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 PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
A Message from the President
 Have you noticed the squirrels going crazy yet? They are scurrying around gathering up their acorns, mending nests, and preparing for the cold that is not far off. Anyone other than me feel like a squirrel right now? There is something about preparing for year-end that seems to create more work and more pressure, and gearing up for the finale of my year as Capital Chapter President is no exception. The schedule of 2012 year-end events has the board and me scurrying to create some serious education and fun for our members, so I hope you will all come out to learn, celebrate and network over the coming months.
Here is a quick summary of what you can expect in the next 10-12 weeks:
Programs and Events
- The Future Leaders Shared Interest Group is having a meeting on October 17 titled Law Firm 101. Follow the link to learn more or sign up.
- The Chapter is hosting our 4th Annual Half Day Program on October 24, titled Using New Media to Drive Firm Strategy: Maximizing Social Media, Analytics and Video (click here to register if you haven't already). I am particularly looking forward to the session on analytics, but am also excited to have Kashmir Hill (now at Forbes, but you probably recognize her name from Above The Law) on board to moderate the social media panel, and to hear about how other firms are using video (something I want to do, but haven't had the time or resources to start quite yet). I hope you will be able to join us.
- Save the date for a Your Honor Awards cocktail reception on November 1 where we will reveal our Hall of Fame inductee(s), the Big Idea Winner, and the Member of the Year. This event will be free to members. Additional details coming soon.
- We are in the process of selecting a date and location for our 2012 Holiday Party.
Coming Soon and Other Announcements
- LMA launched a new Web site on October 2 and each Chapter site was also upgraded. Please click here to visit and check out our new and improved site!
- The LMA Salary Survey is scheduled to be distributed on October 15.
- The Chapter and City Groups Call for Presenters were issued on September 13. Click here to submit or for more information.
- Our 2013 Board of Directors slate was approved (see my previous email dated October 2).
So, if like me, you are busy preparing for year end, take some time to attend these Capital Chapter events with a bunch of people who know exactly how you feel. We won't tell anyone you've taken a bit of time for yourself.
Sincerely,
Ezra Crawford
2012 LMA Capital Chapter President
Ezra Crawford is Director of Marketing at BuckleySandler LLP
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GETTING AHEAD
Rebranding From a Legal Marketer's Perspective
By Jenna K. O'Connor: Director of Marketing, Rosenberg Martin Greenberg, LLP
This is it. The big day. You have just heard the magic words every legal marketer longs to hear: "Your request to rebrand the firm's logo and website have been approved." Before you perform a series of cartwheels across your office floor in celebration of this exciting undertaking, I advise you to take heed to these lessons learned and pitfalls to avoid along the way.
It is important to approach the rebranding process in a strategic and carefully planned manner. Don't jump right into jazzy new colors and fonts and photography; there is a lot more that goes into a successful rebrand than the finishing touches may let on. The first logical step is to assess why your current brand is no longer a good fit for the firm: Is your website simply technologically outdated? Has a change in firm management caused a cultural shift? Have you adopted a new practice or industry group that begets a new audience focus? Did your firm merge with another whose brand does not fit yours?
There can be many reasons a rebrand is a good move, but make sure you hone in on which one affects your firm and its people directly. My firm chose to first engage a marketing consultant, who specialized in creating a cohesive message, prior to choosing a design firm. The consultant led our attorneys through a series of exercises to better define what mission, vision and values the firm wanted to portray to its intended audience, what made us different from our competitors, and then individually branded each attorney under the overarching firm brand umbrella. This important step not only gave us a better view of what we wanted to say, but also allowed for personal buy-in from the very people who were going to be represented by this new brand. The more you check in with your attorneys for buy-in along the way, the happier they (and, in turn, you) will be with the finished product.
