How Digital Marketing Could Have Changed the Movie: “Legally Blonde” Ahead of its Time?

We all remember the iconic movie in which a stereotypical “dumb blonde” gives up her superficial ways to attend Harvard Law School. We all remember the quintessential moment of an unexpected twist at the end with the daughter confessing to a murder. We all loved the memorable quotes, such as, “Elle Woods; Welcome to Harvard” and “You just bend . . . and snap!”

This movie is, in its own way, a practical comparison to the LSATs and law school, while putting a comedic edge on it. It’s important to look at Legally Blonde as not just another Reese Witherspoon movie, but also as a marketing lesson.

Elle Woods, when she applied to Harvard after she passed the LSATs, sent in a video tape for her application. At the time, this was something not many people had thought about doing. But in actuality, it was only a piece of what set her apart from other applicants.

Many colleges these days are accepting video essays as a common form of application, such as George Mason University, Tufts University and St. Mary’s College of Maryland. In 2001, this was not the case. The beauty of such an application is it helps admissions officers get a better sense of who you are; it allows you to share more of your personality; and it takes some of the stress off of those applying. It’s an easy way to market yourself, but only if you know what you’re doing. If you are nervous, unsure of what to say, or not technologically savvy enough to create your own video, it is recommended you hire some outside help.

Elle Woods was ahead of her time when she hit the big screen in 2001. But in this day and age, she would be lagging behind her fellow classmates. In order to stay top dog in the industry, she could integrate two new marketing techniques into her daily life.

When someone asks what the biggest marketing trend of the 21st century is so far, I can almost guarantee everyone will say social media. This is something every lawyer, or hopeful law student, needs to succeed. Some ways to use social media include:

• Live streaming before/during/after a court case
• Tweeting court tips
• Instagramming the lawyer’s preparation process
• Blogging about experiences

Another amazing development in this century has been the increasingly simple accessibility to everything online. Marketers can find reporters with just a few clicks; soon-to-be college students can see every aspect of a college without going to visit it; and lawyers can find other lawyers in a variety of directories. Directories such as Avvo, Martindale-Hubbell and Super Lawyers make it easy to network with other lawyers, which is necessary in the competitive law field. If Elle Woods didn’t have one of the best profiles on these websites, filled with her high profile cases, we don’t know who would.

It can be difficult to market yourself when you are focused on helping your clients. So let ENX2 Marketing take care of your legal marketing needs while you take care of your clients. Contact ENX2 Marketing for your online law marketing help today.