Nix Patterson

2022 Branding

Background

​

• Nix Patterson’s brand image is currently not reflective of its historic past nor its bright future
• The firm has asked Neon Ambition to conduct a brand development exercise
• The objective is to reveal the firm’s key brand attributes and develop�a brand profile that will be the basis for developing outward-facing messaging and imagery to use across all marketing touchpoints and initiatives

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Brand Development Process

Intelligence Gathering

Nix Patterson Marketing Materials + Messaging Audit

► Reviewed Website

► Reviewed Brand Icon/Logo and Key Messaging �

Conducted a Key Competitor Audit

► Arnold & Itkin

► Susman Godfrey

► Thomas J Henry

► The Lanier Law Firm

► Levin Papantonio Rafferty

► DiCello Levitt

► Watts Guerra

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Arnold & Itkin - “No Matter What”

• Message focus of “living for the fight” and taking on the tough cases
• Many mentions of $10 billion in verdict/top 3 largest jury verdict in US history
• Dark color scheme gives serious tone
• Friendly, approachable vibe on the Meet Our Attorneys page
• Lots of superlatives; “biggest”, “largest”, “record-breaking”, winning words “wins, victories”

Susman Godfrey - “High Stakes, High Performance”

• Clearly defined positioning as a no-nonsense trial firm
• Imagery starts off powerfully but lacks a sense of humanity, serving others
• Interior pages are exercises in chest beating, missed opportunity to display empathy
• No conversion points available on home screen

Thomas J Henry - “Largest Personal Injury Firm in Texas”

• If being the biggest PI firm in Texas equates with being the best, Thomas J. Henry has marketed himself into a top position against better lawyers
• The interior page is attempting to transfer the firm’s Texas roots to a national level
• Feels very traditional, not dynamic or progressive
• Conversion points are available through out the pages in both phone links and forms

The Lanier Law Firm - “Redefining Legal Care”

• Current strong messaging focus of mesothelioma and education of the types of mesothelioma
• Personality is somewhat soft and compassionate but not consistent throughout the site
• Not afraid to focus heavily on the type of cases that are the biggest focus (homepage banner, navigation) and let overview information be next
• Large phone number in the persistent header

Levin Papantonio Rafferty - “America's Top Personal Injury Law Firm”

• Claims the position of “America’s Top Personal Injury Law Firm” then modifies the claim as “one of the most successful law firms in the nation”
• Looks like a very pasty white law firm, though they do help all facets of society
• Conversion point on home page should be a linked call button, free case evaluation - directed towards PI clients is nice to have

DiCello Levitt - “Justice in all its Dimensions”

• Does a decent job of saying they seek justice in many different areas of practice
• Incongruent messaging between the headline and supporting images of practice types
• The interior “about” page does well in explaining their success for plaintiffs monetarily and socially
• Conversion point on home page is a button that takes you to the contact page, too many steps

Watts Guerra - “Trial Lawyers Achieving Serious High-Value Results”

• Messaging has heavy focus of “results” but no real brand is present
• Conveying down-to-earth work ethic contrasted with expertise and technology
• Prioritization of differentiators on the homepage, faster, bigger, better, more affordable…but these are so generic they don’t hit very hard
• Local news page all about accident stories
• Clunky user experience with side nav and repeated images on a lot of pages

Discovery Interviews

Nine 60-90 minute interviews were conducted and an 11-question survey was distributed

► Senior partners, associates, outside law partners, and clients

► Purpose: to reach an understanding of Nix Patterson’s current brand perceptions and equities �

Key questions addressed the following areas:

► The organizational strengths and weaknesses

► How the firm is different than any other

► Key words and imagery that the Nix Patterson evokes

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Discovery: What People Are Saying about Nix

“A legal SWAT team” “Helps the little guys take on Goliath”

“A strategic capability like no other” “Possesses ethical grit”

“Stands up for the people that can’t stand up for themselves”

“The Goldman Sachs of law firms”

“Looks at cases from multiple perspectives making them one of the most creative firms”

“They have a focus like no other” “Practical, surgical, creative” “The firm’s resources seem limitless”

“Their superpower is their image – they have that WOW factor”

“They find law-grads that already know how to swim and then they perfect their strokes”

“They are ALL super-stars which is a rare find”

“Nix Patterson is the championship athlete and national merit scholar who takes his grandmother to church on Sundays and is nice to the dorky kid at school”

“It’s like they play three-dimensional chess”

