Establishing the environment.

• Author: Ramon, Patrick

The marketing approach of Anglo-Saxon law firms in France is guided by the practices of their head offices. However, they are subject to the regulations of the legal profession in France (particularly as it concerns advertising) that are restrictive in terms of marketing. French firms, particularly those with more than 100 lawyers, leverage the same marketing tools and strategies as their Anglo-Saxon counterparts.

The most efficient approach today seems to lie in mass customization of services, which involves splitting one's market into sectors and user profiles and by proposing tailored services and targeted communication. Another rising challenge is the extreme pressures exerted on hourly rates, which have to be compensated for over the medium term by a richer service offering. The client will have access to complimentary services such as extranet, year-round training sessions by legal stakeholders, etc. The client will no longer buy a lawyer's time but rather will purchase an a la carte service package whose components he will have selected himself.

The main role of marketing and business development teams is to establish an environment and image of a firm that allows lawyers to better identify their clients' expectations and thereby propose the most appropriate services. This initially involves multichannel communication that is both distinguishing and reassuring, allowing the market to better identify the brand in an extremely competitive...