Passle CMO Series Podcast

Episode 151 - Tim Mullane of Wilson Elser on How to Align Budgets with Your Firm’s Growth Strategy

Law firm budgets are under increasing scrutiny as firms face pressure to maximize efficiency, adapt to changing market conditions, and deliver more value to clients. 

For CMOs, understanding and aligning the marketing budget with the firm's broader strategic goals is critical. A well-aligned budget ensures that marketing efforts directly support the firm’s growth objectives, enhance client engagement, and improve ROI for marketing activities.

In this episode of the CMO Series Podcast, Alistair Bone sits down with Tim Mullane, Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer at Wilson Elser, to understand how to align a firm’s budget with its growth strategy. 

Tim and Ali Cover:

• The current trends impacting law firm budgets, and why CMOs should prioritize this issue
• What causes budget misalignment in law firms, and examples of the consequences when it happens
• How marketers can effectively align their budgets with their firm's strategic goals
• How to successfully amend budgets once new priorities are set
• The concept of “winners” in a budget allocation context and how to identify them
• The timeframes law firms should consider when setting budgets and how to evaluate the effectiveness of their strategies 
• The most important aspect marketers should consider when ensuring their budget aligns with their strategy

Introducing CMO Series Digital Masterclass: Elevating Your Firm's Digital Presence

Welcome to the CMO Series Digital Masterclass, an exciting new sub-series of the CMO Series Podcast. This masterclass is designed to help professional services marketers build world-class digital platforms that enhance their firm's online presence and position them as thought leaders.

The CMO Series Digital Masterclass is inspired by Passle’s latest research and the pressing needs of today’s marketing leaders. The goal is to provide actionable insights and best practices for developing robust online platforms that keep your firm front of mind for clients and prospects.

To kick off this series, Charlie Knight, Marketing and Communications Manager is joined by Sam Page, Marketing Director at Passle, to discuss why creating a strong digital presence is vital for firms in today’s market and outline the first steps to getting started.

In this episode, we cover:

• What the CMO Series Digital Masterclass is and how it came about
• Insights from the CMO Series Legal Leadership Report 2024, revealing the top priorities for CMOs and Managing Partners
• The importance of building your firm's online presence through thought leadership to attract clients

Stay Connected

To stay in the loop on all upcoming episodes and best practice content, subscribe to the CMO Series Podcast and visit passle.net/digitalmasterclass

 

Episode 150 - Lee Grunnell of Womble Bond Dickinson on The Importance Of Advertising in Professional Services

In the realm of B2B professional services, advertising is frequently one of the least utilized marketing tools. Earlier this year, Thompson Reuters published their "State of Global Legal Marketing & BD" report, revealing that professional services marketers rated advertising as the least effective marketing tactic, behind PR, social media, and client education.

In this episode of the CMO Series Podcast, Lee Grunnell, CMO at Womble Bond Dickinson joins Charles Cousins to discuss the importance of advertising in professional services, exploring the common misconceptions and the opportunities for firms.

Lee and Charles cover:

• Why marketers should rethink their priorities when it comes to advertising
• What effective advertising in professional services looks like
• The considerations or constraints that make advertising for a services firm unique in comparison to other industries
• How to approach getting buy-in for advertising efforts at a firm
• The results from advertising at a services firm, and how can marketers measure the success
• Lee’s advice for CMOs thinking about implementing advertising as part of their marketing mix

Episode 149 - Paul Askew of Withersworldwide on Why Legal Marketing Needs to Get Personal

Authentic, human-centred stories have long been a staple in B2C marketing, but they’re much less common in the world of professional services. As digital media rises, the fast-paced nature of the media landscape and decreasing attention spans mean marketers need to put in extra effort to make a substantial impact.

In this episode of the CMO Series, Charles Cousins welcomes Paul Askew, the Global Strategic Campaigns Manager at Withersworldwide. 

