!!!!!!!!!!! MARKETING!AND!PUBLIC! RELATIONS!REPORT!!!!

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1 MARKETINGANDPUBLIC RELATIONSREPORT

2 ELA - MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS Year in Review 2015/16 and Looking Ahead to 2016/17 Overview Blattel Communications has worked with the ELA for many years and has seen marked changes in the organization. The marketing communications goals of 2010/11 were quite different from those of 2015/16 as is our approach to promoting the ELA brand. In particular, the organization s continued expansion, evolving leadership structure, and efforts to boost member engagement have been driving our priorities. As we approach 2016/17, the ELA enjoys a renewed sense of vigor and cohesion and, thanks to its enduring market position and unparalleled roster of member firms, an increasingly solid platform for serving as the authoritative voice on workplace law, policy and related considerations for employers and the media. We see a greater focus on member marketing participation and media outreach as the next logical step in ELA s brand development, and one facilitated by previous foundational activities, including: initial branding, website build-out, social media, and multimedia production. These elements provide a public-facing level of uniformity that makes the ELA easily accessible to clients, potential clients, and media. Quick Takes 2015/16 Member Update Internal Newsletter Developed and released four issues (December 2015, June 2016, August 2016, and October 2016). The four issues have highlighted more than 40 ELA members around the world. Our Open Rate is 37.43, significantly higher than the legal industry average of percent. Our Click Rate is 16.9, significantly higher than the legal industry average of 9.43 percent. Member Marketing Dept. Outreach Conducted the webinar Making the Most of ELA Membership with Marketing, highlighting the New Member Quick Start Guide a response to requests from the Global Communications Committee at the 2015 Annual Meeting and exploring how to integrate ELA assets, such as video, into firm websites. This content was recorded and remains available for push to all new member firms, as well as existing members in need of a refresh or review.

3 Press Releases Drafted and disseminated seven press releases on topics including comember firm produced amicus briefs, new member firms and SPA members, and awards garnered by multiple firms. Strategic Planning Active in advising the ELA board and executive team in its process and with respect to industry best practices in legal marketing and business development. North American Committee Support Provided ongoing consultation and support for the NA Business Development and Communications Committees. Consistent Website, Social Media, Multimedia and Legal Ranking Support Updated the ELA website, ensuring that the news section remains current and fresh; promoted organization-wide press releases and major media mentions via online properties; managed the organization s social media channels, sharing news, plugging upcoming webinars, highlighting member activities, and promoting member-posted content; developed, coordinated, and pushed video content; and assisted in ELA s ranking efforts. Voice for Public Policy and Employers A tipping point in the organization s development, 2016 saw several occasions that ELA s thought-leadership broadcast through strategic channels, such as social media, and framed in digestible media-friendly posts was a featured voice impacting public policy. In the U.S., media outlets Politico and Law360 featured the ELA s amicus briefs on the U.S. Department of Labor Persuader Rule and the U.S. National Labor Relations Board matter Columbia University. From Politico s Morning Shift newsletter on April 4: These media mentions represent milestones as they came outside our one-to-one media outreach, indicating that the ELA brand is resonating with media and its policy positions are having an impact, furthering the goal of being a voice for employers. Increasing Value of the ELA Brand This year, we assembled the ELA New Member Quick Start guide, a curated collection of ELA branding and business development resources. The goal, emphasized during a September marketing and business development-focused webinar, is for member firms to liberally employ 2

