GUEST BLOGGER: Michael Zolno, Principal – Zolno Consulting

Six months ago, after almost a year of trial and tribulation and at great expense, your law firm completed its rebranding efforts. This morning, at the marketing committee meeting, you; the Director of Marketing, were asked by the Managing Partner, “are our new branding efforts showing a return?”

Fumbling with your papers and looking taken off guard respond, “I think so. Some of our clients have told us they like the new website and …”

I remember being eight and all I wanted for Christmas was "Game and Watch" games. Game and Watch by Nintendo, was a handheld gaming unit made in the early 80s, with an LCD screen and very simple motion. In my mind, this was the seed of the moblie generation and I'd like to believe that this revolution may have started with me. ;)

"Somewhere along the line, I will screw up. I won't return a call, answer an email or give you the attention you deserve. So when that happens, will you do me a favor and let me know? You mean a lot to me and I really value our relationship."

When I was young I remember my father teaching me the difference between wants and needs. Whenever I would ask for something he would sometimes reply, “Now, do you need that or do you want that.” Now that I’m the adult I remember his words and while I still make impulse buys, when I’m considering a major purchase the lesson of wanting or needing always sticks in the back of my mind. Just ask my wife! 

This past week Katie, my eight-year-old daughter, accidently opened a package that had a Christmas present enclosed from Santa Claus. I thought it was her annual Christmas ornament. (D’oh! on my part).

It’s that time of year again. Your desk and inbox are flooded with holiday cards. I know there are folks who have very strong feelings about whether or not print or digital is the best medium to send thanks and best wishes at holiday time. Personally, I feel like both can be done well. The problem is few ARE actually done well. The majority of cards I see—be they paper or pixil—are utterly generic and impersonal. And what does that say about how you view your relationship with the recipient?

When it comes to branding, why do professional service firms like the Home Depots of the world? From large management companies to PR firms, they all say they can handle your brand. Even though it's not their specialty. So is it really all about size and the guarantee on a box?

What is a guarantee? Or better yet, why do people like it "on the box?" Simple, because it makes a man feel good. As Chris Farley was quoted movie Tommy Boy (1995):

Are you activating your sponsorships? Are you looking for additional opportunities around your sponsorships? 

In a competitive economic climate, professional service firms need to capitalize on any edge they can and are finding rich resources when leveraging their alumni network.

Alumni programs have become a crucial way for professional service firms to develop new business, strengthen their brands and recruit the best and brightest. Alumni can become brand ambassadors for a firm, referral sources for new business and references for new hires or “boomerangs” that return to a firm.

Here's a checklist to help you start building your own successful alumni program:

MRI Starch, the venerable market research company that has been measuring the effectiveness of advertising for more than four decades, recently completed a survey to find out what makes a print ad sell. The findings include a number of valuable take-aways professional services marketers can use to improve our own positioning and branding efforts. Here’s what Starch learned: