Baking Patents

It can be tough to stand out in a crowd. There are a lot of patent lawyers to choose from, and as I explained in an earlier article, it is not easy to look at their work and judge how skilled they are. That makes their marketing messages pretty important as their main point of distinctiveness, their best chance to say who they really are, and to stand out from the rest of the crowd.

But collectively those marketing messages are a rather grim collection of Dilbert-y catch-phrases: “maximize the value of your IP assets,” “strategic investment in innovation,” “integrating a synergy between product development and marketing.” (Those are just made up examples—no point in attacking anyone in particular). I wonder, though, is that what clients want or need?

As a patent attorney, I make things. That is, I make patents. In that sense, it is like being a baker who makes bread. And, like patent attorneys, bakers also have to market themselves to their potential customers.

Not having been to law school, bakers seem sadly uninspired to stretch for the same kind of catchy marketing slogans: “maximize the value of your sandwich assets,” “strategic investment in bread,” or “integrating a synergy between gluten development and crust formation.” Bakers seem to assume that by offering good bread, they will naturally develop a loyal base of regular customers that builds over time by word of mouth.

Rather touching isn’t it?...

Can I offer you a baguette?