There is No Finish Line
Marketers tend to be very organized, deadline-oriented people. We often wear many hats within our firms. We tend to schedule large projects like a website or a logo overhaul into our schedules with an end date in mind for when the project will be over, when our schedule will free up to take on the next endeavor. Substance151, a Baltimore-based web and interactive design firm, hit the nail on the head in a well-written article on this topic when they stated "Rebrand is a process, not a project. A common mistake is to view the rebranding process and its outcomes as a series of design or marketing projects, when, in reality, it is a fundamental cultural shift permeating the entire organization and, therefore, requires rigorous research, thoughtful analysis and strategic insight at all points in the process." If you realize this before you begin the rebranding process, it is much easier to plan for. Feed the new brand to your firm in bite-sized pieces; roll out each part individually and ensure that it is adopted and accepted before you advance to the next step. Having a roadmap of which processes you plan to change when, and why you chose them, will help to keep you on track. Have a living document that you can refer back to when you veer off course, and refer back to it if anyone who has bought into the decisions that were made voices concern with something they previously agreed to.
Your Logo is Not Your Brand
I am still unsure of where I heard this quote first, but I have always remembered it: "Your logo is not your brand; your logo is the dress your brand wears." While a new logo may give a fresh look to the firm collateral, it is nothing without a solid message to back it up. Make sure your design team keeps your firm's messaging in mind when designing a new logo so that all aspects of the rebrand remain cohesive. Also, it is wise to remind your design team that your new look has to be reflective of your firm, not of their firm. The personality of your new brand must fit with the people who will be carrying it around with them.
A new logo or website that does not meld with the personalities of your attorneys will leave clients and potential clients confused and befuddled, and will not have been money well spent. The last thing you want is a client receiving a piece of collateral, viewing a new advertising campaign or picking up your new business card and thinking, "This certainly doesn't sound like the person I met in that meeting." Make sure to reassess at each step of the process and think like a client, instead of like a marketer or an attorney. This perspective is very important to keep in mind along the way to ensure you are focusing on the right things.
Factor in The Unknown
This may seem a little negative, but... leave extra time for things to go wrong. Working with third-party vendors causes marketers to relinquish a certain degree of control, which is something we don't always do well. Do not rely on a deadline without any wiggle room built in. Insist upon status updates and check in with your team frequently. When it comes to technology, there are bugs and mishaps and programming errors, and these things can easily postpone a launch date. While you may understand this concept, not everyone around you will. If you already have time built in for things to veer a bit off track, you can ensure they are fixed before anyone else notices. It is far better to deliver something ahead of schedule than late.
If you promise internally that a new website will be produced on a certain date and something prevents that from happening, you will have just opened the door for a lot of criticism. In that same vein, I found it helpful to enlist the help of your staff to do a last check before you release a new site or new logo or advertising campaign to the public; after reading the same things over and over for months at a time, it is often easy to overlook the smallest errors that may be caught by another set of eyes.
I truly believe that if you take into consideration these recommendations, a firm rebrand can be an incredibly exciting and beneficial undertaking for both marketers and attorneys alike. A little time spent planning, close monitoring of the progress along the way, a tie-in to the firm's agreed-upon messaging, and a general sense of patience will do wonders for the process; hopefully, it will also leave you with a lasting brand that will translate beautifully to your clients for years to come.
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MEMBER PROFILE
Miki Hanlen
Director of Marketing Communications & Operations, Steptoe & Johnson LLP
By Helena M. Lawrence, Business Development Manager, Proskauer
Miki Hanlen is the Director of Marketing Communications & Operations at Steptoe & Johnson LLP. Previously she served as Senior Business Development Manager for Steptoe's IP and Telecom, Internet & Media practices. Miki is blessed with two beautiful, energetic little girls and a husband serving in the Air Force and currently deployed (LMA Capital Chapter thanks you!). How does Miki balance it all?
How did you get into legal marketing?
In 1999, my husband and I got married and relocated to Los Angeles. I knew I wanted a marketing/communications focused position and a relatively easy commute (by LA standards). After several interviews, I accepted a position at a California labor and employment boutique firm. I had NO idea what I was getting into, but I really enjoyed my job, the interaction with the lawyers, and learning more about law in general. Thirteen years later, and I continue to enjoy what I do.
Do you notice any differences between the West Coast legal marketing community and the East Coast legal marketing community?
