1. Embedding communication into
the business strategy
Anna Cousins
Asia-Pacific Marketing Manager

2. Agenda
? Articulating the importance of communication and its
benefits in terms of ROI
? Influencing senior leaders to adopt communication as
core business
? Building a business case for corporate communication

3. Agenda (cont)
? Working with leadership, marketing, finance and HR
to understand wider objectives
? Delivering the communication strategy against the
firm’s goals and brand
? Communicating consistently to diverse audiences –
internal and external

4. Brand strategy helps firms …
? Differentiate from competitors
? Create a price premium
? Enhance profit margins
? Encourage buyer loyalty
Enduring brands become market leaders through
consistent delivery to buyer expectations

5. Professional services
? Technical expertise, even excellence or quality, is a
given – price of entry
? A “people business”
? Clients demand high service levels
? Align organisational behaviour with the external brand
promise – link brand values to people management
Communication is critical to the process

6. Differentiation of law firms
? Larger commercial firms – full-service capacity, complex
high-end work
? Niche firms – excel in one practice area
? Volume-driven commoditised business (conveyancing,
insurance/personal injury)
? Geographic / Demographic market
? Alternative pricing models - new
Communicate what makes your firm special

7. A global firm

8. Snapshot
130 partners and >250 other lawyers in 13 offices:
? Europe – London (head office), Paris, Rouen, Brussels,
Geneva, Piraeus
? Middle East – Dubai
? Asia Pacific – Hong Kong (1978), Singapore (1991),
Shanghai (1999), Melbourne (2006), Sydney (2009),
Perth (June 2011)

9. Fit purpose to strategy

10. Long-established in shipping ...
? Sailing-ship owning Holman
family forms shipping
insurance associations
(1832-70)
? John Holman & Sons moves
to City of London (1873)
? Frank Holman, of John
Holman & Sons, sets up as a
solicitor (1883)

11. … but on the move
? Re-branded in 2008, deleting the '&' from name
? New logo and visual identity
? Firm converted to LLP status in 2009
? Tagline: “Lawyers for international commerce”

12. Lawyers for International Commerce

13. Key messages
? Tagline - Lawyers for international commerce
? International law firm with offices in Australia, Asia-
Pacific, Middle East and Europe
? Depth of experience, longevity and resources in Asia-
Pacific region

14. Key messages (cont)
A sector-focussed
business strategy:
? Commercial
? Corporate, Projects &
Finance
? Insurance & Reinsurance
? Shipping & Transport
? Trade & Energy

15. Key messages (cont)
HFW has a diverse client base:
? Ship owners, operators, ports and shipyards
? Logistics providers and supply chain managers
? Commodity houses and traders
? Mining companies
? Energy companies and oil traders
? Banks and other financial institutions
? Private and public companies
? Insurance underwriters and brokers … and more

16. Key messages (cont)
? Need to communicate differently
? Open and personable communication approach breaks
down typical barriers existing between:
- clients / law firms
- partners / employees
- marketing / human resources / finance
? “People you can work with”

17. Key messages (cont)
? Vast global experience in emergency and crisis
management wherever it occurs in the world
? 24-hour emergency service

19. Internal communication
? Aust managing partner highly visible
? Holmanet intranet - information-sharing
? Monthly “international lunch” for all staff
? Established social networking sites – Yammer?
? Own online communities of interest?
? Managing Partner’s blog - share ideas, feedback,
dialogue, collaborate?

20. Structuring the Firm to Deliver

21. Communication strategy fits purpose
? Articulate market-leading position in established areas
? Demonstrate social responsibility and commitment to
sectors on which we focus
? Manage the client experience and delivery

22. Communication fits purpose (cont)
? Foster global collaboration and teamwork across ten
countries (and different cultures)
? Build the profile in new markets
? Support recruitment – hiring in Australia

23. In tough times …
? Competition threatens client relationships
? Media looking for bad news
? Everyone must champion the brand
? People feel unsettled and look to leaders for clarity
Clear, consistent communication is important

24. Leaders must …
? Keep communicating – remind
clients/staff/suppliers of the big picture
? Make time to (deeply) understand audiences –
particularly clients
? Maintain trust via personal communication –
face-to-face becomes more important
? Demonstrate value – as competition intensifies

25. Not …
? Create a communication vacuum
? Over-communicate – looks nervous
? Fear new media – embrace it
? Grind to a halt – stay agile

26. In tough times … get personal
Unified purpose – on message
Storytelling – campaign leveraged
the power of leadership oratory
Walking the floor – from
backstreets to boardrooms Obama
fronted up
Kept communicating –even
when time (& questions) got tough
Audience centric –tweaked
messages for different stakeholders
Celebrating success – wins
used to fuel campaign motivation

27. Summary
? Communication must fit the wider strategy
? Work with HR to align culture and behaviours with
external brand promise
? Reflecting brand consistently – internal/external
? Leaders must communicate firm’s vision …
and fill information vacuums

28. Lawyers for international
commerce
hfw.com