Fear factor.

• Author: Collins, Danny

There is a huge disparity, even within markets, but a common theme across those markets is that it's a conservative profession. There's an inherent fear factor in law firms. Firms tend to wait for somebody else to do the new thing in marketing and then they have a herd mentality.

Interestingly, much of the time, higher levels of activity and innovation in certain markets come out of second-tier independent firms working to distinguish themselves and gain ground on the rivals ahead of them. For example, there are well-established M&A boutiques in France that are being pushed by a second tier of firms that are more active and more attuned to marketing.

There is a lot of disparity in Europe. Americans tend to see Europe as one big market, which it very much is not. You have to appreciate the vast differences. Especially markets in which the big global firms from the United States and the United Kingdom have not staked a major claim, such as Switzerland, there seems to be more appetite for marketing. I'm not sure if it's actually because the bigger firms are less entrenched, but I definitely see more going on in those markets. Ireland is another example. It's not the same in a country such as Italy.

In Russia, on the other hand, the marketing staffs are basically coordinators. In that market, it's all about the partners. They say yea or nay on everything; the staff implements.

In China, where there has been incredibly rapid growth in the sector, there is a new tier emerging and pushing hard as they try to gobble up the first tier. Marketing...