Message and Action Guidelines supports law firm’s consistent, common culture

The law firm of Bingham McHale LLP, the fourth largest firm in Indiana with a diverse group of more than 140 lawyers, needed a new brand identity, following a series of mergers, to successfully compete against the state’s larger and more influential law firms. Bingham McHale asked MillerWhite for assistance in achieving its goal of becoming the “premier business law firm in Indiana.” MillerWhite worked with Bingham McHale to create a positioning statement – “Perceptive. Responsive. Effective.” – that focused on the knowledge and experience of its attorneys as its differentiator.

MillerWhite cited research conducted by Northwestern University and the Promotion Marketing Association (PMA) Educational Foundation, Inc. that identified the top two factors in increasing sales or profits within an organization: 1) a common and consistent culture, and 2) external brand promotion and management. These findings suggest that external messages are paramount in influencing sales, and message are, or should be, based on a consistent culture developed and fostered within an organization.

MillerWhite utilized its Message and Action Guidelines (MAG) formula to help establish a common internal culture for Bingham McHale’s employees and recommended external message statements that employees would use when interacting with clients and the public. MAG documents were established for Bingham McHale as whole and for a number of its teams and departments. Messages and actions working together supported a common culture or voice for the firm and helped its individual industry teams and practice areas market themselves more consistently.