Passle CMO Series Podcast

Episode 159 - Halina Kochanowicz of IPH on Why Legal Marketing Needs a Shake-Up: Lessons from a CCO

Looking beyond the legal marketing industry offers invaluable insights and fresh perspectives that can drive true innovation. In today’s episode of the Passle CMO Series Podcast, Will Eke welcomes Halina Kochanowicz, Chief Commercial Officer at IPH Ltd. Halina brings a wealth of knowledge from her extensive experience leading marketing for top-tier, magic-circle law firms to her current CCO role, where she continues to shape business strategies at the highest level.

In this conversation, we’ll delve into Halina’s unique journey, exploring the key lessons law firm marketers can learn from other industries. 

Halina and Will explore:

• Halina’s career journey to Chief Commercial Officer at IPH
• Why BD and marketing in law firms are “broken”, the core issues in legal, and how they differ from challenges in other industries
• How marketing and BD functions in law firms compare to those in other sectors, and what law firms can do to enhance the strategic impact of those functions
• The results of using unconventional methods like sales representation and what law firms can learn from these strategies
• The emerging trends or technologies that will drive change, and how law firms should adapt
• Advice for law firm marketing and BD leaders who want to adopt more disruptive and innovative tactics

CMO Series Digital Masterclass LIVE : Sophie Bowkett on Building a Bold Market Presence with Bird & Bird's Digital Transformation

This week's special episode of the CMO Series Digital Masterclass was recorded live in London where Charles Cousins sat down with Sophie Bowkett, CMO at Bird & Bird, for an insightful conversation about the firm's remarkable digital transformation journey.

In this episode, Charles and Sophie delve into the story behind Bird & Bird's comprehensive rebrand and the development of a scalable digital infrastructure designed to support their global teams. They discuss the importance of thought leadership, lawyer activation, and self-service tools in crafting a bold market presence.

Sophie shares her experiences and insights on managing large-scale projects, the challenges of implementing behavioural change across a vast network of 1,700 lawyers, and the strategies Bird & Bird employs to ensure their brand resonates with a human-centric approach.

Learn how Bird & Bird is leveraging technology to democratize data, enabling their lawyers to take charge of their personal branding and business development. Discover the synergies between various projects, including the Activator BD and sales training, and how they align with the firm's five-year strategic plan.

This episode is packed with practical insights and real-world examples of how a forward-thinking law firm is navigating the digital landscape to enhance its market presence. Whether you're in the legal industry or interested in digital transformation, this conversation offers valuable takeaways for building a world-class digital presence.

Episode 8 - CMO Series Digital Masterclass: Karen Wilcox on Building Online Success with a Lean Team

Building a world-class digital presence is often associated with big budgets and large teams. In this episode, we’re exploring how to achieve online success with a leaner approach. 

Charlie Knight welcomes Karen Wilcox, former Head of Marketing at Taylor English and previous Marketing Director at Kilpatrick to the CMO Series Digital Masterclass. With a foundation in Big Four consulting, Karen now leads as President of Marketing Speaks, bringing years of expertise in driving effective digital marketing strategies.

Join us as Karen shares her unique insights on how firms can develop and implement impactful digital marketing approaches with a lean team. She’ll offer best practices and actionable advice for firms of all sizes looking to make a big impact with streamlined resources.

Karen and Charlie explore:

• The starting point for implementing a digital strategy with limited resources
• The most important questions you should ask your digital partners to ensure they're the right fit for your team
• The key to building effective relationships with your digital partners
• What success looks like and real-life examples of effective campaigns and initiatives
• Advice for CMOs looking to build a world-class digital presence with a small team

 

Episode 158 - Jeff Berardi’s 7 steps to better, more strategic thought leadership

Thought leadership is essential to professional services marketing - it provides firms with a powerful platform to showcase their expertise while delivering value to clients and prospects. 

In today’s episode of the CMO Series Podcast, we dive into a new approach to thought leadership, one designed to maximize its strategic business impact.

Ed Lovatt sits down with Jeff Berardi, former Chief BD and Marketing Officer at Arnold & Porter, CMO at K&L Gates and Ankura, and now a marketing consultant at Berardi Consulting, to discuss his 7-step model for driving business value through thought leadership.

Jeff and Ed cover: 

• Why marketers and BD professionals need to look at thought leadership differently, and why they should sit up and pay attention to this 7-step model
• Jeff’s career journey and the moment he realized thought leadership could be done more effectively
• A run-through of the 7-step model
• Real-life examples that demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach 
• Advice for those thinking of tackling thought leadership in this new way

You can read more about Jeff’s 7-step process in this LSSO article. 

Episode 7 - CMO Series Digital Masterclass: Amanda Schneider on How to Integrate Individual and Law Firm Brands Online

A firm's brand establishes credibility and attracts clients, while individual attorneys' brands build trust and showcase expertise. Together, they create a synergy that enhances the firm’s reputation and market reach.

In this episode of the CMO Series Digital Masterclass, Charlie Knight is joined by Amanda Schneider, Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer at Epstein Becker Green. With 20 years of law firm leadership experience, Amanda discusses how CMOs can effectively balance integrating a firm’s overall brand strategy with the individual brands of its attorneys online.

