Rebranding is an initiative law firms should not take lightly. There is a component of culture reflection required. There is a great deal of work involved. However, the upside of a rebranding, done correctly, can be just as significant as the effort. If your firm is making substantive changes, a rebrand helps to communicate that internally and externally. It can provide strong visual reinforcement for your change management initiative and can help you to reposition your law firm in a time of momentous change and innovation in the industry.

Start With Why You Are Rebranding

As with most marketing and communication initiatives, the best place to start any marketing project is with the question "why?" There are good reasons, and not so good reasons.

Reasons to Rebrand

• A significant direction or cultural shift in the firm.
• A significant milestone in your law firm's history.
• A merger or acquisition.
• Succession of leadership from an old regime.
• The death or retirement of named partners.
• A change in the industry that has put your firm's brand at a disadvantage.
• A firm that has encountered a significant issue in the digital space, such as another entity with a similar URL or search profile.

Reasons Not to Rebrand

• Covering up or distracting from a problem without addressing the root cause.
• A change to the head of marketing.
• You don't like it or the colors and haven't asked your buying audience what they think.
• You think it's a good idea to rebrand.
• You received an unsolicited sales email from an unknown agency telling you that you should rebrand.

Your brand is about the intrinsic qualities of your law firm and the firm's overall culture. It is not about the people running the marketing at a particular point in time or about lawyers who "believe" the logo, brand colors or font should be changed. You also don't rebrand simply to get attention from your audience. Create genuine interest in your brand by being innovative, helpful and diligent.