Paul discusses the power of storytelling in professional services marketing which is highlighted by their highly successful campaigns, 'Global Rethinkers', 'The Discourse', and 'Defining Moments', created in partnership with the Financial Times.

Paul and Charles cover:

• The importance of storytelling in a firm’s marketing strategy
• How authentic, human stories significantly personalizes marketing, especially in the legal sector
• The journey of shifting brand perception through the use of partnerships and support from partners and clients
• The impact, challenges and the measure of success regarding campaigns and the reason behind the success
• Paul’s insights into the future of personal storytelling in his marketing strategy

Episode 148 - Elizabeth Anscombe of Nardello & Co. on Building Trust in Confidential Services

Marketing in confidential services comes with distinct challenges and requires a strategic approach to establish and sustain trust. 

In this episode of the Passle CMO Series Podcast, Cam Dobinson explores these intricacies with Elizabeth Anscombe, Chief Business Development & Marketing Officer at Nardello & Co.

Lizzie offers her insights on how Nardello & Co. informs its audience about its highly specialized services, the significance of maintaining a client-focused approach despite confidentiality limitations, and the methods employed to establish and maintain trust in a field often enveloped in secrecy.

Lizzie and Cam cover:

• Lizzie’s diverse career background and how it has influenced her approach to marketing in the global investigative space
• The “cloak and dagger” image of the investigation sector and the importance of transparency 
• The strategies employed for building and maintaining trust with clients 
• The role of consistent service and brand messaging
• Advice for marketers looking to build trust with their clients 

CMO Series Podcast Special - CMO Series Live NYC: The Highlights

In this special edition of the CMO Series Podcast, Natasha Sandamas, Events Marketing Manager, joins the series to reflect on Passle’s first Stateside CMO Series Live event which took place in New York City in June. 

Delving into the highlights from the sessions, we hear from an incredible lineup of speakers including Chief Marketing Officers, Chief Operating Officers and General Counsels from the world’s top firms. They joined the day to share their unique perspectives on everything from how to integrate data into your business development strategies and delivering a world-class digital presence, to how to position your firm as the best choice, all under the theme of putting your firm front of mind with clients. 

A huge thanks to our fantastic speakers for sharing their insights: Trish Lilley, Chief Marketing & Business Development Officer at Thompson Coburn, Sadie Baron Chief Marketing Officer at Reed Smith, Phill McGowan Global Director of Marketing and Communications at Reed Smith,  Kelly Harbour, Chief Business Development Officer at Goulston & Storrs, Terra Liddell, Chief Marketing Officer at Finnegan, Nicole Petrie, Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer at Schulte Roth & Zabel, Monica Rodriguez Kuniyoshi, Chief Marketing Officer at Gunderson Dettmer, Joe Green, Chief Innovation Officer at Gunderson Dettmer, Christa Crane, Chief Client & Strategy Officer, Loeb & Loeb, Julie Chodos, Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer at Axinn, Ralph Allen, Chief Operating Officer at  Kelley Drye & Warren, Jennifer Korff, Chief Operating Officer at  Brown Rudnick, Annie Westover, Chief Operating Officer at Axinn, Adam Kassoff, Chief Operating Officer at Vinson & Elkins, Luke Ferrandino, Chief Marketing Officer at Paul Weiss, Alison Arjoon, Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer at Fragomen, Deborah Ruffins, Chief Marketing Officer at Perkins Coie, Shade Vaughn, Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer at Akin Gump and Crossley Sanford, Managing Director at Ankura, Brian Rauch, General Counsel at Harvard Maintenance, Julie Aslaksen, General Counsel at Host Hotels, Alex Dimitrief, General Counsel at Sotera Health Company and Lisa Anastos General Counsel at IdeaQuest.

Episode 147 - Phill McGowan of Reed Smith on Strategic Communications: The Greatest Untapped Potential in Legal BD?

As the landscape of legal services evolves, so does the significance of effective communication strategies. 

