Page 23 - Leaders in Legal Business - a
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Leaders in Legal Business
trust and credibility of the information is very much wrapped in the publisher’s brand and the underlying
methodology of compiling the data for publication.
Having understood a legal directory’s purpose, next we can consider the framework for influencing
marketing strategy and the basis of value for specific directory offerings.
The Directory and Ranking Landscape
Before embarking on a tour of the landscape, it is important to state what is not included: a whole class
of lawyer lists and directories generated from bar associations and law society members’ lists. These are excluded
mainly because they are either subsidiary to the main activities of the originators, being public service information,
or they are sustained by membership fees for the benefit of the whole membership and not necessarily for
competitive differentiation.
The number of directories available is
considerable. The assumption here is not to
catalog but to provide examples from some of the
main English language sources, as well as those
that have influence in the legal services market in
Anglophone countries and the wider international
business community. Another assumption is that
although several of the directories have print
editions, the comment below is dealing with
Internet publications unless stated otherwise.
The key dimensions of directories are
related to the audience and users of the directory
information as buyers or potential buyers —
simply who they are, e.g., consumer or corporate,
and where they are located. The third and fourth
dimensions are related to the interactivity the
audience has with the publication or online Figure 1: Being Found, Targeted and Building Reputation
service through generating recommendations and
rankings, and the confidence in these that has value to a firm’s or individual’s reputation.
Overall directories help with:
Targeting specific online audiences (and professionals using print editions);
Optimizing exposure to search engines, e.g., the ability to be found in a sea of information;
Generating client feedback and recommendations; and
Building and managing a reputation in the market.
Defining where an offering sits in this “space” is useful when deciding its place in a marketing strategy.
Classifications
Each directory offering can be measured by its effectiveness and therefore its value to market positions
on these dimensions. They are the primary functions that the product has to get right. In fact, there are only three
questions to answer when considering the value to your firm:
1) What is the audience profile of the product?
2) What are they using it for?
16
trust and credibility of the information is very much wrapped in the publisher’s brand and the underlying
methodology of compiling the data for publication.
Having understood a legal directory’s purpose, next we can consider the framework for influencing
marketing strategy and the basis of value for specific directory offerings.
The Directory and Ranking Landscape
Before embarking on a tour of the landscape, it is important to state what is not included: a whole class
of lawyer lists and directories generated from bar associations and law society members’ lists. These are excluded
mainly because they are either subsidiary to the main activities of the originators, being public service information,
or they are sustained by membership fees for the benefit of the whole membership and not necessarily for
competitive differentiation.
The number of directories available is
considerable. The assumption here is not to
catalog but to provide examples from some of the
main English language sources, as well as those
that have influence in the legal services market in
Anglophone countries and the wider international
business community. Another assumption is that
although several of the directories have print
editions, the comment below is dealing with
Internet publications unless stated otherwise.
The key dimensions of directories are
related to the audience and users of the directory
information as buyers or potential buyers —
simply who they are, e.g., consumer or corporate,
and where they are located. The third and fourth
dimensions are related to the interactivity the
audience has with the publication or online Figure 1: Being Found, Targeted and Building Reputation
service through generating recommendations and
rankings, and the confidence in these that has value to a firm’s or individual’s reputation.
Overall directories help with:
Targeting specific online audiences (and professionals using print editions);
Optimizing exposure to search engines, e.g., the ability to be found in a sea of information;
Generating client feedback and recommendations; and
Building and managing a reputation in the market.
Defining where an offering sits in this “space” is useful when deciding its place in a marketing strategy.
Classifications
Each directory offering can be measured by its effectiveness and therefore its value to market positions
on these dimensions. They are the primary functions that the product has to get right. In fact, there are only three
questions to answer when considering the value to your firm:
1) What is the audience profile of the product?
2) What are they using it for?
16