There are slight differences, but many of those are a by-product of lawyers, specialties, and firm cultures. In the end, we are all in the business of developing and maintaining relationships. By nature differences will exist, but the basic principles remain the same no matter where you are.
Why did you make the move from Senior Business Development Manager to Director, Marketing Communications & Operations Manger? Your current role is unique.
Business Development was my comfort, and something I knew well. When the marketing operations position became available, several of my colleagues encouraged me to switch my role and focus. I am a good problem solver who sees the big picture, so the role has allowed me to broaden my knowledge and expertise in a management and leadership capacity.
In this role, I am responsible for everything non-Business Development and Public Relations related. Events, branding, the alumni program, marketing technologies (CRM, e-mail marketing, website, experience database) and social media are just some of the things that fall under my mandate. It's a big job, but I am blessed with an awesome team who helps keep everything moving forward.
Steptoe just rebranded. Any tips for someone about to go through it?
Define clear goals and understand the expectations of the partners and management team. And expect it to take longer than you plan!
What is it like being the wife of a military man? What is the military "family" community like?
My military family is an extension of my immediate family. At times our visits are few and far between, but we are never strangers to one another. Being a military wife has afforded me wonderful life experiences. We have lived throughout the country, traveled around the world, and met some of our closest friends. It isn't the easiest life (although I love it!), but it is incredibly rewarding.
You have two young girls and your husband is in the military. How do you balance it all?
I don't believe in balance, per se, because life is constantly evolving. It's a juggling act. The goal is to manage your priorities and know what is the most important, and do whatever it takes to keep everything moving forward. Every day I figure out what needs to get accomplished - both at work and at home. Sometimes that means working late and having a babysitter put the girls' to bed, while other times it means taking a conference call on a day off. Now that my husband is deployed, the juggling act is more challenging, but I am blessed with an amazing network of friends and family who provide additional support.
Do you have personal time outside of work and your family? If so, how do you spend it?
Free time with two young children is rare, but when time allows I enjoy traveling, reading, and cooking.
Do you have any tips for junior legal marketers who like you are making a career in this field?
Be proactive - proactively meet the needs of your supervisor and team. Identify needs of your co-workers and offer suggestions and assistance. Seek out new projects when time allows.
Be curious - have the intellectual curiosity to learn as much as you can about your firm and its lawyers and practices. Ask questions to better understand the 'big picture.' Get to know your team, including the managers, so you can better understand roles and responsibilities.
Learn from your mistakes (and those of others) - everyone makes them, but don't make the same one twice.
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EVENTS
Register Soon for the Fourth Annual Half-Day Program Set for October 24
By Elaine Noble, Partner and Creative Director, Noble Pursuits LLC
This month, the Capital Chapter will host its fourth annual half-day program, our biggest educational event of the year outside the National Conference. The extended program time allows for a more in-depth educational experience. This year's three-part program focuses on ways to leverage new media tools and resources to proactively drive marketing strategy.
We're pleased to announce that Kashmir Hill has signed on to moderate our first panel on social media. Kashmir is a staff writer at Forbes and author of the very successful privacy column, "The Not-So Private Parts," where she writes about the intersection of law, technology, social media and personal information. Prior to joining Forbes, Kashmir was an editor at Above the Law where she relied heavily on the legal knowledge she gained working for Covington & Burling to understand, dissect, report on, and occasionally make fun of law firms.
Session 1: Social Media will provide a detailed overview of how other industries are successfully using social media to drive their business goals. Experts from the fields of real estate, education and architecture will lead a candid discussion about what tools they are using, what has worked for them, and what practices will translate best to the legal arena. The panelists for this session include: Angela Brown, Communications Manager, Costar Group, Inc.; Kate Kirkpatrick, Principal/Director of Marketing, Gensler; and Joseph Master, Manager of Online Communications, LeBow College of Business, Drexel University.
Session 2: Video will teach audience members how to produce and disseminate a meaningful video message or campaign regardless of technology or budget constraints. The panelists include Aden Dauchess, Director of Digital Media, Womble Carlyle; John Sherman, CEO, Storyfarm; and Beth Huffman, Director of Media Relations & Communications, Dechert.
