commwiser Consultants. He was formerly director of client and markets department at Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas and head of communications at KPMG. He specializes in legal and professional services marketing