Sign In
  • January 01, 2004

    Inside the Bar January 2004: State Bar kicks off next phase in the Bar's efforts to educate the public about the value of lawyers

    The State Bar's message - Wisconsin lawyers are problem solvers and expert advisers who serve their communities - rolls out on radio airwaves in selected locations in early 2004, and on television and billboards in late spring.

    Inside the Bar
    January 2004

    State Bar kicks off next phase in the Bar's efforts to educate the public about the value of lawyers

    The State Bar's message - Wisconsin lawyers are problem solvers and expert advisers who serve their communities - rolls out on radio airwaves in selected locations in early 2004, and on television and billboards in late spring.

    map of planned media outreach efforts

    Map shows State Bar's planned media outreach efforts from January to June 2004.

    The Bar introduced its Branding the Profession initiative and tag line, Wisconsin Lawyers: Expert advisers. Serving you., in the spring of 2002, to educate the public about the value of lawyers. The initiative uses the three key qualities the public values most about lawyers - expert advice, problem-solving skills, and community service - in communications to the public.

    Radio. Sixty-second ads began running on WHBY, Green Bay's top talk/news radio station earlier this month. The ads, which will continue for six months reaching more than 450,000 listeners in 23 counties, are the second phase of the branding initiative in the Fox/Appleton/Green Bay area. Billboards, promoting Wisconsin lawyers and the State Bar's consumer Web site LegalExplorer, were posted on major highways from May through December of 2003.

    "After nine months of billboard exposure, we are moving the billboards to Eau Claire and following up our outreach in the Fox /Appleton/Green Bay area with radio," says Kevin Palmersheim, Public Image Committee chair. "The radio ads focus on how lawyers can help the public with everyday legal problems such as job loss, home purchase, domestic violence, and end-of-life planning."

    "Based on consumer research, the Fox Valley/Green Bay area was identified as the target area for our message," says Palmersheim. "This region, which has the highest percentage of individuals in the state with a neutral view of lawyers and, therefore, the most likely to be influenced by our message, is a major crossroad in northeastern Wisconsin."

    Listen to the radio ad

    2004 Branding radio ad (MP3, 1MB)

    The radio ads drive people to LegalExplorer and other Bar resources," says Palmersheim. "The Web site is a valuable public service that offers a starting point for resolving legal issues, answers basic legal questions, and provides access to lawyers through the State Bar's Lawyer Referral and Information Service."

    Television. The State Bar is developing 30-second television spots highlighting lawyers who have demonstrated exemplary commitment to community or pro bono service. Television stations WISC-TV3 of Madison and UPN-14 of Janesville will begin broadcasting in early spring. The messages will air, to a potential viewing audience of 645,000, during a three-month period.

    "The television spots will be broadcast in 23 Wisconsin counties from April through June 2004," says Palmersheim. "The project will feature three individual lawyers or groups of lawyers who have had significant posi-tive impact on an individual, group, or community through community ser-vice or pro bono activities. If the pilot is successful, we hope to air similar spots in other parts of the state."

    The State Bar is accepting nominations for the television spots through Jan. 26. (See related article.)

    Billboards. As the billboards come down in the Fox Valley/Green Bay area, similar billboards will rotate throughout the Eau Claire area in March, April, and May.

    "Billboards are our first-choice for the initial entry into a new consumer market because they reach a broad spectrum of people," Palmersheim says. "Billboards also are an uncomplicated and highly visible way to acquaint an audience with our message."

    The Eau Claire region was selected because it is a crossroad in northwestern Wisconsin, allowing the message to reach more than 325,000 commuters as well as drivers in transit to other destinations.

    "In the coming months, we'll evaluate moving our outreach and earned media efforts to other parts of the state," concludes Palmersheim.


Join the conversation! Log in to comment.
System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object. at News.NewsTOCNavigation.NewsTOCNavigationUserControl.Page_Load(Object sender, EventArgs e)

News & Pubs Search

-
Format: MM/DD/YYYY