Session 3: Analytics will provide you with ways to measure the effectiveness of your new media efforts. You will receive best practices from these panelists: Gail Hageman, Senior Marketing Technology Manager, Hunton & Williams; Matt Kaiser, Founder, The Kaiser Law Firm and Author, The Federal Criminal Appeals Blog; and Adrian Lurrsen, Co-founder, JD Supra.
During registration and session breaks, you'll have time to visit sponsor exhibits and participate in prize drawings.
If you haven't already registered, you can do so by
clicking here. In appreciation of those of you who joined the Chapter's LinkedIn Group this year, we are extending the Capital Chapter member rate to this program to our LinkedIn Group participants who are non-members. Please note the LinkedIn Group and use the LMACCGROUP code when you register.
This event is generously sponsored by Copper Services, The Deal Pipeline, Gittings Photography, Hellerman Baretz Communications, Herrmann, Right Hat, The Ritz Carlton, and VideoLink.
Webinar Takeaway - Best of the Web for Professional Development
By Kristin Keen, Director of Marketing & Business Development, Watt, Tieder, Hoffar & Fitzgerald, LLP
On August 16, the Capital Chapter hosted a webinar featuring West Coast bloggers and legal marketers, Jonathan Fitzgarrald, CMO of Greenburg Glusker and author of the BADfortheBrand.com blog, and Heather Morse, Director of Marketing at Barger & Wolen, LLP and author of legalwatercoolerblog.com. This dynamic duo presented their thoughts on how legal marketers can use the internet and its resources to distinguish themselves as thought leaders in their field.
They emphasized the importance of understanding the language of your firm, industry and attorneys. Know what is being discussed, the buzz words or terminology being used and even what unanswered questions that may be floating around. This can give you an advantage when it comes to providing those answers or commentary.
How do you find the answers? Take full advantage of technology. Set up Google alerts on you, your firm, key clients, and attorneys; set up a well-organized RSS feed to follow the legal blogs and news sources that interest you; organize your email box to categorize your email subscriptions. Even a cursory glance at the headlines first thing in the morning can give you a leg up on the rest of your day. Inevitably, certain topics, articles and conversations will pique your interest. Grant your attention wisely and accordingly.
As legal marketers, our lives may be so busy that we forget about one of our most important clients-ourselves. Heather and Jonathan also covered "Marketing Me" which is critical for legal marketers in developing themselves. Critical aspects of self-marketing include:
- Taking advantage of (non-legal) business resources (e.g. Harvard Business Review, McKinsey, etc.),
- Keeping up with the news and what's hot in social media,
- Participating in social media dialogues, and 4) making time for your personal interests and maybe your own blog. Don't overextend yourself or join another social media group because it's the "next big thing." Know when to take it offline and meet and discuss face-to-face. Nothing beats a real life network.
With all of the resources available, it's extremely important to manage your time and sanity. Get comfortable with a new piece of technology or a new way of organizing information. Be objective, establish a schedule, prioritize and refine your foci, and, most importantly, "get things done."
Well-managed web presence and utilization can help legal marketers become superstars in their own right. Find a starting point and shine.
Kristin Keen is Director of Marketing/Business Development at Watt, Tieder, Hoffar & Fitzgerald, LLP, a 96-attorney construction law boutique headquartered in McLean, VA and with offices in Irvine, San Francisco, Seattle, Las Vegas, and Miami.
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COMINGS AND GOINGS
Please send brief announcements of any job changes, promotions, or lateral moves to Jonathan Groner.
Nathan Carlile, formerly a Media & PR Specialist at Wiley Rein, has become Communications Manager at Arent Fox.
Mary Connolly has left her position as Business Manager in the D.C. office of Hunton & Williams to move to the Boston office of Goulston & Storrs, where she is Manager of Business Development and Communications. She joined Goulston & Storrs on September 4, 2012.
Nathan Darling has become Chief Business Development & Marketing Officer at Beveridge & Diamond, P.C. He was previously Director of Client Development & Marketing at Van Ness Feldman.
Kiara Hughes was promoted to Communications Project Manager at Miles & Stockbridge P.C.
