“Branding is expensive and doesn’t produce leads” is a common misconception. In reality, brand strength is the multiplier that makes everything else work better. Look at Morgan and Morgan’s $150M broadcast strategy for proof. Here’s why it matters for PI firms.
What Branding Actually Is
Branding isn’t your logo, colors, or tagline, though those are expressions of it.
Branding is what people think and feel about your firm when they encounter your name.
For PI, strong branding means:
- They’ve heard of you before they need you
- They have positive associations
- They trust you based on reputation
- They search for your name specifically, not just “car accident lawyer”
Why Branding Matters for PI
The Search Behavior Effect
Someone has an accident. They need a lawyer. Two scenarios:
No Brand Awareness
- Search 'car accident lawyer [city]'
- See 3-4 ads, all saying similar things
- Click multiple ads to compare
- Decision based on who answers first
With Brand Awareness
- Remember your firm from TV, community, reputation
- Search '[Your Firm Name] car accident'
- Click your ad or organic listing
- Already trust you, ready to engage
The second scenario converts at 2-3x the rate and costs a fraction of generic search CPCs.
The Referral Effect
People refer to firms they know and trust. If someone asks a friend, “Do you know a good injury lawyer?”, the answer is typically a recognized name, not whoever ranks first on Google.
Strong brands generate more referrals. The highest-ROI case source.
The Conversion Effect
At every stage of the funnel, brand recognition improves conversion:
- Higher click-through rates on Google Ads
- Higher website engagement
- More likely to call
- More likely to sign
Brand strength compounds through the entire customer journey.
Elements of a Strong PI Brand
Consistent Visibility
People can’t remember you if they never see you. Strong brands appear consistently:
- TV and streaming (biggest screen, most impact)
- Digital presence (search, social, display)
- Community visibility (events, sponsorships)
- Physical presence (billboards, vehicle wraps)
Frequency matters. Sporadic visibility doesn’t build memory.
Memorable Positioning
Generic messaging doesn’t stick. “We fight for you” is on every PI website.
What makes you different?
- Geographic focus (“Your Denver injury team”)
- Case type specialization (“Truck accidents only”)
- Approach (“Results without the runaround”)
- Story (“A family firm for over 30 years”)
The positioning has to be true and meaningful, not just marketing claim.
Social Proof
Trust indicators that validate claims:
- Google reviews (quantity and quality)
- Verdicts and settlements (with appropriate disclaimers)
- Awards and recognition
- Client testimonials
- Media coverage
Social proof provides evidence that supports brand promises.
Client Experience
The ultimate brand builder is how you treat clients:
- Communication quality
- Case outcomes
- Staff interactions
- Office experience (if in-person)
- How they feel when it’s over
Excellent experience creates advocates. Poor experience creates detractors, no matter how good your advertising.
Building Brand Over Time
Brand Investment Timeline
Brand building isn’t instant. Typical timeline:
Months 1-6: Visibility building. People start seeing you.
Months 6-12: Recognition developing. Some people remember your name.
Year 1-2: Awareness establishing. Meaningful portion of target audience knows you.
Year 2+: Brand equity compounding. Recognition drives referrals and search behavior.
This is why brand campaigns can feel expensive early. The ROI compounds over time, not immediately.
Channel Roles in Brand Building
TV/CTV: Biggest screen, most memorable. Primary brand builder for PI.
Digital: Reinforces and captures brand-driven search. Less memorable on its own.
Community: Local visibility, relationship building. High impact but limited scale.
Content: Demonstrates expertise. Long-term awareness builder.
Measuring Brand
Brand effects are real but harder to measure than direct response:
Direct indicators:
- Branded search volume (searches for your name)
- Direct website traffic
- Referral volume
Indirect indicators:
- Conversion rate improvements over time
- Close rate improvements
- Survey-based awareness studies
Brand vs. Direct Response
The False Choice
“Should we do brand or direct response?” is the wrong question. They’re not alternatives. They’re complementary.
Brand without direct response: Builds awareness but doesn’t capture it efficiently
Direct response without brand: Fights for expensive generic clicks
Brand + direct response: Awareness creates demand, direct response captures it
The Integration
Strong PI marketing integrates:
- Brand campaigns (TV/CTV) reach potential clients before they need you
- When they need a lawyer, they search your name specifically
- Direct response (search, LSAs) captures that branded demand cheaply
- Referrals flow to recognized names
The brand investment makes all other marketing more efficient.
Common Misconceptions
“Branding is just for big firms.” Brand building is proportional to budget. A firm investing $5K/month in local CTV is building brand in their market.
“I need leads now, not brand.” Short-term lead generation and long-term brand building aren’t mutually exclusive. Do both.
“Brand = logo and colors.” Those are brand expressions. Brand is what people think about you.
“We can’t measure brand, so it doesn’t work.” Brand effects are real and measurable, just not as immediately as clicks. Ignore brand and watch lead quality decline over time.