Thought leadership is one of the most effective techniques in public relations. By identifying an issue your customers care about, and sharing your insights into it, you can establish a reputation as an expert. Before you know it, new business can be beating a path to your door. And yet, so many businesses get thought leadership wrong. The secret is to apply four basic marketing principles. (more…)

Thought leadership is a well-known concept in legal marketing. Why, then, is it so often done badly, failing to achieve its fundamental objectives? Budgetary constraints are certainly not the reason, as, with sufficient creativity, the approach is viable even for small firms and specialist practices. By thinking carefully about the target audience, actively monitoring clients’ industries and having a linked business development plan, thought leadership can be properly harnessed as a very effective marketing tool. (more…)

When it emerged recently that KKR had turned to Simpson, Thacher & Bartlett to advise on its Pets at Home acquisition, rather than long-standing M&A adviser Clifford Chance, the move underlined a harsh reality for law firms: competition for clients has never been greater. New times require new thinking, so it is essential to use marketing intelligently. (more…)

With Thanksgiving and the festive season upon us, this is the time to be fine-tuning your PR plans for 2010. Whatever your business, there are a number of factors to bear in mind as you put your best foot forward in the New Year. (more…)

Microsoft has been out on the message offensive, driven by a lukewarm stock market response to its new partnership with Yahoo, which we blogged about on the day the news broke. (more…)