Lawyers love having their names in the law firm’s logo.
Hey, who wouldn’t? It’s the gold star, the brass ring, the highest honor law firms bestow, our industry’s Oscar. But it can get ridiculous, as over time more and more names get added for personal or ego-driven, not strategic reasons.
Firms with more than one or two name have to abbreviate the name somehow, for simple comprehensibility. Some choose to do so by using all the lawyers initials in the logo. And don’t get me started on how silly it is to use initials instead of selecting a name that people can actually remember.
Here’s “Ross’s Rule re Law Firm Initials”:
“Unless you’re DLA, don’t use initials in your name or logo.”
(OK, K&L Gates too. But we’re still on the fence about “V&E” outside of Texas.)
Here’s an example of a firm that needed to have a hard conversation with 6 or 7 of its lawyers:
Really, guys?
When firms’ names are this cumbersome, too often they elect to use some or all of their initials as the name or logo, resulting in this type of awkward “giant initials”-style design. This is just silly. No one refers to them as “S-M-R-L.” Or worse, “The Smerl firm.”
I don’t know these guys, I’ve heard that they’re fine lawyers, but I’ll bet $1 that they’re known locally as either “Syprett” or “Syprett Meshad.” After that, the rest of the names are just static.
Below is a logo we redesigned as part of a rebrand and website for a terrific New Orleans-based law firm, with five names. The logos are the same width, but you can see how after the redesign the logo without the initials stands out and the other doesn’t, at the same width. You know how to find the firm online, what to call it. Words are more memorable than initials.
Take a step back from your computer and tell me which one(s) you can still read. It took real strength of character and a long-term commitment to the firm for the last four names to suppress their egos and let “Galloway” stand out. This isn’t easy for anyone. Good for them.
Of course, I never recommend shortening the actual name of the firm. Here, the design change does not in any way suggest that Mr. Galloway was a better person or smarter lawyer, or otherwise more handsome or valuable than the others — just that his name was the first one on the door. And fortunately it was strong, unique, and memorable — a good name to use.
Most outsiders don’t really think of the firm name as a person, it’s just a word – the Company Name. I know Skadden is a fine firm, but I don’t spend any time at all wondering who Mr. Skadden is (or was), or whether he was a better person or lawyer than Messrs. Arps, Slate, Meagher, or Flom.
Mr. Johnson was a great guy but no one calls the firm “Galloway Johnson.” Why? Because “Galloway” is a strong enough word standing alone that everyone decides for themselves to stop there. It’s unique enough that there’s no risk of confusion (“Which ‘Galloway‘ firm do you mean?”) The logo change is just agreeing with the marketplace’s own decision.
Harry Beckwith framed this issue beautifully in the classic What Clients Love:
“The human brain rejects names of more than four syllables, and abbreviates them. The brain turned Harley Davidson into Harley.
“To fit into all but the largest print ads, long names must be printed in small type. Shorter names can be printed in far more conspicuous type and ensure the ad does what today’s marketing must – make their name more familiar.
“Small names act bigger.”
It’s what Ries and Trout call “The No-Name Trap” in another of my favorite marketing books, “Positioning: The Battle for The Mind.” If your firm has this same long-name issue, read Chapter 10 of this book (see below), or just contact me (at +1.847.921.7677 or ross@fishmanmarketing.com) and I’ll talk you through how to safely handle the process and sizable pitfalls.
So? How’s your logo looking?
[This is a 2022 update to a 2013 blog post.]
Logos (c) 2022 (1) Galloway, Johnson, Tompkins, Burr & Smith, and (2) Syprett, Meshad, Resnick, Lieb, and… aw heck, all the rest of them.
Will you need a new brand, website, or training for your firm NEXT year?
Contact Ross now at: ross [at] fishmanmarketing.com or +1.847.921.7677.
Download a free PDF copy of his best-selling strategy and branding book, “We’re Smart. We’re Old. And We’re the Best at Everything.” here or buy a paperback on Amazon here.
Do your lawyers need marketing training or a dynamic speaker at a firm retreat, either live or via webinar? Ross is one of the legal profession’s most-popular marketing and ethics CLE presenters. Here’s a link to a video of Ross in action, and a list of 25 of today’s hottest law firm marketing training topics.