“They provide personal attention without having to sacrifice success”

“If Nix was a football team, it would be Alabama” “Cream of the crop”

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Discovery: SWOT Analysis

Strengths

• Longevity and history of ground-breaking case wins
• Experience handling large, complex plaintiffs cases of any kind
• Confident high-caliber legal talent willing to take-on untested areas
• Creative, collaborative approach to each case
• Proven to be highly adaptable in an ever-changing legal landscape
• Extensive financial and organizational resources
• Stellar reputation
• Ability to be available and accessible to clients

Weaknesses

• Perceived as not wanting to consider all sizes of cases
• Lack of long-standing ties in the Austin community
• No cultural diversity in leadership
• Referral network for PI cases is under developed and no relationships with judges
• Lacking network of referrals for local cases
• Marketing initiatives and outreach
• Non-specialization vs. the competition in specific areas of law
• Firm awareness is limited to just a few law schools along with the inability to take on a large number of interns

Opportunities

• Leverage the firm’s reputation for successfully handling the most complex cases
• Start to build a local presence in Austin through the legal community/universities, chamber of commerce and pro bono opportunities
• Diversify recruitment strategies by promoting the firm with a broader range of law schools
• Focus on newer case wins that may be more relevant to today’s audience, i.e. opioid cases

Threats

• Potential negative perception for being non-specialization
• Too much overhead could potentially limit resources in the future
• Not having the proper mix of business – too many class action cases that take too much time and resources
• Lack of formal succession plan – who will lead the firm in the next�10 years
• Ever changing laws and conservative judges limiting the scope of legal action against big business
• Potentially being perceived as a group of white Christian conservatives could have a negative impact on recruitment and the types of cases awarded

Discovery: Strengths

• Longevity and history of ground-breaking federal and state cases – national reach
• Extreme experience handling large, complex plaintiffs cases of any kind
• Confident high-caliber legal talent willing to take on untested areas of law
• Creative, collaborative approach to each case
• Proven to be highly adaptable to the ever changing legal landscape
• Keen ability to identify winning cases
• Extensive financial and physical resources
• Stellar reputation with government representatives, judges, mediators/arbitrators, and partnering law firms
• Strong political connections and strategic relationships
• Ability to be quickly available and accessible to clients
• Associate mentoring

Discovery: Weaknesses

• Perceived as not wanting to consider all sizes of cases
• Lack of long-standing ties in the Austin community
• No cultural diversity in leadership
• Referral network for PI cases is under developed and no relationships with judges
• Lacking network of referrals for local cases
• Firm awareness is limited to just a few law schools along with the inability to take-on a group of interns each year
• Brand presence and marketing outreach

Discovery: Opportunities

• Leverage the firm’s reputation for successfully handling the most complex cases
• Start to build a local presence in Austin through the legal community/universities, chamber of commerce and pro bono opportunities
• Diversify recruitment strategies by promoting the firm with a broader range of law schools
• Focus on case wins that are more relevant to younger audiences

Discovery: Threats

• Potential negative perception of being non-specialized
• Too much overhead could potentially limit resources in the future
• Not having the proper mix of business weighting too heavy on class action cases that take too much time and resources
• Lack of formal succession plan – who will lead the firm in the next 10 years
• Ever-changing laws
• Conservative judges limiting the scope of legal action against big business
• Potentially being perceived as a group of white Christian conservatives could have a negative impact on recruitment and the types of cases awarded

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Discovery: Key Challenges

• Differentiating from the competition
• Changing perception that the firm is willing to consider all cases
• Ability to balance risk and maintain financial strength
• Getting the next generation of associates groomed to take the firm into the next 20 years
• Conservative judges limiting the scope of legal action against big business
• Getting associate attorneys excited and energized about personal injury cases
• Diversifying hiring practices and creating a culture that is attractive to more types of attorneys

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Discovery: What Employees Most Appreciate about the Firm

the rare opportunity to work on complex, ground-breaking cases

striving for excellence

diversity of cases

opportunity to make a real positive impact

collaborative approach

landmark litigation cases

mentorship

everyone is accessible + approachable

trusted hard-working staff

being accountable for the quality of work instead of the hours

laid-back environment

team of attorneys

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The team-oriented, collaborative approach and diversity of cases is most appreciated.

Discovery: What Employees Least Appreciate about the Firm

lack of transparency cultural identity of the firm

double standards/unspoken rules

volatile nature of the business cycle

dynamics between mass torts and commercial litigation teams

management style work/life balance struggle firm politics

lack of marketing/public relations

no community engagement/pro bono work

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Many one-off responses without a clear central theme.

