State Bar public radio announcements educate the public about the value of lawyers

August 15, 2002

Tune in to Wisconsin Public Radio (WPR) to hear 15-second public service announcements educating the public about the value of lawyers in our society. The announcements will air on the WPR Ideas Network, 90.9 FM, and on NPR's News/Classical Music Network (WERN), 88.7 FM. The two networks have a total audience of 400,000, or 22,000 listeners per broadcast.

"These announcements should positively influence people who have a neutral impression of lawyers, and reinforce existing positive opinions," State Bar President Pat Ballman says. "The announcements support what State Bar research found the public values most about lawyers: expert advice, problem solving, and community service. Our research shows that 37 percent of respondents in the 35 to 54 age group and 35 percent of college-educated respondents have an overall neutral impression of lawyers, and 35 percent of respondents had a favorable or somewhat favorable impression of attorneys. WPR announcements will reach this target audience."

"Corporate sponsorship on WPR is cost-efficient with 364 announcements broadcast to a diverse audience in a one-year period," says Ballman. "WPR is the highest rated public station for its market size in the country, reaching a wide range of people interested in call-in shows, gardening, auto repair, news, travel, and more."

"About two years ago the State Bar polled all State Bar division, section, and committee chairs and local bar presidents," continues Ballman. "That poll revealed that 78.5 percent believed that the State Bar should lead a message development campaign on behalf of members. Helping lawyers improve the image of the profession also was the number two request from members in its 1998 Membership Survey. This effort is the result of that feedback."

The State Bar introduced this long-term, concerted effort to educate the public about the value lawyers bring to their clients and communities last spring. "There are 20,000 State Bar members who can become individual ambassadors and help spread the message," says Ballman. "The ultimate goal of branding is to improve the public perception of lawyers, and we need members to carry the message."

The effort, known as branding, consistently uses a unified message in public communications. The three key qualities the public values most about lawyers - expert advice, problem solving, and community service - form the message foundation.

To guide members in using the new brand, the State Bar developed a "Branding the Profession Communications Tool Kit" that includes camera-ready logos and professional image ads for use by lawyers, law firms, and local/specialty bars. The tool kit also includes background on the branding initiative, tips on incorporating the brand into everyday communications, ethical considerations regarding lawyer advertising, and the public opinion research used to select the new tag line - Wisconsin Lawyers: Expert advisers. Serving you.