Marketing 'apathy'

Most marketing professionals in law firms maintain that senior management underestimates the importance of marketing, according to new research.Almost one-third (30%) of 103 marketeers questioned in a survey also said that senior management in firms did not fully understand the concept of marketing or business development.The survey by Marketforce Communications found that only 17% of respondents strongly agreed that law firm management viewed marketing as a key strategic function.

The majority of respondents (59%) said the importance of marketing was not fully appreciated by senior management.It also found that marketeers tended to focus on their firms' internal news: the principal marketing activity of 85% of law firm marketeers was press releasing company news, such as new arrivals to the partnership.David Saunders, managing director of Marketforce, said: 'Although law firms have made inroads from the days when the word marketing left a sour taste in the mouth, the firms who genuinely want to be known as market leaders must demonstrate their understanding of their clients' needs rather than just sending out a press release when a new contract has been won.'Only 21% of respondents used surveys of their target markets as marketing tools, and just 9% issued reports on key market issues.Victoria MacCallum