Swearingen Communications: Success Stories



Legal, financial, and other service firms wanted to increase business, but lacked the structure and plan. Leadership held vague or faulty ideas about how to market effectively. Short and long-term goals were unclear. The desired client base was ill-defined. Many leaders expressed concern about appearing unprofessional or undignified while marketing. They also lacked the commitment to market consistently.		Working with Swearingen Communications, each company finalized clear-cut marketing goals. A well-defined plan was developed around these goals, including realistic action steps. Attainable objectives increased enthusiasm as well as results. Marketing activities were carried out consistently, and were well received by target audiences. Regular marketing meetings were instituted. Marketing became a "habit" and part of the firm's culture. The volume of new business and referrals increased exponentially.


A successful company that advises Fortune 500 clients was squandering valuable opportunities to acquire new business. The problem? Communication that was too generic. The company hadn't distinguished itself from competitors. Unique strengths and benefits were poorly articulated, or buried deep within the text. Leadership didn't have a defined communications strategy, and delivered inconsistent messages.		Based on input from the CEO, Swearingen Communications performed a communications audit on all corporate materials. Core business strengths were identified, prioritized, and developed into key message statements and new materials. A company tag line was developed and trademarked. Leadership was coached on how to articulate the competitive advantages of its business and sustain its respected industry standing. Today the company is experiencing worldwide growth as it expands its client base in both the US and abroad.


The CEO of a successful company was being inducted into a prominent industry group. As part of his initiation, he was asked to deliver a company overview to fellow members. He wanted to create a presentation that would be both educational and have lasting impact.		The CEO and Swearingen Communications established goals for the presentation. Second, they identified the core messages to be emphasized. Finally, they developed a format that used humor and entertainment to promote interest and retention. The result was a compelling "storytelling" experience vs. a dry presentation. Audience members were both enlightened and pleasantly surprised by the presentation, accomplishing the CEO's goals.

The managing partner of a law firm needed to prepare for a critical first meeting with a prominent business leader. If successful, the meeting would yield a valuable collaboration between the two men's organizations.		Strategizing in advance of the meeting, Swearingen Communications narrowed down a list of key themes for the managing partner. Each theme conveyed mutually beneficial outcomes for the two parties. Using these themes as a springboard, the managing partner won the business leader's trust. Four months later, their organizations completed a highly successful joint venture that exceeded both men's expectations.


An attorney was representing an international client in a high-stakes case that had repercussions for trade policies of the United States and other nations. Although the case was newsworthy, the attorney had neither the time nor the resources to contact the media.		Swearingen Communications helped the client identify his goals, including a list of desirable media placements. Swearingen Communications crafted background materials and made the pitch. The attorney and his case were the subject of a feature story on the front page of the daily business paper, as well as a story in the monthly legal magazine that is read by 9,000 members of the local bar. This prominent visibility positioned the attorney favorably before his clients, business colleagues, and peers.

The leadership of a law firm wanted to promote one of its "rising star" attorneys. It saw an opportunity to do so by submitting his career highlights to the prestigious "40 Under 40" legal feature produced each year by the Los Angeles Daily Journal.		After interviewing the attorney, Swearingen Communications crafted a three-page pitch about his legal track record, and submitted it to the editors of the special feature. Although 50,000 attorneys made submissions, only 40 were chosen for the feature, including this client.



An otherwise successful professional service firm was no longer using its website because the content was outdated and poorly written. Boilerplate copy made it indistinguishable from its competitors. The design was dated and uninspiring. Little about the website reflected the high professional standards and success of the firm.		Swearingen Communications consulted with the client on its vision and goals for the website. In-depth interviews were conducted with all members of the leadership team. Unique strengths and capabilities were identified, then communicated throughout the written content with emphasis on high-traffic areas. A new logo, corporate identity and tag line were developed, completing the package. Today the client maintains that it has "the best website in its market."


A professional service firm wanted to create a signature business event that would position it before corporate audiences, and also allow it to collaborate with several select business partners. The theme was to center around leadership in the workplace.		Swearingen Communications was retained as project leader. A business plan for the event was created, and helped attract additional sponsors. Prominent speakers, including CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, were recruited. Swearingen Communications worked to secure a respected academic venue for the event. More than 200 members of the business community attended the event, which received an outstanding response from attendees, speakers and sponsors. The client and sponsors agreed to make it an annual event.


One of the world's largest international law firms was losing market share in its Latin American practice to smaller firms with far less international experience. The reason? The larger firm had never actively advertised its expertise, relying instead on its track record and reputation. Meanwhile, the smaller, less experienced firms were positioning themselves as experts in international law – and making inroads.		Swearingen Communications and the client designed a series of advertisements that spotlighted the firm's competitive advantage in international law, focusing on Latin America. Not only did the campaign re-establish the client as the industry leader, it earned the "Your Honor" award for advertising from the National Association of Law Firm Marketing, today's Legal Marketing Association.