Isomorphous

Sunday, Sept. 28, 2008 | 11:05 a.m.

I had the good fortune of being a judge for the Society for Marketing Professional Services’ 2008 Marketing Communication Awards. I was one of four people who judged the Firm Brochure category. There were more than 40 submittals from firms of all sizes and locations.

While the quality of the submittals was high, one of the things that stood out was how similar the brochures were. Some of the submittals had better graphics and copy than others, but the essential messages were identical. The construction firms’ submittals looked similar, the engineering firms’ submittals looked similar and the architectural firms’ submittals looked alike. I imagined that all the firms’ owners dressed the same, talked the same and led in the same manner.

Viewing these brochures made me think about a very successful concept of marketing these firms had forgotten — the concept of differentiation. All of these firms had become the same firm, with the same look, the same language, the same message, and the same services. And while I do not have data on which to base this, I suspect that other professional service firms such as lawyers, accountants, and management consultants look similar, too.

Why have all these firms become so similar? Are they sending the message to the marketplace that the firms want, or the one they think the marketplace wants to hear? Are they all using the same marketing consultant? What role have professional associations played in the professions becoming isomorphous?

Think about the following:

Don’t write it if you don’t live it. Is there any firm today that doesn’t have a section in its marketing material about being “green?” But how many firms that claim “greenness,” really don’t believe it or live it? In my review of the Firm Brochure category, every single firm stated emphatically how it had embraced sustainable building principles, how it had LEED-accredited professionals, and one even called itself, “the LEEDer in sustainability.” Some even touted their “greenness” on single-sided, non-recycled content paper in large format and multi-colored inks. In reviewing the submittals, I could tell clearly who was really embracing sustainable design and who was just telling me what they thought I wanted to hear.

Make your marketing material as unique as you are. Seth Godin, in his book, “Purple Cow,” tells the story of driving through France with his family and seeing hundreds of beautiful cows in the pastures along the roadway. At first he and his family were enamored by the cows, but after a while, the cows became boring. The same old brown cow, one after another. That is when he thought about the Purple Cow: the cow that stood out from the others and was noticed.

Thank goodness we are not all brown cows. Our firms are all unique and our marketing material should reflect our uniqueness. Remember that clients will see you as a “Purple Cow” if your uniqueness matches theirs.

Don’t blindly follow the newest fad or trend. We all know the person who, upon reading about the newest marketing trend or fad, develops a new marketing piece that uses that technique. And then, a few months later, it’s on to something else, abandoning the last trend. How does this firm develop an enduring brand without an enduring method and message? With access to so many books, websites, and blogs with good information and advice, it is very difficult to stay focused on your message, but it is essential not to get caught up in creating an ever-changing brand promise.

With today’s economy challenging us more than in the past, it is important to remember that your firm needs not just to stand out, but to stand out in its own unique way.

I’d like to hear from you:

• Do you have examples of how you differentiate your firm in the marketplace?

• What role do you believe professional societies have played in professional service firms becoming isomorphous?

Until next time …

Craig