Market Masters Legal – TV Advertising Blog

You know those toning shoes with the curved bottoms that are supposed to help your physique? Well, maybe that is not all they do. Skechers Shape-ups are the subject of a recent lawsuit according to ABC News. There are certainly quite a few people using these shoes. Heck, I have a pair. We will have to keep an eye on this to see if it becomes a mass tort opportunity that has any “legs” (sorry).

The QuickStrike™ program at Market Masters-Legal gives our licensees a real edge when it comes to advertising for mass tort cases on TV.

What do Harry Truman, the Korean War and $3000 Packards have to do with Auto cases today? They all have 1949 in common, the last year that deaths on US roads were as low as they were in 2010, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s report on traffic fatalities.

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An interesting perspective on the value of Forensic Economists in evaluating case values is offered by Jason Abraham of Market Masters-Legal licensee Hupy & Abraham in a recent edition of the Wisconsin Law Journal.

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Looking for a public service promotion that really works? Market Masters-Legal licensee Joe Bornstein recently launched another Arrive Alive campaign. This promotion has been embraced across the state and has proven to be of real value to the community and to the firm.

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Overall, Direct Mail is on the rise in 2011 according to a recent report. The automotive, retail and financial services industries are leading the way. Hard to know what this means to direct mail efforts by law firms, but it would not be all that surprising to see this increase as well. Market Masters-Legal offers full graphic design services to our licensees, and can design direct mail pieces that stand out.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released a Safety Communication regarding the risk of oral clefts in children born to mothers taking Topamax (topiramate) .

The Ft. Wayne, IN Journal Gazette reported on 2/18/11 that lawyers for Zimmer, Inc. have filed suit against some law firms who have advertised on TV and/or the web seeking clients related to the NexGen® knee replacement line and other products the company manufactures.

The FDA is warning against certain uses of Terbutaline (asthma drug) in pregnant women.

The prescription hair loss drug Propecia is the subject of a lawsuit filed against Merck & Co. According to a recent Hartford Courant report, the suit alleges that Merck & Co. has failed to fully disclose potential serious side effects.

Insurance Adjusters.

I just received a great email from one of our licensees.

“Yesterday I ran into an adjuster from an old client of ours, (name of company).  It was (name) and (name) may remember him.  He told me our TV ads were the best of any of the law firms.”

You know what?  This actually happens all the time.  Adjusters tell our licensees that they really like the TV commercials that we produce for them, and that they think they are the best ones they have seen.

No argument here.

I just read an interesting recent article in Advertising Age that discussed the question of whether using celebrities in marketing was still viable in the “Era of Social Media”.  The overall conclusion was – yes.

“We receive more than 3,000 commercial images a day; our subconscious absorbs more than 150 images and roughly 30 reach our conscious mind………..if you use a (celebrity) strategy, you dramatically accelerate the potential for your brand to reach the conscious mind of the consumer.”

“….(it) has the power to instigate and inspire, enlighten and enrage, entertain and edify the consumer. Its inherent benefits are that it can be leveraged across multiple channel experiences (and potentially services), cuts through advertising clutter, creates a brand narrative and allows for channel-specific optimization. Ultimately, (it) is always worth investing in if you have the right person.”

Market Masters-Legal provides law firms with the opportunity to utilize the considerable spokesperson talents of William Shatner and Robert Vaughn in custom-filmed, market-exclusive multi-media campaigns.  Although far from the only elements of our creative that enable our licensees to regularly dominate their markets, they are critical components to their success.

“Everyone knows us.”

I shouldn’t be surprised when I hear this from an attorney at a well established firm that advertises heavily.  Yet, I almost always am.  Recently, I was told this by two of our licensees.  One was thinking that a 30% reduction in their advertising would not be a problem, and the other was saying that they could reallocate a portion of their budget to speculative strategies.  A few weeks after the cutback, the first attorney called me to express concern about dropping call numbers.  I reminded him about the reduction and he acknowledged that it was the likely cause of the downturn.

I have been told that the typical city/market experiences as much as a 20% annual turnover of population.  That 20% each year will not know you based on longevity or past marketing.  Even more important is the question as to what happens when a firm lessens its marketing position?  Inevitably, a competitor or competitors fill the vacuum that is created.  It can give them life where previously they were much less relevant.

Everyone does not know you, even if a lot do.  Stay strong and aggressive in your marketing using superior creative and proven strategies.  It will keep you on top.

Heading into Labor Day Weekend, I was trying to think of something appropriate to post.  Then I received a call from a prospective client interested in our TV campaigns for a specialized area, Wage Hour abuse cases.

Unfair labor practices have been around a very long time.  However, the suffering economy seems to have led to even more people being taken advantage of.   Hourly workers are required to work extra time without being compensated, or they are “promoted” to “management” to bypass overtime requirements. Two current Market Masters-Legal licensees began advertising for these cases earlier this year, with very strong results.  One of them told me that bigger companies are paying the fines/penalties whenever they are called to task, but have no intention of stopping what they are doing.  The savings outweigh the costs associated with the minority of people that will pursue claims against them.  In other words, there is no end to available cases/victims.

We have been advocating diversification in the types of cases being advertised for as a means to further grow practices.  Wage Hour abuse is an area that may be worth further exploration for you.  Let me know if you would like more information.

Have a safe and happy Labor Day Weekend.

Which  Approach To Lawyer Advertising Is Best?

Dignified or Memorable.

Dignified, by far, has been the approach of choice.  Lawyers on camera communicating how much they understand and care about those in need.  The belief is that this type of advertising will hit home with people in a way that will make them feel good about the firm and want to do business with them.  The problem with most ads in this category, in our opinion, is that they are weak at generating response and are easily forgotten.

There is a minority of attorneys who have chosen to take a more aggressive approach.  Hard hitting ads filled with visual and/or audio gimmicks that practically scream at the consumer. Most lawyers would not choose this strategy, and in fact abhor it.  While they lack dignity, they are memorable (even if it is for the wrong reasons).

There is a third choice.

Without question, the hardest thing to do is to consistently advertise in a way that is both memorable and dignified.  However, we believe it is the only way to maximize response among those currently in need of a lawyer, while building positive equity with the larger segment of the market at any given time that does not yet have the need.  Translation – more cases and better cases.  With Market Masters-Legal you do not have to choose one or the other.  You get both.