Kai Jones has left her position as Marketing Assistant at McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP. She has become Client Development Specialist for Covington & Burling.
Jean (Brinker) Katz has become Client Relations Manager at Covington & Burling. Previously, she was Marketing Specialist at Van Ness Feldman, P.C.
Alexandra Kahl, formerly marketing and business development coordinator at Keller and Heckman LLP, has become business development coordinator at Alston & Bird LLP.
Mary Slade has left Venable LLP, where she was Business Development Manager, and joined Mayer Brown's Washington, DC office as an Assistant Director of Business Development.
Andrew Stief has become Business Development Manager at Morrison & Foerster LLP. He was previously Senior Business Development Coordinator at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman.
Katie Waterhouse has joined the Baltimore office of Ober|Kaler as Marketing Information and Technology Specialist. Katie joins the firm from Passport Health, where for the past five years she coordinated the company's publications, websites and social media initiatives.
Tara Weintritt has joined the Wicker Park Group, a consulting organization, as a partner. She had been Chief Marketing Officer and Director of Client Services at Miles & Stockbridge P.C. Weintritt will be based in Washington, D.C.
Please send brief announcements of any job changes, promotions, or lateral moves to Jonathan Groner at jonathangroner@gmail.com.
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2012 CAPITAL CHAPTER SUMMER SOCIAL
By Faith Brinkley, Marketing Coordinator, Bryan Cave LLP
DuPont Circle's Boqueria served as the setting for the Capital Chapter Summer Social on August 9, 2012. It was the perfect day to bid farewell to Summer and welcome the crisp Fall weather (the mornings, at least) currently in our midst. Guests enjoyed delicious Barcelona-inspired tapas like Datiles con Beicon and Pimientos de Padrón. It is always great to enjoy the company of friends and colleagues in a casual setting, and this event didn't disappoint.
The Capital Chapter would like to thank our generous Summer Social sponsors: ACC, ALHI, Boqueria, JD Supra and ON24.
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VOLUME 10 ISSUE 5
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012 |
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PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
GETTING AHEAD
Rebranding From a Legal Marketer's Perspective
MEMBER PROFILE
Miki Hanlen, Director of Communications & Operations, Steptoe & Johnson LLP
EVENTS
Fourth Annual Half-Day Program
HOT LINKS
Law Firm Branding and Content Strategy Sites
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Hot Links is a roundup of favorite places on the Web from writers of Capital Ideas.
Below are a few websites that we feel are particularly useful for law firm marketers. We encourage you to share these links with the colleagues in your department.
Law Firm Branding and Content Strategy Sites.
Dennis Kennedy Blog. Kennedy blogs on the ins and outs of legal technology.
Justia.com. A comprehensive site covering legal issues. There are quite a few blogs on branding and marketing.
Larry Bodine's blog and The Law Marketing Portal. Larry Bodine is Editor in Chief of Lawyers.com, a top consumer-focused legal website. Larry's site on legal marketing has a large cache of articles on branding and legal marketing topics. His blog covers a wide variety of legal marketing, branding and content issues, among other things.
Lawyerist.com. This is a legal practice blog with a good marketing section. Contributions come from myriad bloggers, who are legal professionals.
Legal Marketing Reader. A handy site that tracks and aggregates the "27 top law firm marketing blogs and news feeds."
LexBlog. This site specializes in law firm blogging, so it covers a wider ambit than just branding and content strategy topics, though they are represented here.
LLRX.com. This is geared towards legal technology, so their marketing section is a good place to find information on tech issues, such as security, software, etc.
Marketing Sherpa. Although not specifically directed towards law firms, this site has a wealth of information not found elsewhere (they do their own research) and is a leading expert on all things marketing. Their reports are often highly influential and many of them are free.
The National Law Review. This leading legal journal has numerous articles on content strategy and branding for law firms.
Tom Kane's blog. Tom Kane runs Kane Consulting, Inc., a legal marketing consulting firm. A more generalized source of articles of legal marketing. His blog also has a long list of links to other legal blogs.
Virtual Marketing Officer. Focused on social media for law firms
RainMaker Blog.
