There was a great comment/letter on the Readers Say page of this week’s Marketing magazine titled “Heritage must be used in a contemporary way”.
The gist of the reader’s commentary was how brands that have been around a long time should not “dwell” on the heritage aspect of their brand or else risk “…losing relevance…” to today’s consumer.
I think these are wise words that many law firms should listen to. When asked, most law firms would not “sell” their name or even risk changing it as they rebrand, but that does not mean that consumers care that the firm was founded in 1852 or that the 5th generation of the founder still works in the firm. They care about your law firm being responsive, timely, about billing accurately, all the usual client care stuff.
The “heritage play” should not be ignored, but it must be taken in the context of what clients want now, not what their grandparents wanted. Be cognizant of the past, but act for the future.