Using your brand to differentiate
There are lots of quality law firms and qualified lawyers out there. Legal skills are simply table stakes. In order to stand out from the crowd, law firms and lawyers must differentiate themselves from the pack. Branded product wins over commodity product every time.
Which brings me to Frontier Airlines. What could be more commoditized than an airplane? Each one looks pretty much like the others. Frontier got the great idea of putting a different animal on the tail of each airplane (and using the tagline, "a whole different animal"). I live in Denver, and at Denver International Airport passengers are craning their necks as they walk to the A Concourse to see which animal they will be riding on. They are picking up their kids and pointing, so that their kids can see. Each plane has a personality. Frontier has differentiated its airplanes.
Frontier is now owned by indianapolis-based Republic Airways, which also owns Midwest. (Disclaimer: As someone who grew up in Milwaukee, I also love Midwest. and its chocolate-chip cookies.) Republic is in the process of combining both airlines into one, and choosing just one name for both airlines. The results will be annouced next month.
If differentiation is the key (and we know that it is), Republic needs to stick with the animals. What is your firm known for? What do people point at and tell others about?