Marketing materials for professional service firms. Has a section on content marketing.
Social Media Today. Has a section on content marketing and one on branding, though these are not geared solely to professional service firms.
Inclusion of a site in Hot Links does not constitute an endorsement by the LMA Capital Chapter. Please note that some of the sites featured in this column may be subscription-based services.
Does your firm or company have an interesting and informative site or blog? To suggest a site for possible inclusion in a future Hot Links column, contact Sabrina McGowan.
Inclusion of a site in Hot Links does not constitute an endorsement by the LMA Capital Chapter. Please note that some of the sites featured in this column may be subscription based services.
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COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE MEMBERS
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We would like to hear from you! If you have a suggestion for an article or news that you would like to share with your fellow Capital Chapter members, please e-mail one of the Communications Committee members listed below.
Sabrina McGowan, Chair
McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP
Greenfield/Belser Ltd.
Adduci, Mastriani & Schaumberg LLP
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| UPCOMING EVENTS |
Oct. 17, 12:15-1 p.m.
BuckleySandler LLP, 1250 24th St, NW, 7th Floor, Washington, DC
Join LMA Capital Chapter President, Ezra Crawford, Director of Marketing at Buckley Sandler LLP for this exciting discussion that will be followed by an interactive Q&A.
4th Annual Half Day Program - Using New Media to Drive Strategy
Oct. 24
Grand Hyatt, 1000 H Street, NW, Washington, DC
Join the LMA Capital Chapter for a special half-day program that will offer three comprehensive sessions on how to incorporate new technologies into your firm's marketing, communications and business development strategy.
Your Honor Awards
November 1, 2012 6 p.m.
Morrison & Foerster LLP
Washington, DC
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Do you tweet? If you answered "Yes!" then start following the Capital Chapter on Twitter. You can use the hashtags #LMADC or #LMAMKT when tweeting from monthly Chapter events, too.
You can also "Like" the Capital Chapter on Facebook and engage with other members by joining our LinkedIn group. Be sure to visit our website, too, for additional information on Chapter news, events, job opportunities and many other resources which will be of benefit to you.
  
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The 8 Dimensions of Leadership: DiSC® Strategies for Becoming a Better Leader, by Jeffrey Sugerman, Mark Scullard and Emma Wilhem
In order to be a successful and effective leader, it is important to understand your strengths, but equally as important is to understand other leadership strategies including an ability to view situations through the lens of a colleague's perspective. describe how possessing a single leadership type or dimension is insufficient to lead a team effectively, and that a good leader requires a wide range of skills and perspectives.
The 8 Dimensions of Leadership: DiSC® Strategies for Becoming a Better Leader, based on the well-known DiSC® model provides an overview of eight different leadership styles, or dimensions and is paired with an assessment to assist the reader in determining his or her primary dimension. However, in addition to learning about your primary dimension, the book provides insights into all eight dimensions and how it is necessary to incorporate all eight in varying degrees into one's approach toward leadership and creative problem solving. The dimensions described are pioneering, energizing, affirming, inclusiveness, humility, deliberation, resolute and commanding.
After the initial chapters which the reader is guided through finding their "default dimension", the book focuses a chapter on each dimension style providing more detail about the characteristics of that leadership dimension. There is no right or wrong leadership dimension, each possesses individual strong attributes, but each also holds equally powerful down sides that may lead to leadership breakdown and possible failure. The authors argue convincingly that you must extend yourself beyond your primary dimension (and ultimately your comfort zone) in order to meet the demands of today's complex work environment. The book's tone is highly personal and some may find it mildly uncomfortable in reading what seems to be written just about you. However, the information is based on solid evidence, includes real-life examples, and offers practical suggestions that you can use in the workplace immediately.
Overall, this book provides an excellent overview into those seeking to understand their leadership style and learn how to effectively communicate with colleagues who fall into a different primary dimensions with a minimum of technical jargon or buzz terms. For the right leader this book can be an excellent initial resource to developing a roadmap for increased professional development.
By Debbie Leitner, Business Development Manager, McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP
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