 

Amanda and Charlie Cover:

• How firms balance between their law firm brand and the brands of their individual attorneys
• How firms bring the personal brands of attorneys into the overall strategy
• The role of thought leadership in building personal and legal brands
• How the different practice areas and their brands work within the firm's overall brand
• Measuring the effectiveness of a brand and its impact from both an individual and firm perspective.
• Amanda’s top tip for marketing BD leaders looking to take a more integrated approach to building their online brand

CMO Series Live Special: Alison Arjoon and Luke Ferrandino on Shaping a New Era of Collaboration with AI

In this special episode of the CMO Series Podcast, we revisit a memorable session from the CMO Series Live held in New York.

Eugene McCormick set the stage for an engaging discussion with Alison Arjoon, the Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer at Fragomen, and Luke Ferrandino, the Chief Marketing Officer at Paul Weiss. Together, they explored how AI is ushering in a new era of collaboration and transforming the Business Pyramid.

Alison, Luke and Eugene Cover:

• The role of technology and the challenges faced by both traditional and non-traditional law firms

• Strategies for effectively leveraging technology to streamline processes

• How AI contributed to project successes and fostered a new way of collaboration 

• The evolving role of AI and its current and future impact 

Episode 6 - CMO Series Digital Masterclass: Anders Holt and Chris Eatherton on Crafting a Winning RFP for Professional Services Websites

Welcome to the CMO Series Digital Masterclass. A successful website build for any professional services firm begins with a well-crafted RFP. Today, we're joined by Anders Holt, CEO of Novicell, and Chris Eatherton, Head of Digital Marketing at AlixPartners, who will share their expertise on the complexities of website projects and the nuances of crafting a winning RFP from both the agency and client perspectives.

In this episode, we discuss the biggest challenges firms face when drafting an RFP, the importance of involving technical experts early on, and how to approach a project with a clear understanding of both functional and non-functional requirements.

If you're a CMO planning a website overhaul, stay tuned for actionable insights and expert advice on how to set your project up for success from the very start.

Episode 157 - Laura Ottley of Addleshaw Goddard on What it Means to be Client-shaped and the Role of CMO

While many firms strive to put clients first, today we’re exploring what it truly means to be 'client-shaped' and how the role of the CMO is evolving to instil that mindset across organisations.

No one is better equipped to delve into this topic, in today’s episode, Will Eke is excited to welcome Laura Ottley, Chief Marketing Officer at Addleshaw Goddard, to the CMO Series Podcast.

Laura has played a pivotal role in redefining Addleshaw Goddard’s approach to client engagement. She joins the series to share her leadership journey, the innovative campaigns that have set the firm apart, and discuss how embracing a client-shaped philosophy has transformed both their external impact and internal team culture.

During their conversation, Laura and Will cover:

• Laura’s career path and the steps that led her to the CMO role at Addleshaw Goddard
• Her main priorities upon joining AG in 2020, including the goals and challenges she set out to address from day one
• The moment she recognised the importance of being 'client-shaped' and how she embedded this perspective throughout the firm
• The standout creative campaigns Laura has led and how she ensured they genuinely resonated with clients
• The ripple effects of client-focused initiatives, both in terms of market impact and the influence on internal stakeholders and team dynamics
• Practical advice for fellow CMOs looking to adopt a more client-shaped approach within their own organisations

Episode 5 - CMO Series Digital Masterclass: What it Takes to Build a World-Class Digital Presence

In this episode of the CMO Series Digital Masterclass, Charlie invites Julie Chodos, Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer at Axinn, and Duncan Shaw, Chief Creative Officer at Living Group to guide us through Axinn’s rebranding journey, fresh off the back of its launch.

Julie, working alongside Duncan, has just unveiled Axinn's new brand and website and joins the series to share her insights on the entire journey, from setting the project's scope to managing change within the firm. Duncan shares his perspective as a partner in the process, revealing some of the secrets to successfully delivering a legal rebrand that aligns with the organization’s goals.

Julie, Duncan and Charlie Cover:

• Julie’s decision to deliver a full rebrand and how it was necessary in building a strong digital presence
• Duncan’s insights on what the discovery phase of a rebrand looks like and how to successfully identify the technical elements required 
• How to align a law firm’s brand strategy with its business goals 
• How Julie engages partners and manages the change process effectively
• The role thought leadership plays in a law firm rebrand and when should CMOs consider it
• Julie’s plans to leverage the new brand in the firm’s business development efforts

You can check out Axinn’s new brand and website here. 

CMO Series Live Special: Iris Jones of Akerman on How to Stand Out and Deliver Results

This special episode of the CMO Series Podcast, was recorded live at the Lex Mundi Annual Conference in Toronto where Alistair Bone was joined by Iris Jones, Akerman's Chief Marketing and Client Development Officer.

Iris shares her insights on how fostering proactivity and accountability within the firm can drive positive change and make an impact both inside and outside the firm. 

Iris and Ali Cover:

• The importance of standing out for marketers and BD professionals  
• Iris’s journey to her current role at Akerman and how she takes accountability for results 
• The meaning of positioning yourself to have a positive impact and tips on how to achieve it
• Why marketing and BD need to be better at self-promotion with examples of how to improve
• How to overcome the fear of the unknown and get out of your comfort zone
• Iris’s advice for those looking to take accountability and have an impact