The conclusion of Downton Abbey has me thinking about law firm web copy. Say what, now? I’m speaking, of course, of law firm histories. It is very tempting to commemorate a big anniversary with a self-congratulatory press release, collateral or web copy. It used to be fairly common. I once covered the 25th anniversary of the founding of a Valley firm. They ordered a giant “25” ice sculpture and the partners posed around it. Other than the debut of New Coke, I cannot remember

Unless you’ve been living off the grid, you know that TED talks are wildly popular. One reason why is that each carefully scripted presentation tells a succinct 20-minute story. The audience moves with the speaker through the narrative arc. They are shown, not told, about a perspective they may not have considered before. They listen enraptured, eager to know more. Fittingly, "The Power of Personal Narrative" TED Talk by Elan Morgan. John Hagel, who joined Deloitte Touche USA

This post originally appeared in Susan Kostal's Legal Marketing Bits & Bites Newsletter. Sign up for more content here. Marketing 101 Consumer companies create dozens of consumer personas to sell products. Anybody who sells anything has likely labeled you, your needs, and your interests. Does the necessity to create client personas apply to law firms? Absolutely. You are selling a product--legal services--and you need to figure out who's in your market. Marketing is the proce

All products and companies need a brand, and all individuals need a personal brand. It greatly influences the consumer’s buying decision, and allows for the crafting of the all-important sales narrative. Let me illustrate. I only buy Dawn dishwashing detergent. Why? First, it doesn’t smell gross. And it works. But most importantly, I buy it because it is the detergent of choice for washing oil-soaked birds after spills and other chemical disasters. I feel bad about oily birds