This morning I received a direct mail promotion addressed to me at my law firm from an ad rep at one of Atlanta’s largest media companies (they own Atlanta’s main daily newspaper, a several radio stations and a network TV station). Proving once again that size and financial strength do not convey intelligence, the direct mail piece began as follows:
Mr. Jonathan Ginsberg:
A lawyer who represents himself has a fool for a client. Let me suggest that this well-known adage pertains to legal marketing as well….
I don’t know what the rest of the letter said because I stopped reading. If I was in the market for TV, radio or newspaper space, I don’t know that I would want to do business with an ad rep who managed to both insult me and to condescend to me in one sentence.
What does this bozo know about me or my business and who is he to tell me that I am a fool, or that I am such a simpleton that I cannot possibly succeed without his help? I wonder (but I think I know) how much of his own money this fool has risked in an advertising campaign.
The rest of the letter (which I have now scanned) is even better. I have learned that:
- television and yellow page advertising….is unprofessional, unpromoting, overly dramatic and targeted to vulnerable people
- the legal profession is among the least reputed institutions in American Society
- the ABA (American Bar Assn.) has advice for me about marketing (with all due respect to the ABA, which does some fine work, marketing is not their strong suit)
Thank goodness there are people like this ad rep who is willing out of the goodness of his heart to sell me overpriced radio time on a station that does not reach my target demographic. Where do I send the check?
At least the paper stock used in the letter was good – it makes a heck of a paper airplane.
Cindy O'Keeffe says
Ah, thanks for the giggle this morning. Anyone forwarding this on to the rep ( along with links to all your savvy on line marketing)? Maybe he could learn a thing or two from you:)