Some law firms are the first name people think of when they need help. Others compete for scraps. The difference is brand recognition. Becoming a household name in your market.
What “Household Name” Means
This doesn’t happen by accident. It’s built through consistent, strategic presence.
The Recognition Threshold
Brand recognition follows a curve:
0-3 exposures
No recognition
3-7 exposures
Beginning awareness
7-12 exposures
Recognition forming
12+ exposures
Solid recognition
20+ exposures
Household name territory
Most firms never reach the threshold. They run campaigns, stop, start again. They never build cumulative recognition.
How Household Names Are Built
Consistent Presence Over Time
The firms everyone knows have been visible for years:
- Continuous advertising (not sporadic campaigns)
- Same core message and identity
- Building on previous awareness
- Compounding recognition
ROAS improves 24% after 90 days of consistent CTV investment. Recognition builds the same way. Time plus consistency.
Television Remains Central
62% of consumers discover new brands through TV. The biggest PI brands were built on television, and CTV now offers the same impact with better targeting.
Television provides:
- Living room presence
- Full audio-visual branding
- Credibility by association
- Broad reach for awareness
Distinctive Brand Elements
Household names have memorable elements:
- Recognizable tagline
- Distinctive visual identity
- Memorable attorney (if on-camera)
- Consistent look and feel
Generic firms blend together. Distinctive firms stand out.
Multi-Channel Reinforcement
Television builds awareness. Other channels reinforce:
- Search presence when people look
- Social visibility
- Community presence
- Consistent signage
- Referral network awareness
Each touchpoint reinforces the others.
The CTV Advantage for Brand Building
CTV offers household name building with advantages broadcast lacked:
CTV Advantages for Brand Building
- + Targeted Reach: Focus impressions on your service area, reach relevant households more frequently
- + Measurable Progress: Track verified visits, monitor branded search volume, see attribution impact
- + Sustainable Economics: 23% higher ROI than traditional TV, efficient frequency building
- + Integration Capability: Coordinate with search capture, retarget exposed households
The Timeline Reality
Household name status takes time:
| Phase | Timeline | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation | Months 1-6 | Building initial awareness |
| Recognition | Months 6-12 | Moving from unknown to known |
| Preference | Year 1-2 | Becoming a considered option |
| Dominance | Year 2+ | First-call status |
Firms expecting household name status in 90 days will be disappointed. This is a multi-year investment.
Budget Requirements
Becoming a household name requires sustained investment:
| Market Size | Monthly Investment | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Small DMA | $20-35K | $240-420K |
| Mid DMA | $40-70K | $480-840K |
| Major DMA | $75-150K | $900K-1.8M |
| Top DMA | $150-300K+ | $1.8M-3.6M+ |
These aren’t minimums for advertising. They’re investments for dominance. Lesser budgets build awareness. These budgets build household names.
Measuring Progress
Leading Indicators
- Branded search volume (growing month over month)
- Direct website traffic (people typing your URL)
- Unaided recall surveys (do people name you?)
- “How did you hear about us?” responses
Lagging Indicators
- Case volume growth
- Referral increase
- Reduced reliance on paid search
- Premium case attraction
The Branded Search Signal
Branded search volume is the clearest indicator:
- New firm: Minimal branded searches
- Growing awareness: Steady increase
- Household name: Dominant branded search volume
Track this monthly. Growth = awareness building.
Common Mistakes
Mistakes That Prevent Household Name Status
- − Starting and Stopping: Running 3-month campaigns with gaps destroys momentum. Recognition requires consistency.
- − Changing Identity: New logo, new tagline, new look every year. Each change resets recognition.
- − Underfunding: $10K/month hoping for household name status. Insufficient frequency means insufficient recognition.
- − Ignoring Creative Quality: Bad creative repeated endlessly builds recognition of a bad brand.
- − No Differentiation: 'We fight for you' doesn't differentiate. Household names have distinctive positioning.
The Competitive Reality
Markets typically have 1-3 household name PI firms:
- They got there through sustained investment
- They’re hard to displace
- But not impossible
Challenging Established Names
- Outspend them (difficult)
- Out-target them (CTV advantage)
- Out-differentiate them (positioning)
- Out-persist them (many get complacent)
Defending Household Name Status
Once achieved:
- Maintain presence (don’t disappear)
- Refresh creative (avoid staleness)
- Monitor competitors (respond to threats)
- Evolve with market (stay relevant)
The Investment Decision
Building household name status is a strategic choice:
- Requires significant sustained investment
- Takes years to achieve
- Creates durable competitive advantage
- Reduces long-term acquisition costs
Not every firm should pursue it. But those that do, and commit fully, build practices that dominate their markets.
For marketing strategy, see the PI marketing guide.
References
- MNTN Research. (2023). Increased investment in CTV leads to better performance. https://research.mountain.com/trends/data-reveals-increased-investment-in-ctv-leads-to-better-performance/
- MNTN Research. (2025). 62% of consumers discover new brands through TV. https://research.mountain.com/insights/62-of-consumers-discover-new-brands-or-products-through-tv/
- Southern California News Group. (2025). Connected TV marketing stats 2025. https://www.socalnewsgroup.com/2025/05/06/connected-tv-marketing-stats-2025/