Lawyer Marketing Lessons From Loctite’s Super Bowl Ad

Much has already been written about the advertising hits and misses during Super Bowl XLIX, but one thing is certain, most ads were simple brand plays. At cost of $4.5 million per 30-second spot, the majority of advertisers aimed for general awareness over product sales. And it worked. Take Loctite (http://www.loctite.com/index2.php?cc=us) for example. Most Americans don’t have strong opinions on glue, but on Monday morning the major media outlets were talking about their unique ad (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TjgUwNJ72k). Wisely, the adhesive maker didn’t bet their entire budget on just one medium. They had PPC ads already in-place featuring their #WinAtGlue hashtag and a nod to the big game within the text. So how does this relate to lawyer marketing?

1. Like Loctite, your brand probably isn’t a household name. Some law firms have very high profiles in their communities, but for the most part people spend much time thinking about their favorite attorneys. Do you have a favorite glue?
2. Many consumers don’t anticipate a need for legal representation until some outside force justifies it. Likewise, most people don’t know when their glasses will break. But when they do need to take action, they do so quickly.

These two forces: brand ignorance and an urgent situational need make for tough marketing. Your best work might fall on deaf ears if your audience simply doesn’t have a current need for legal services. And when they do start looking, there’s a strong chance that your firm name won’t be guiding their search. The best thing law firms can do is to be ready when the shoppers come calling. Develop a strong web footprint that uses multiple tactics to ensure maximum visibility. Among other things, that means great content on your website, well-managed business listings and smart PPC ads. All of these measures working together to drive the right customers to your firm at the right time. Obviously, you’re not Loctite. For products like theirs, a single big-budget ad might deliver a spike in brand recognition that’s worth the investment. But for a law firm’s marketing dollars to be truly effective, they need to be spread across multiple supporting tactics. That’s integrated marketing and that’s what we do at FindLaw.