Legal marketing around the globe: focus on Latin America.

• Author: Goncalves, Marco Antonio P.
• Position: Reprint

While there has been a great deal of musing and writing about legal marketing in some regions, little is known about the state of legal marketing in others. To shed light on Latin America, the Legal Marketing Association commissioned research among law firms in the seven largest economies there: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru and Venezuela. The findings of the study give both Latin American and foreign firms an in-depth view of the status quo of legal marketing in this region that, often in the shadow of economic development in China and India, has reached a regional gross domestic product of US$ 2.95 trillion with a population of 546 million.

Still a relatively new phenomenon, legal marketing in the largest economies in the region ranges from just emerging to relatively sophisticated. Due to each country's unique cultural and ethnic background, stage of economic development, regulatory restrictions and competitive situation, law firms approach marketing with different urgencies and apply different instruments. In some countries, the national bar association significantly regulates and limits marketing and promotional activities, challenging lawyers and marketers alike.

While the findings might appear relatively similar at first glance, rolling out a cookie-cutter regional Latin America marketing campaign is likely to be a mistake. Effective instruments in one country might be detrimental--or forbidden--in another one. Methods deemed acceptable and effective in one may be rejected by lawyers and clients in another.

Generally speaking, Latin American law firms appear rather enthusiastic about the concept of marketing: 82 percent of respondents declared that lawyers in their firms perceive marketing as "very important" or "important." However, this might not translate into active participation by lawyers.

Marketing departments in Latin American law firms are relatively small compared to U.S. law firms. "Generalists" departments typically include communications, public relations and business development activities. The two largest economies in the region, Brazil and Mexico, typically have the largest marketing departments, often with four or more full-time staff members. Legal marketers in Colombia and Chile are most likely to work in one or two-person departments, where half of the Venezuelan law firms have one or two marketers. Law firms in Argentina and Peru are the least likely to have a full-time marketer.

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