Discovery: What Clients Most Appreciate

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hard-working mentality

we go out of our way for our clients

our preparation and results

accessibility

approachability, integrity + honesty

our interest in them on an individual level

contingency model while fronting expenses

fearlessness and willingness

national reach

breath of experience + successes across all types of cases

we are real likable humans

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The team’s interest in them personally and �the firm’s breath of experience + successes rose to the top.

Discovery: What Clients Least Appreciate

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intake procedures/process

perceived the lack of communication

speed to launch as we assess risk

length of case resolution

case outcomes

arrogance

The majority of responses sighted communication.

Discovery: Feelings the Firm Evokes

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excitement chaos pride empowerment

strength passion

challenged stress

frustration

confidence encouragement

annoyance

Discovery: Firm’s Personality

boundary-pushers modern risk-takers

hardworking

adaptable aggressive driven

dynamic motivated creative

progressive approachable

compassionate innovative resourceful

smart loyal reasonable

Discovery: Firm’s Manner/ Tone

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warm

open

understanding

imposing personable

young

innovative resourceful professional straightforward

welcoming motivating

supportive

inspiring intellectual high-energy helpful

casual aggressive

creative

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Discovery: Current Branding + Logo/Identity

• Team doesn’t seem to have a strong connection or affinity for the brand logo
• There was confusion as to the origin of the icon and what it was representing
• A few felt that the visual identity could be improved on

Recommendation: Brand Attributes

• Successfully fights complex cases others are not willing to pursue
• A dynamic team of high-caliber legal talent
• Historic ground-breaking case wins
• Accessibility to the “A” Team
• Personal, compassionate approach
• A core foundation of dedication, collaboration + grit

Based on the discovery, we’ve identified the following as the most important brand attributes for Nix Patterson to leverage:

Recommendation: Positioning Building Blocks

Recommendation: Positioning #1: (The A-Team)

Only Nix Patterson has the experience,�determination and resources to handle the �most complex litigation cases, whether commercial �or personal injury focused, by providing the �proven talent anytime, anywhere.

Recommendation: Positioning #2: (Tenacity + Grit)

Because of their tenacious discovery and research capabilities, only Nix Patterson has the grit and determination to create precedent-setting solutions to optimize any commercial or personal injury case results.

Recommendation: Positioning #3: (Triple Threat)

Nix Patterson's innovation, confidence, and financial strength allow them to take on untested areas of the law to achieve the best possible outcomes for their clients.

Recommendation: Brand Profile

Positioning

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Nix Patterson's innovation, confidence, and financial strength allow them to take on untested areas of the law to achieve the best possible outcomes for their clients.

Personality

Authentic, Hard-working, Resourceful, Compassionate, Driven, Boundary-Pushing, Unconventional, Independent, Fearless, Bold, Inspiring, True Hearted

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Brand Voice

Professional and intellectual, with an approachable, personable demeanor. Always honest and straightforward. �

Theme Song: “The Eye of the Tiger”

Brand Essence

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�Reinventing Litigation for Good

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Brand Promise

• Fight for the underdog with laser focus, using the rule �of law to the fullest extent
• Grit and determination are at the foundation of everything that we pursue
• Always providing personal attention to those in need
• Be available and accessible at a moment’s notice
• Consider all cases
• Always sees a case through to its fullest potential
• Prepare and mentor the next generation of high caliber plaintiffs lawyers in the country

Recommendation: Embrace the Maverick Archetype

The Maverick…

• Defies the status quo and doesn’t apologize for it
• Takes risks and finds ways to fix and make things better
• Is willing to go where others are not
• Is the catalyst for change by going out on a limb
• Brave when others can’t be
• Does the undoable or achieves the seemingly impossible
• Greatest fears are to fit in, become complacent and settle

Recommendation:

Brand Mood Board

Next Steps

• Agree upon brand profile and archetype (slide 28)
• Finalize and approve mood board to begin website design
• Begin tagline and key messaging exploration

Taglines

Tagline Option 1

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Innovative Approach. Unrivaled Outcomes.

Tagline Option 2

Redefining Justice

Tagline Option 3

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Pushing Boundaries. Getting Results.�

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Tagline Option 4

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Challenge Accepted�

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Tagline Option 5

Tenacity | Determination | Experience�

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Thank You