Cape Town brand consultant and academic Ron Irwin, writing in Brandchannel.com, explains how branding has become a key tool for South African law firms. He says:
"Legal firms in South Africa can capitalize on the progress made by an equally staid service profession that has had some time to embrace branding: accounting firms. Pamela Grayman, National Marketing Principal at accounting firm Grant Thornton, explains that branding plays a “crucial” role there and that it would be “inconceivable” that a major firm in the accounting profession would operate without a branding protocol. In her own office she has “brand champions” who are responsible for assisting staff to utilize the brand properly in both their internal and external communications. Grayman suggests that branding in the accounting field is “at the core of the business” not least because customers are buying intangibles".Outside Africa it is routine for firms in the professional services sectors to engage in simple branding exercises like harmonising the appearance of their office stationery and web presence. More importantly, many have registered their names and logos as trade marks. If nothing else, clients will intuit that brand-related advice from their IP lawyer will sound more authentic if it apparent that the advice is based on practical experience as well as on received opinion.