4 the ELA logo and brand and actively leverage the value of their memberships. Use of ELA identifiers sends a signal to the world of the organization s importance and, in turn, the firm s caliber. Beyond the assets currently available, the ELA, acting as an umbrella group, affords firms opportunities to have a voice in policy positions without direct attorney or firm mention, e.g. The Employment Law Alliance strongly disagrees with XYZ. This helps avoid taking uncomfortable positions whereby a reporter might draw an inaccurate or overly broad conclusion, Firm XYZ publicly disagreed on this issue, unsurprising as they represent industrial company ABC. Understanding that this cover is in place, we hope to boost member engagement with respect to policy and media initiatives in the year ahead. Communications Evolution and Response Teams An area on which we are looking to work more closely with firm marketing departments is tackling issues with media potential, especially those that are cross-jurisdictional and/or multi - national. The combinations of resources we can offer media (and clients) are unmatched, thanks to our deep bench. For instance: Issue Jurisdiction 1 Jurisdiction 2 Jurisdiction 3 Brexit United Kingdom (England) Overall impact. United States Data retention impact. France Crossborder employer issues. Toward this end and working with member attorneys, the Communications Committee and firm marketers, specific and issues-focused Response Teams can be formed, with the goal of clearing conflicts and positioning willing spokespeople for public commentary, developing sample responses, and conducting advance research and outreach. This moves the ELA from reacting to legal developments to being proactive furthering the goal of speaking as a united policy voice for employers. As part of the creation of Response Teams, thought will be given to how best to refer to an attorney and a firm. As noted above, there is both organizational and firm value in ensuring an ELA reference is made. Maximizing Efforts Member initiatives are generally born one of two ways: 1) members organically decide to address an issue in webinar, white paper or amicus brief form; 2) as the ELA s marketing communications team, we suggest issues that have media and, ultimately, business development potential. In reviewing the past year, it is important to examine efforts and identify areas for improvement and missed opportunities. A recent success that serves as a template for issue outreach and an example of where a Response Team may have been beneficial is the U.S. National Labor Relations Board s decision in Columbia University, pertaining to the employee classification of graduate students in the context or organizing and collective bargaining. 3

5 Here was the progression: Amicus Brief filed by members of the Higher Education Council ELA Issued Press Release Disseminated Over Newswire Media Coverage: Politico NLRB Issues Decision Media Coverage: Corporate Counsel, Law360 ELA Issues Client Alert ELA-authored byline article runs on Inside Higher Ed While the media placements are indicators of success, with a greater focus on media outreach the impact could be greater. An issue Response Team, working with the HEC and firm marketing teams, could have: Identified target media, both nationally and jurisdictionally. Considered potential client conflicts. Determined designated spokespeople by region/jurisdiction. Developed commentary in advance for immediate circulation upon ruling. With an increased and strategic focus, ELA could be well positioned with reporters and firstfrom-the-gate when news, like Columbia, breaks. Similar opportunities have also presented themselves internationally, including Brexit and the European Union General Data Protection Regulations ( Right to be Forgotten ). With strong support from the Communications Committee, implementing Response Teams, as well as potentially augmenting our international communications infrastructure, enable ELA to better respond to business critical issues and can drive or supplement member and firm efforts. 2.0 Integration and Social Media Expansion The ELA was a pioneer and remains a champion of social media as a tool for broadcasting thought-leadership activities and amplifying firm and attorney messaging. A major component of the 2.0 program is social media, as these channels are an essential part of the lives of next generation leaders, presenting both opportunities and challenges from an organizational perspective: 4

6 Opportunities Amplify firm and ELA messaging. Create identifiable personal brands. Reach clients, potential clients and referral sources on new ecosystems. Populate regional ELA channels. Further the value proposition for ELA partners (including SPA members, organizations, media companies, etc.) Reach contacts and connections not following firm or ELA feeds. Use channels as strategic megaphones. Tweets can become quotes. Help address audience fragmentation, another plank in outreach. Long-term create and populate new, contentrich feeds that provide cross-marketing synergies with target organizations and serve as outlets for thought-leadership activities. Deliver our network s network to these entities for greater negotiating/partnering/ buying power Challenges Potential for personal to pollute the professional. Awareness that privacy is largely a myth online. Dormancy. Posting content that is off-message or tilts the overall composition of an account in favor of non-work interests and activities. Knowledge that all one Likes is public knowledge and that the delete button is insufficient. Creating accounts and then failing to build them out or regularly post content. A Q1 goal, working in conjunction with leaders of the 2.0 initiative, is to put together an ELA social media policy that will provide guidance to individual members and firms. # # # 5