Marketing News: Web Sites : LAW FIRM CREATES BIG BANG WITH REBRAND

News Release from: MarketingUK
05/02/2010
Slater Heelis ,Legal Services Board, Mike Fox,Carrie Hamer,new blog , Big Bang Report

Manchester law firm Slater Heelis predicts that law firms will look more closely at their brands and think more creatively to respond to the predicted changes in the legal services market – or risk being perceived as being out of step with the changing demands of legal consumers.


Slater Heelis's own brand review, which sees the launch of the law firm's new corporate identity including a new logo, strapline and website, reflects the firm's fresh approach and its focus on offering legal services to meet a broad range of consumers.

This firm's rebrand coincides with the Legal Services Board's (LSB) announcement that they have faith in the ability of organisations other than law firms to offer legal services. As a result, law firms can expect to compete within a greatly expanded and more consumer-orientated market. The recent Big Bang Report, which canvassed the opinions of over 50 organisations in the legal services sector, showed that over two thirds of those questioned believ

 http://www.slaterheelis.co.uk/

Brands will therefore play a critical role in influencing the purchase of legal services.

Mike Fox, managing partner of Slater Heelis (pictured) said: “As a result of the changes brought in by the Legal Services Act, the legal marketplace will grow significantly, so we’re expecting to see an increasing number of established ‘high street’ names open up for business.

We recognise that many consumers may have confidence in these familiar brands for consumer products, but we would question whether this brand loyalty can be transferred to the provision of legal services or, indeed, if it’s in the best interests of all consumers. At Slater Heelis we don’t believe that a “one size fits all” approach can be applied to legal services.  Our experienced legal team takes time to understand clients’ individual circumstances before offering tailored solutions.  You can’t get that level of personal service from a supermarket shelf or from a website.”          

Fox continues, “In a crowded marketplace, it becomes harder for the consumer to distinguish the best provider for their legal needs. Our new brand provides a platform for us to speak directly to consumers with a clear and consistent message about what makes our approach different; it also offers us a vehicle to introduce new services and packaged legal solutions. 

We want to make it easier for consumers to buy legal services from us, and we’re keen to offer a range of flexible solutions to match consumers’ requirements; this means greater transparency about what we deliver, our pricing structures, and how we deliver our services. Of course, we’re not prepared to compromise on the quality of our advice. As a firm with a long and successful history, we want our clients to have the best of both worlds; the reassurance of traditional client service and values combined with innovative services and fresh legal thinking.” 

Carrie Hamer, marketing manager at Slater Heelis believes the changes the rebrand have brought about are aligned with the demands of the ‘new’ consumer who is better informed, more critical, less loyal and harder to read.  She commented: “As well as focusing on our clients, we’ve also worked closely with our staff to create a brand identity that reflects our core values and supports our strategic direction.

This combined with our drive to constantly adapt to meet our clients’ needs allows us to offer something truly different in the marketplace.   We’ve established expert teams to consult on sustainability issues, media and entertainment, sport, intellectual property and immigration. This means we’re offering a range of specialist services comparable with national law firms.

“We also recognise the growing importance of social media and will shortly launch a new blog to give regular advice and updates about issues affecting specific areas of law. 

In fact, we’ll be pushing hard to use new social media platforms as much as possible given the backdrop of recent legal reforms and the recession, we see this as a real opportunity to get ahead.  Just as importantly, we recognise the level of influence wielded by social media users, so we’re keen to tap into this new media platform to listen to and engage with all possible audiences who may have an opinion about us and our services.”