Law firm Nabarro Nathanson has undergone a full rebrand, revamping its logo and shortening its name to Nabarro, in a bid to shake its ‘best- kept secret’ status.
Branding consultancy Identica was appointed to design the new corporate identity as well as a range of communication tools for Nabarro. The new brand was unveiled last month.
According to Dana Robertson, creative director at Identica, the rebrand reflects the growing warmth within the professional and financial services industry towards adopting branding and communications techniques. The legal sector – noted for its cynical attitude towards branding in the past – is realising its potential to act as a vital strategic tool to stand out in a crowded and competitive marketplace.
“Skill, discipline and dedication to delivering high-quality business-friendly advice are characteristics that have shaped the firm into what it is today,” says Robertson.
“Nabarro has just under 900 staff with strong expertise in areas such as real estate, projects, litigation and dispute resolution as well as a range of specialist services.However its success is not yet matched by its reputation and it is in many ways, a best-kept secret, which is why we have developed a rejuvenated and powerful brand.”
Identica conducted a strategy review over 18 months prior to the launch, interviewing everyone from Nabarro’s competitors, to clients, industry opinion formers and journalists, to get a better picture of where the company sat in the marketplace. Feedback was positive and Identica found that one of Nabarro’s core strengths lay in its ability to give clear advice to clients, which became one of the core objectives of the rebrand messaging.
Time for a make-over
Key to this rebrand was the design of the new logo. Identica’s creative goal was to embody Nabarro’s core proposition: a commitment to clarity for its clients when discussing legal matters. It also needed to create an identity that possessed real visual impact and that had a strong contemporary feel.
The new corporate identity uses a bold black and white ‘N’ motif to express both the complexity of law and the clarity of thinking needed to interpret it. Robertson describes it as “clean, contemporary, bold and dynamic”.
It is supported by the strap line ‘Clarity matters’, which aims to convey the message that Nabarro strips away complexities of law that are not important and concentrates on what is relevant to the client.
According to Michael Peters OBE, chairman at Identica, the original identity (see panel opposite) had consisted of a grey and black typeface, which although serviceable was “rather unremarkable”, while the brochures and other collateral applications “lacked personality and impact.”
He says, “There was inconsistency in the tone of voice and the literature style. Although this in itself is no huge problem, when properly harnessed it can be the difference between brand communication and great brand communication. The new identity features a specially crafted ‘N’ symbol that add a more distinctive, contemporary and confident note. The typefont has been refreshed and a visual style developed that covers all communication media.”
Another way Nabarro has focused on adding clarity and coherency was by shortening its name from Nabarro Nathanson to Nabarro.
“From the very outset, it made a difference. The name itself had become unclear over the years and was commonly referred to as Nabarro or NN, so it seemed logical to clarify the name when launching the new identity. The new name was simplified to just Nabarro and the ‘Clarity matters’ strap line,” states Peters.
Tools for communication
This ‘clarity’ message has been integrated across all communication materials and has been incorporated into a new set of client brochures, promotional material, website development and internal communication literature.
In addition, Nabarro conducted workshops for staff to ensure the new corporate ethos and messages were understand and communicated to clients properly. They were also given a presentation at the launch events, held in its Sheffield and London offices, and the company extranet/intranet has been fully updated.
“The new approach includes guides on interpersonal as well as formal communication, including email, composing executive summaries and even ensuring clarity in telephone dialogue,” explains Robertson.
Promoting change
To coincide with the rebrand, a global advertising campaign in the trade, legal and national press was executed in March. Advertising featured in trade press including: Legal Week, Legal Business, American Lawyer, Estates Gazette and Property Week, and in national publications such as The Times, The Daily Telegraph and The Financial Times (UK and Europe).
The ads utilises the black letter ‘N’ and carries side text, outlining the clarity message.
The activity is set to run until the end of April and is to follow with a more targeted recruitment campaign in a plan for expansion.
Simon Johnston, senior partner at Nabarro, says, “This initiative puts clarity at the heart of everything we do. We believe that our advice has always been clear and easy to use; our aim is simply to make this the cornerstone of what we do.”
