PI Brief Update

Marketing your Practice - Do we need new New Year’s resolutions in 2012? - Jenny Cotton, Mortons Marketing

03/01/12. Do we need new New Year’s resolutions in 2012? What happened to 2011 resolutions? Did we complete all we set out to do? Were our actions delayed or changed by others? Last December we looked at the trends forecast, we asked if the practice was actively monitoring change and developing alternative plans. Did this happen? Was it helpful? What preparation has been made for 2012? “More difficult than usual” were forecasts for 2011, has been proved to be the case? Change means opportunity and well as threat. How can you, your practice and clients benefit?

Forewarned is forearmed? 

We read of the varied economic forecasts, the changing global, Euro and local politics. How do the varied outcomes impact on our practice? There are disagreements, there are optimists and pessimists but one certain trend is that the key issues have not been solved and will continue to nee managing in 2012+. Even at national level, it appears decisions taken early in the morning after long nights of negotiation appear not to be final. Well considered options make the immediate response to anticipated change more comfortable and typically less costly. Has your practice experienced external changes? made changes? do you hold several options ready for changes yet to come? 

Last year we had to accommodate extremes of weather. Thankfully these have been repeated only in parts of Scotland, so far, this winter. Are we prepared should the travel/ communication difficulties return in the New Year? Hopefully we have learnt for 2011?

Do we have the systems/technology?

Do we have on site/at home working systems effectively in place? Should we invest in equipment and training now? Are we fully work mobile? It may not be weather which interrupts planned business. We may see more civil unrest and this may become more intrusive and lengthier protests in 2012. Groups which have never, or not in the relevant past, are talking protest, even in major global private sector organisations. Can our systems cope?

Internal audit completion, agree external communications

Once we have tried to do all that can sensibly be expected, are we fit for purpose? how do we communicate this to our many external contacts? 

This is a communications job and like any other we should agree which are our target audiences- current contacts/new contacts and their priorities. All colleagues can contribute, an overall view must be taken, communicated internally and implemented cost effectively. This does not need to be over formalised but quickly completed before agreeing target messages which will be specific to agreed audiences.eg All, staff and clients, will need to know if a temporary office closure is declared, as was the case for some practices in early 2011. Other messages will be case specific and can be handled as any other project communications, if the technology to work off site is available?

Recession? What recession? 2011 trends rechecked

1. Less will get done unless we learn to do more with less  

How did the 2011 suggested “zero budgeted” check go? Have long standing commitments been reassessed for current and future client relevance? We are often told 2008-9 were the years of the great recession and yet early indications for 2012 indicate further belt tightening is forecast for most sectors. Is this the double dip? Or will  it not bounce back and therefore show the more pessimistic signs of a “long bath”? Commercial services expansion outside the UK may not be a past option for all regional practices but as their clients explore their own international opportunities and threats, practices should check again.  Are current skills updates and or  new experience required? Are new clients interested in your existing services? for example international organisations wanting to extend their own operations and needing your regional/ specialist support?

2. We will have more data and even less “understanding”

Do we “drown in data” or do we only scan read much of what we receive? This was claimed of some key emails in the recent high profile media case. Is there a balance to strike between in-house assessment and taking a fresh approach eg using external experience? Often the mentoring of practice staff by an experienced external source offers the best balance by added resources under short term control. 

How do we balance the shorter term tactics and the longer term implications? Can we afford to reduce short term costs and plan to reinvest later? Do all clients need the same service levels? Have we recently reviewed their “must have” needs and their more discretionary support? Do we maximise the benefits of all we do? Recent experience indicates there is potential for improvement. 

A presentation of Advertising & Budgeting to a CIMA audience of 47 indicated not one had considered stationary, emails, technical support staff, premises presentation, vehicle livery and staff dress codes as part of communication or “advertising” their organisation. All these actions must be taken, all signal practice function, attitudes and experience. 

