Comments on: Brand Promise – It's Not a Bag of Hair http://www.slaw.ca/2009/11/11/brand-promise-its-not-a-bag-of-hair/ Canada's online legal magazine Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:45:18 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: John G http://www.slaw.ca/2009/11/11/brand-promise-its-not-a-bag-of-hair/comment-page-1/#comment-708257 John G Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:27:29 +0000 http://www.slaw.ca/?p=14069#comment-708257 I disagree as well. The list of deals would be like a row of pictures of coiffures for which the hairdresser was personally responsible. The law firms' equivalent to bags of hair might be bags of money ... which would have a certain appeal, but (a) the hair is taken away to create the coiffure, while the money is produced by the deals, and (b) the partners take the bags of money home (so I'm told). I presume the clients consent to the mention of their deals on their law firms' web sites, since lawyers aren't otherwise allowed to talk about who they represent. Why would clients want to appear on such a list? Do they derive prestige from choosing a law firm that all those other fancy folks also chose? I disagree as well. The list of deals would be like a row of pictures of coiffures for which the hairdresser was personally responsible. The law firms' equivalent to bags of hair might be bags of money … which would have a certain appeal, but (a) the hair is taken away to create the coiffure, while the money is produced by the deals, and (b) the partners take the bags of money home (so I'm told).

I presume the clients consent to the mention of their deals on their law firms' web sites, since lawyers aren't otherwise allowed to talk about who they represent. Why would clients want to appear on such a list? Do they derive prestige from choosing a law firm that all those other fancy folks also chose?

]]> By: DC http://www.slaw.ca/2009/11/11/brand-promise-its-not-a-bag-of-hair/comment-page-1/#comment-708254 DC Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:56:04 +0000 http://www.slaw.ca/?p=14069#comment-708254 I respectfully disagree with your analogy. Clients want to see what deals you have done because they want to know that you have handled clients in the same industry (read: you know our particular issues, and our savvy competitors have already placed their trust in you), deals in the same geography (read: you know local issues and law), and deals of the same size and complexity (read: you have the experience/expertise) - because they don't want to have to pay for you to get up to speed. Under your analogy, law firms would post deal documents, the equivalent of your "bags of hair" - clearly not done. I respectfully disagree with your analogy.

Clients want to see what deals you have done because they want to know that you have handled clients in the same industry (read: you know our particular issues, and our savvy competitors have already placed their trust in you), deals in the same geography (read: you know local issues and law), and deals of the same size and complexity (read: you have the experience/expertise) – because they don't want to have to pay for you to get up to speed. Under your analogy, law firms would post deal documents, the equivalent of your "bags of hair" – clearly not done.

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