Two things have occurred that need your attention. The first alternative business structure (ABS) firms have been announced and QualitySolicitors’ new TV promotional campaign has started. I’m sure there will be a fierce debate about the pros and cons of QS' approach to promoting legal services; however given the Co-operative is now an ABS offering ‘solicitors’ services, this will be somewhat academic. Whatever your opinion is, the facts are that both these businesses are starting a high-profile market entry strategy aimed at generating a brand value that will bring the work to them. Is it different this time? Is this the start of the consumer legal service revolution?

The answer is yes and no to both questions, we’ll know the answer is a couple of years. Certainly other businesses will be advertising and promoting their services and I’m sure the Co-op will be along soon, as will other ABSs with big plans and financial backing. They may not all compete via TV advertising but you can be sure their promotional messages will be arriving in front of your current and past clients soon.

One of the significant elements of the market’s development and all the Legal Services Act 2007 changes is that, as yet no one has consistently told the consumers and small and medium-sized businesses (SME) that anything in the legal services market comes with changes. The market for domestic and SME legal services is still wide open. This is an opportunity for all to present the benefits of their services to the clients they want to serve in the future. For a number of years Professor Richard Susskind has been outlining the potentially huge ‘latent market for legal services in the UK’. These are the unrealised needs of consumers and small businesses that solicitors need to tap into, by delivering the benefits of good legal services at sensible costs and in a manner easily understand by the client. Consumers with choice will not necessarily return to their previous ‘supplier’ without a compelling reason to do so.

A further significant point is the consumers’ needs have changed little in the past few years. Consumers have chosen to use or not use legal services in the situation they find themselves in. This is why I would suggest it is different this time. Significant investment in legal services businesses, ABSs or not, will lead to increased promotions of the services they offer. More people will be aware of where they can get legal ‘help’ should they need it and will have more knowledge of how and in what situations it could be beneficial for them. That promotional activity will grow the market for legal services of all kinds. However, to compete in that market all suppliers have to be able to present the benefits of the services they offer in a meaningful manner to the target client groups.

So far the revolution has been on the supply side, those delivering services to the consumers. Now we have the real test and from the marketing department we must ask difficult questions within solicitors firms. 'Are you ready to compete and accept the changes needed within your firm to remain competitive in the future market for your legal services?' Clear your mind of the history of your firm, its solicitors and clients and try to answer this question looking forward, not backwards.

Each firm has a unique marketing management challenge and the opportunity is to use the high-profile ad campaigns as a spur to get things moving in your firm. Those that do will be the firms that have a chance to be around in two years time to assess whether this really is the start of the legal services revolution.

Alastair Moyes is a director at Marketlaw and co-author of Marketing Legal Services, the current marketing handbook from Law Society Publishing