Marketing internationally--when local becomes "Loco".

• Author: Scalzi, Jeff
• Position: MESSAGE FROM THE EDITORS

She Said

Global sprawl is a good thing--right? It is exciting to see how technology has opened up global commerce in ways that didn't exist a decade ago. The international marketplace is open for business, and the legal industry is responding with multicultural marketing efforts. Many firms view this as a chance to get revenue from clients they haven't considered in the past.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Although this is a new area for legal marketers, we understand that behavior is influenced dramatically by culture. According to Nigel Hollis, author of "The Global Brand," "[W]hile we may all live in one world, cultural perceptions of marketing from country to country are worlds apart."

We need to conduct research and learn not only what clients want but how best to provide it to them. Hollis makes a great point about mentioning how tempting it is for companies (firms) to make services cheaper as a way of growing business and brand. Going international is a long-term commitment, and if you find your marketing success based on offering reduced rates, try and visualize what your margins may look like after several years.

I often hear the phrase Think Global, Act Local, but in this case legal marketers should consider Think(ing) Local, Act(ing) Global. By focusing on making local connections there seems to be a higher success rate for business development. Law firms must remember that international marketing is a long-term commitment and while the world moves quickly, emotion and trust are two factors that only time can help grow.

--Jennifer Smuts, 302/888-6214, jsmuts@cblh.com

He Said

One of the foremost challenges that legal marketers face is how best to communicate a firm's brand effectively across various constituencies: clients, prospective clients, media, laterals and internal audiences. Add an international perspective to this challenge and it increases exponentially. Or does it? Hollis talks about "multinational companies," or MNCs, but what really defines an MNC in the legal industry? To what degree should a brand strategy differ across borders?

It is the legal marketer who is responsible for setting brand strategy and creating both clarity and value around what the brand stands for across these various constituencies. Anticipating what each audience needs, responding to those needs by building...