The “Best in Business Advertising” awards from Business Plus reward excellent B2B print advertising. Siobhán O’Connell describes why this Matheson advertisement is notable.
With print advertising, it is difficult to distinguish between Dublin corporate law firms. Top legal firms are brimming with similarly competent attorneys, have decades of expertise serving the needs of international corporations, and are able to manage even the most complex corporate assignments.
Nonetheless, they must promote their brand. Their advertising may not motivate a potential customer to pick up the phone today, but the purpose of a branding ad is for the practice name to be remembered, even if only briefly as a magazine page is flipped.
Matheson’s consistent messaging is intended to position the company as the legal firm of choice for globally-minded businesses and financial institutions conducting business in or from Ireland.
The creative firm Dragon was tasked with developing a fresh brand appearance for the corporate M&A group for this advertisement.
The image in the commercial campaign emphasizes Matheson’s global reach. Dragon’s logo alludes to the legal firm’s presence in London, San Francisco, Palo Alto, and New York through the usage of renowned metropolitan locations, while the iPad base emphasizes a technological link.
Dragon, led by Stuart Clifton and operating since 2003, specializes in B2B design and marketing.
Clifton explains that the advertisement focuses on portraying Matheson as a worldwide brand and what they have to offer. “The primary difficulty with generic B2B advertising is that it frequently consists of only a stock image and a few words. Many B2Bs believe they are speaking to themselves and do not consider the consumer or the final outcome. They focus on what they believe they know instead of contemplating what the consumer wants and is seeking.”
A client like Matheson, Clifton, and creative director Barry Faul are aware that decision-makers are their primary audience.
“It’s a longer-term endeavor in terms of brand development and how clients may come to utilize Matheson. It’s a protracted game since worldwide clients want to see seriousness and quality, which is frequently difficult to extract in advertising,” adds Clifton.
Clifton (53) describes himself with pride as old-fashioned. “Our value proposition is that we are the individuals with whom you interact. It is always collaborative in terms of working closely with our clientele. At larger companies, regardless of how they spin it, you end up with the junior position. We’re graying in the teeth. We want to talk to people, we like to get on the phone, and we like to meet people.”
In terms of pricing, Clifton views advertising creativity as “cutthroat,” adding that excellent clients realize what they are paying for.
“Brand advertising cannot be accurately measured, and Matheson cannot measure this advertisement. It may be in Business Plus, and the CEO of Google may see it, but he won’t remember it until a law firm selection is being discussed. You must promote your brand, and this involves periodicals and newspapers in addition to digital media. Understanding where consumers seek for this sort of industry is crucial.”
Dragon focuses on creativity and delegates media purchasing to a third party. “The days of 17.65 percent markup and lunch at The Ivy are over,” laments Clifton.