Law Society launches marketing drive

17 June 2010

The Law Society has this week launched another initiative providing practical support for its members, kicking off a third major national press, outdoor advertising, online and PR campaign promoting solicitors' services to individuals.

The Your Solicitor, Qualified To Answer campaign, which takes a Beatles theme with the strapline 'Help, I need somebody', will be featured in the national press, on trams, metros, railway stations, buses, on taxis, at televised cricket matches and online, with over 380 million opportunities to see. It will run from 14 June to 15 August, and is aimed at encouraging consumers to use solicitors by highlighting the kinds of problems they can help with and how having the right legal advice can help save money, time or heartache and often all three.

In a recent survey* nine out of 10 people said they would recommend their solicitor to a friend, according to research conducted by leading market research agency GfK NOP. 1011 people were asked if they had a solicitor they would go to for advice on a legal matter; 505 said they had. Of those, 90% said they would recommend a solicitor to a friend, 9% said they would not, and 1% didn’t know.

Campaign advertising directs viewers to the Society's website www.lawsociety.org.uk/qualifiedtoanswer where they can search for a solicitor to help them through the 'find a solicitor' service as well as more in-depth information about how solicitors can help. Solicitors should visit www.lawsociety.org.uk/promote to find out how to get involved and promote their own practice.

Leading the PR team, Melissa Davis will be supporting solicitors firms throughout the UK to help them piggyback the campaign through their local media. To contact her please email melissa.davis@lawsociety.org.uk.

Des Hudson, Law Society chief executive, says: "Promotion of the brand of solicitor has been identified as a priority for the national Law Society by the profession. This campaign focuses on services for individual clients and small businesses. It complements other work we are doing to promote the brand of solicitor at home and around the world - promoting every type of practice. Solicitors provide an expert service with good client care. We want consumers to realise through the impact of the campaign that they are the only sensible choice to help consumers with important legal issues at key points in life."

"Last year's campaign was extremely successful. With a £211,000 budget we secured £428,000 of advertising space. In addition we secured PR worth £723,000 in advertising equivalent value.Together advertising and PR generated over 100 million opportunities to see. More than 750,000 items of promotional material were ordered by the profession in support of the campaign.

"This year's campaign will guarantee over 380 million opportunities to see, with the online advertising campaign and PR pushing that figure even higher. Each opportunity to see costs around 1 penny, not including the opportunities to see generated by the on-line campaign.

"This campaign demonstrates the Law Society is providing practical support to help solicitors grow their practices. I'm delighted that local solicitors are already taking advantage of this opportunity by getting involved.