King & Wood Mallesons brand launch effect

The launch of the merged King & Wood Mallesons brand as one of the world’s top legal firms created a lot of activity.

The press exposure following the brand and advertising launch created a strong, free exposure for the brand and was very well received. The coverage is remarkable considering that at the same time Blake Dawson, a key competitor, rebranded to Ashurst, another global leading law firm. The contrast between the two launches was rather stark, with the industry commenting on the weak positioning of Ashurst compared to King & Wood Mallesons.

The launch generated a buzz and highly positive client feedback and led to a flurry of new business opportunities locally and internationally – with Asian publications saying over 40 leads had been generated within a month.

Crucially, the internal launch was well accepted. Staff globally participated in an activity of writing messages to each other on T-Shirts, photographing them and posting them internally. A partner provided the feedback that the launch had taken the firm in one step from one of the most boring brands to the most cutting edge and innovative brand in the market.

Some of our clients remarked that it would have been difficult ‘to get the client to go there’. However, the credit lies with the King & Wood Mallesons team including the Managing Partners, BD, Comms and People teams. King & Wood Mallesons did not need to be pushed. We merely helped them get to where they wanted to be. A big thanks to King & Wood Mallesons for allowing us to be part of their journey.