Excellence in Marketing and Business Development 2012

Winner

Fosters Solicitors
Fosters Solicitors celebrated its 250th anniversary by taking an innovative approach to marketing. The firm 'crowd-sourced' marketing ideas from its staff, and used this to develop marketing plans for each department. This, along with individual marketing targets for all staff members, enabled a collaborative, responsible approach to firm marketing. One creative idea saw the firm link with a premier league football club as their 'official legal partner.'

Highly commended

QualitySolicitors
QualitySolicitors this year ran a national marketing campaign, designed to raise awareness of their brand and portray legal services as they have never been shown before. The campaign included a TV advert, social and online media, the release of a soundtrack and new websites.

Shortlisted

Comptons Solicitors LLP
Comptons launched the Lease Clinic, a fixed-fee service for leaseholders, in 2010. The award-winning Lease
Clinic website was supported by a marketing plan that used search engine targeting tactics, a free online premium calculator and a social media push to increase brand awareness. Targeted marketing was also aimed at specialist audiences, including surveyors and estate agents.

Duncan Gibbins Solicitors
The Duncan Gibbins Academy website provides legal careers advice for law students and graduates. An extensive social media marketing campaign was developed to drive traffic to the website, and helped to strengthen the firm's brand and international reputation.

DKLM LLP
In February 2012 DKLM LLP started to work with top ten Chinese law firm Zhonglun W & D Law Firm. The alliance aims to build bridges between the UK and China, providing a platform for UK businesses working in China, and for Chinese entrepreneurs to invest in the UK.

Fox Williams LLP
Fox Williams' report on ABS, ABSolutely Fabulous, was based on a survey of over a hundred commercial firms. The report was marketed through a sold-out launch event, dedicated online resources and a comprehensive social media plan that resulted in extensive coverage in the national and trade press.

Gallant Maxwell Ltd
Gallant Maxwell wanted to create a new corporate and brand identity for their boutique Soho law firm. They put together a campaign that would celebrate their 'alternative business structure' - two partners delivering big firm services with personality, efficiency and wit. Their rebrand incorporated a visually exciting new style and website, which has led to fantastic client feedback and strong interest in the firm.

Hogan Lovells
In 2011 Hogan Lovells, with the help of the Financial Times, launched 'M&A Evolution: Strategies for the New Deal Landscape', a report on the M&A landscape from 160 board-rooms of major multinationals around the globe. The ambitious campaign that accompanied the release included a dedicated website, www.hoganlovells.com/evolution, alongside events and a widespread distribution campaign.

SGH Martineau LLP
The merger of Birmingham-based Martineau with city law firm SGH in 2011 was the catalyst for a strategic marketing programme to introduce the new firm to clients and internal colleagues. The strategy focused on internal change, opening two-way communication channels between teams and managers, setting up internal newsletters and engaging staff with the rebrand and launch. Clients were sent personalised letters selling the merger's benefits, and a proactive media strategy saw a successful launch of the new firm.