Today, Eugene McCormick is lucky to welcome Phill McGowan, Global Director of Marketing and Communications at Reed Smith to the CMO Series Podcast to share his insights on the biggest opportunities for legal communications professionals today and reveal his strategies for driving business growth.

Phill joins the series to delve into his background in newspapers and journalism, the evolution of content strategy in legal marketing, and what that means for law firms today. 

 

Phill and Eugene cover: 

• Phill’s career and some of the highlights from that journey into legal communications
• The role of communications functions within law firms in adapting to meet today’s environment
• How to integrate communications within the broader context of business development in a legal setting and the challenges of aligning communication efforts with business objectives
• Examples of successful communication strategies that have made a significant impact
• The approaches or platforms that have been effective in enhancing communication and thought leadership at Reed Smith
• Advice for legal communications professionals aiming to align with and drive their firm's BD strategy

CMO Series REPRESENTS Jessica Caggiano - From Roots to Rights: Lessons from a Labor Attorney

Labor attorneys are essential in managing the intricacies of union law, protecting workers' rights, and promoting fair and just labor practices. Carving out a career to represent those without a voice takes true determination and passion. 

On this episode of CMO Series REPRESENTS, Julia Howard is lucky to welcome Jessica Caggiano, Partner at Willig, Williams & Davidson who has done just that. 

Jessica joins the series to uncover the influences that sparked her journey, and the insights that have shaped her career as a dedicated labor attorney.

 

Jessica and Julia cover:

• How Jessica’s upbringing influenced her career journey into becoming a labor attorney
• The powerful impact of collective action and the application of it
• Jessica’s career challenges and successes in the continuous battle of fair treatment and recognition of union members
• The importance of self-educating about one’s rights and being aware of the appropriate measures and procedures that can be undertaken to rectify unfair situations
• Advice for aspiring advocates interested in the realm of union law and how to navigate it

 

Episode 146 - Ralph Allen of Kelley Drye & Warren on Driving Profitability: The Intersection of Operations & BD

Fresh from the COO panel at CMO Series Live in New York, Ralph Allen, Chief Operating Officer of Kelley Drye & Warren, joins the CMO Series Podcast to share his insights on strategically aligning law firm operations with business development to drive profitability.

In this episode, Ralph sits down with Ed Lovatt to delve into the crucial intersection of operations and business development. They discuss strategic decision-making, navigating market competition, fostering client relationships, and leveraging technology. Ralph also shares strategies for firms to effectively grow their top-line revenue while enhancing bottom-line results.

 

Ralph and Ed cover: 

• Ralph’s role as COO and how he works with functions including BD and marketing
• How business development is a tool for expanding and capturing new business in the legal industry
• How to identify which areas to invest in and which to phase out and the key factors in making these decisions
• The operational changes necessary when a firm focuses on premium practice areas
• Effective approaches to leveraging existing client relationships to expand into new practice areas
• How firms can adapt their BD and operational strategies to stay ahead and the opportunities to drive top-line growth
• Advice for business development professionals when it comes to driving profitability and what they should be thinking about

Episode 145 - John Neidecker of Norris McLaughlin on The Evolving Role Of Thought Leadership In Legal Marketing

The role of thought leadership in legal marketing is changing. Traditional tactics like rankings and sponsorships are no longer top priorities. The rise of digital is enabling smaller firms to compete more effectively and measure the impact of their marketing.

Today on the CMO Series, Charles Cousins welcomes John Neidecker, Director of Business Development and Marketing at Norris McLaughlin, to reflect on the past quarter-century in the profession, and explore the pivotal role of thought leadership in today's legal market.

 

John and Charles discuss:

• What legal marketing looked like 25 years ago when John joined the industry
• Who the trailblazers were back then and how they forged the way for the legal marketers today
• What the role of thought leadership in marketing was back then versus now
• The opportunities for law firms now and if there are greater opportunities for smaller firms to compete with the big firms
• What’s becoming less important to legal marketing teams today
• Advice for lawyers and marketing and BD professionals to take advantage of the opportunities presented by digital and thought leadership