There’s a subtle but dangerous habit that finds its way into almost every firm’s marketing strategy at some point. It doesn’t start with bad intentions; it usually begins as a shortcut, a comfort zone, or a “safe” approach. It sounds like this:
“We’ve always done it this way.”
“That’s how we’ve always bought TV.”
“This station always gives us a good deal.”
It’s what I call default thinking. And it’s one of the fastest ways to waste your media dollars and stall your growth.
Default thinking is seductive because it feels familiar. You ran a campaign on a certain schedule last year and saw some calls. So, you do it again. You bought spots in the 5 o’clock news and saw decent leads. So, you re-up. You’re not really sure if your audience still watches that show or if your competitors are crowding that daypart, but it feels safe.
The problem? The market never stays still. And your strategy shouldn’t either.
Legal marketing, especially personal injury, is dynamic. Audience behavior changes. Competitive noise shifts. The media landscape itself evolves faster than most firms can track. And yet, far too many firms are still operating off assumptions that made sense five years ago.
I’ve reviewed plans from major markets that were literally unchanged from one year to the next. Same stations, same spend, same rotations. And yet, the client was wondering why results were flattening. Why intake volume wasn’t increasing. Why cost per case was quietly creeping up.
The answer? The world changed and their plan didn’t.
Here’s what smart firms do differently:
They question everything. Not constantly, but consistently.
They ask:
- Is this media plan still aligned with where people are paying attention?
- Has our audience shifted? Do we need more Spanish-language placements?
- Are we overspending in one area and underinvesting in another?
- Are our competitors exploiting channels we’ve ignored?
In other words, they treat strategy as alive. Not static. Not fixed. Not “set and forget.”
And they understand that every year brings a new opportunity and a new risk to either refine or fall behind.
I’ve had clients challenge long-standing assumptions and unlock major results. One moved budget from traditional local news to high-performing streaming placements and saw a lift in brand searches within weeks. Another stopped chasing “cheap” remnant buys, focused on intentional placements with cleaner creative and tighter frequency, and brought cost per case down by nearly 30%.
Those changes didn’t come from spending more. They came from thinking differently.
If you’re a PI attorney, or running marketing for one, you’re not in the business of status quo. You’re in the business of building leverage, growing case volume, and outpacing the competition. That requires challenging what no longer works, even if it once did.
So next time you find yourself saying, “This is how we’ve always done it,” stop.
Ask: Is that still the best move for the market we’re in now?
If the answer is anything short of a confident yes, it’s probably time to rebuild, not repeat.
Default is easy. But easy rarely performs.
Contact PMP today for help thinking outside of the box on your marketing strategy.
