News

Rivals drop their guard to find their differences

Press Release

The man responsible for the iconic Lloyds of London brand has been helping rival professionals come together - to look at how to set themselves apart.

Cambridge University graduate Geoff Dodds, now a consultant with the Business Development Practice, drew on his experience of managing global brands such as Lloyds of London and PWC Consulting, to fuel the debate for professionals around the table at the latest Oracle session – a senior level marketing forum which is developed and hosted by Prima PR and The Progressive Business Group, two firms specialising in professional services marketing.

Eversheds, Mills & Reeve, Taylor Vinters were amongst firms from across the East of England taking part, to look at the challenges in transferring retail brand management strategies to the professional sector and what to do to stand apart.

Giving the perspective from the firms' side in the debate was Rolland Keane, marketing director of Charles Russell.

Geoff Dodds said: “Professional firms have a real challenge in branding themselves because so much of the firm's identity is based on personal relationships. The first step is to take a good hard look at yourself, pin down what the firm stands for, then you've got something to work on.”

He added: “Building any strong brand comes down to behaviour, people and strong leadership.”

The Oracle forum is conceived and run by full service PR and marketing communications consultancy Prima PR together with The Progressive Business Group, specialists in business development for the professional services sector.

A rebuttal to London-centric strategic activities, it's intended to raise the gameplan in the regions through shared strategic marketing experience. The forum meets monthly in Nottingham and Cambridge and is drawing in major national and regional firms from across the professions to learn from each other.

Next on the agenda for Oracle is business development and the issues around mergers and acquisitions – in Nottingham , Nelsons will be speaking, still hot from their long term acquisition trail.

For more information, click here or contact Prima on 0115 941 9090.

ENDS

July 2007