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The Handbook: Law Firm Networks
Chapter 6 – Marketing – Creating the Internal and External Brand
Network marketing is not for selling products or services, but ideas, concepts, and member trust. A network
should become a brand.302 Of course the network may ultimately sell a product or provide a service, but what
is first marketed is the idea that represents the network. The network idea has two audiences: the internal
audience of members and their professionals, and the external audience of the business and professional
communities. The internal marketing of the network may result in external marketing, which may also be a
way to internally market to members. This section will discuss the unique elements of network marketing.
What is marketing in a network? Network marketing is constructed fundamentally on the transition from
awareness to engagement. Awareness may be internal among members or can be external among the media.
The objective is to make the members and their professionals aware of the network. Most networks will be
focused on internal awareness. Some external marketing indicates the network is at Level 3. Extensive
marketing and public relations indicates the organization is at Level 4.
In the marketplace, the success of awareness marketing is based upon brand recall.303 Most often the question
is whether the public recognizes the brand? In a network the same questions can be asked about internal
awareness. Do the member professionals know that the firm is a member of the network? Do they know what
the network offers? Do they have an idea of the members of the network?
As the network develops its programs, awareness marketing gives way to engagement marketing.304 Its
objective is to engage members to undertake actions from which they will benefit. For example, the process
of getting potential members involved in the organization of the network is engagement marketing. It will
become the primary focus of a successful network, whether it is at Level 1, 2, 3, or 4. Engagement marketing
is also appropriate to external marketing in that a successful network will be able to engage non-member
associations, groups, institutions, and the media.
All marketing, at both the awareness and engagement levels, relies on establishing a brand for the network. A
brand is the sum total of the image of the organization.305 What is characterized as the “mission statement” in
302 See Brand, WIKIPEDIA, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brand (last visited Feb. 5, 2016).
303 Id.: “Brand Recall is the extent to which a brand name is recalled as a member of a brand, product or service class, as distinct from brand
recognition. Common market research usage is that pure brand recall requires ‘unaided recall.’ For example a respondent may be asked to recall the
names of any cars he may know, or any whisky brands he may know. Some researchers divide recall into both ‘unaided’ and ‘aided’ recall. ‘Aided
recall’ measures the extent to which a brand name is remembered when the actual brand name is prompted. An example of such a question is ‘Do you
know of the “Honda” brand?’ In terms of brand exposure, companies want to look for high levels of unaided recall in relation to their competitors.
The first recalled brand name (often called ‘top of mind’) has a distinct competitive advantage in brand space, as it has the first chance of evaluation
for purchase.”
303 See Engagement Marketing, WIKIPEDIA: “Engagement marketing, sometimes called ‘experiential marketing,’ ‘event marketing,’ ‘live marketing,’
or ‘participation marketing,’ is a marketing strategy that directly engages consumers and invites and encourages consumers to participate in the
evolution of a brand. Rather than looking at consumers as passive receivers of messages, engagement marketers believe that consumers should be
actively involved in the production and co-creation of marketing programs, developing a relationship with the brand.”
303 Brand, supra note 281: “Brand is the personality that identifies a product, service or company (name, term, sign, symbol, or design, or combination
of them) and how it relates to key constituencies: customers, staff, partners, investors etc. Some people distinguish the psychological aspect, brand
associations like thoughts, feelings, perceptions, images, experiences, beliefs, attitudes, and so on that become linked to the brand, of a brand from the
experiential aspect. The experiential aspect consists of the sum of all points of contact with the brand and is known as the brand experience. The
psychological aspect, sometimes referred to as the brand image, is a symbolic construct created within the minds of people, consisting of all the
information and expectations associated with a product, service or the company(ies) providing them.”
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Chapter 6 – Marketing – Creating the Internal and External Brand
Network marketing is not for selling products or services, but ideas, concepts, and member trust. A network
should become a brand.302 Of course the network may ultimately sell a product or provide a service, but what
is first marketed is the idea that represents the network. The network idea has two audiences: the internal
audience of members and their professionals, and the external audience of the business and professional
communities. The internal marketing of the network may result in external marketing, which may also be a
way to internally market to members. This section will discuss the unique elements of network marketing.
What is marketing in a network? Network marketing is constructed fundamentally on the transition from
awareness to engagement. Awareness may be internal among members or can be external among the media.
The objective is to make the members and their professionals aware of the network. Most networks will be
focused on internal awareness. Some external marketing indicates the network is at Level 3. Extensive
marketing and public relations indicates the organization is at Level 4.
In the marketplace, the success of awareness marketing is based upon brand recall.303 Most often the question
is whether the public recognizes the brand? In a network the same questions can be asked about internal
awareness. Do the member professionals know that the firm is a member of the network? Do they know what
the network offers? Do they have an idea of the members of the network?
As the network develops its programs, awareness marketing gives way to engagement marketing.304 Its
objective is to engage members to undertake actions from which they will benefit. For example, the process
of getting potential members involved in the organization of the network is engagement marketing. It will
become the primary focus of a successful network, whether it is at Level 1, 2, 3, or 4. Engagement marketing
is also appropriate to external marketing in that a successful network will be able to engage non-member
associations, groups, institutions, and the media.
All marketing, at both the awareness and engagement levels, relies on establishing a brand for the network. A
brand is the sum total of the image of the organization.305 What is characterized as the “mission statement” in
302 See Brand, WIKIPEDIA, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brand (last visited Feb. 5, 2016).
303 Id.: “Brand Recall is the extent to which a brand name is recalled as a member of a brand, product or service class, as distinct from brand
recognition. Common market research usage is that pure brand recall requires ‘unaided recall.’ For example a respondent may be asked to recall the
names of any cars he may know, or any whisky brands he may know. Some researchers divide recall into both ‘unaided’ and ‘aided’ recall. ‘Aided
recall’ measures the extent to which a brand name is remembered when the actual brand name is prompted. An example of such a question is ‘Do you
know of the “Honda” brand?’ In terms of brand exposure, companies want to look for high levels of unaided recall in relation to their competitors.
The first recalled brand name (often called ‘top of mind’) has a distinct competitive advantage in brand space, as it has the first chance of evaluation
for purchase.”
303 See Engagement Marketing, WIKIPEDIA: “Engagement marketing, sometimes called ‘experiential marketing,’ ‘event marketing,’ ‘live marketing,’
or ‘participation marketing,’ is a marketing strategy that directly engages consumers and invites and encourages consumers to participate in the
evolution of a brand. Rather than looking at consumers as passive receivers of messages, engagement marketers believe that consumers should be
actively involved in the production and co-creation of marketing programs, developing a relationship with the brand.”
303 Brand, supra note 281: “Brand is the personality that identifies a product, service or company (name, term, sign, symbol, or design, or combination
of them) and how it relates to key constituencies: customers, staff, partners, investors etc. Some people distinguish the psychological aspect, brand
associations like thoughts, feelings, perceptions, images, experiences, beliefs, attitudes, and so on that become linked to the brand, of a brand from the
experiential aspect. The experiential aspect consists of the sum of all points of contact with the brand and is known as the brand experience. The
psychological aspect, sometimes referred to as the brand image, is a symbolic construct created within the minds of people, consisting of all the
information and expectations associated with a product, service or the company(ies) providing them.”
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