 Are your practice colleagues promoting your unique benefits? It may be specialist skills or experience? It may be speed of service or cost effectiveness or it may even be the often overlooked but time and costs valuable benefit of continuity of services. Trust, reduced briefing needs and confidence in known contacts are each valuable assets. Why do we use X? This should be a question every client is comfortable to answer and it helps to remind clients of these benefits.

3. Symbiosis will create interesting and strange partnerships

Learning to do more with less should include cooperation and collaboration with others of mutual values and non conflicting interests. Joint professions practices have been long discussed. Regulation is changing, as are client expectations. Practices may wish to look more closely at joint promotional events with non competing and yet relevant partners. Sponsorships are not new. High profile fundraising for local, regional and national charities can increase awareness of the practice, can forge new community links, can develop team work within the practice between departments or individuals in new teams. Sponsorship with new partners can act as an introduction to new contacts. PR can have a powerful awareness role at a lower investment level then much paid for media.

4. Marketers will mistakenly drop a media channel from their marketing mix

Reducing budgets does mean sacrifices are necessary, should these be across the board cuts or should whole sections be underfunded? Most practices have a range of support activities some externally sourced, others provided in house. ie promotion through paid for advertising and promotion, through active website maintenance, social media interaction and seminar programmes. As clients cut back themselves, your practice offers of legal requirements updates become all the more valued and valuable. Clients have a need to network actively, a relevant forum is mutually beneficial. Do seminars require the full expense of premises, a generous lunch and key staff presence every time? Has your practice tested responses to webinars? 

5. The adult 18-49 demographic will become less relevant

Is this group key to your practice in 2012? Can you practice afford to let others establish links with this rising generation? Diversity within this group is not new but application of new social and digital media opportunities when combined with budget pressures introduces a new emphasis. Take time to check Media Generations by Martin Block, Don Schultz and BIGresearch. This outlines the four media generations between 18 and 49 years, which can be summarised as those “internet raised” and those “television raised”. What is the readership of your local/ regional paper let alone the national broadsheets? 

6. Marketers will rush to employ social networks 

Do you have dedicated social media monitors? In a recently quoted SME, it was stated worthwhile to have two fulltime staff to support a B2B sales organisation of just 40 in total. Does your practice or do your staff offer tweets? widgets? apps? and or even fan pages? Some have thought of social media as yet another media channel to be planned, implemented and evaluated. Others see social media as an outcome of the many experiences of other communications, direct and indirect, paid for as in advertising, PR and normal business progress. Check value to your practice, both positive and negative.

7. Great content will travel at the “speed of share” while average experiences will evaporate

Clear, concise and convincing messages work best in every medium. Short, simple samples of what your practice offers demonstrate your practice skills. Case studies, testimonials and open forum discussion are each relevant methods which can be most effective face to face but at a cost, what can the web offer? A symbol can be helpful to services providers, think of red telephones, moustachioed Italianate opera singers and the Meercats? Awareness is essential and strong content drives interest and action. 

For the future…..

As every year, the key to your successful 2012 communication continues to be careful attention to your practice target audience(s), target message(s) and target action(s).  The process is merely complicated by new media channels, new fashions for blatant or intrusive creativity and continuing fragmentation of target groups into smaller sectors of common interest.  In strategic planning, the proven approach is to prioritise any and every action by those who have the greatest influence on the future. When budgets are tight this is even more appropriate. “More of the same” rarely works.

Jenny Cotton is an independent supplier of marketing services to a wide range of professional practices of solicitors, accountants and retail developers. An EWI member, she has led expert witness workshops and written papers on Expert Witness issues. She has been an Expert Witness since 1997 applying market audit rigor to civil and criminal cases, has given evidence in the Crown, Appeal and High Courts and written reports for the Licensing and Gaming Magistrates, for VAT Tribunal and the Insurance Ombudsman.

Marketing experience has grown from market researcher to marketing director in four FTSE 100 plc. She founded Mortons Marketing in 1994, an independent supplier of market audit and other marketing services.

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