New Isn't Always Better

Do you remember clear cola drinks, chocolate flavored frozen french fries or blue butter? Chances are that if you do remember, you remember how much of a failure these products were. All of these products were made by well-respected companies but they failed because the companies took a gamble regarding who their market was. All of those products were aimed at a certain demographic and while they grabbed the core group they went after they ignored the fact that it was a group with limited buying power.

You're probably wondering how that's relevant to you as a lawyer. It's a lesson on how not to handle your market; you can't assume that the mistakes of someone else will somehow be your successes. Re-inventing popular food products often ends badly for companies, and yet every so often there's a company that risks marketshare by doing just that. A large part of marketing is being willing to learn lessons, and not just from your immediate experiences but also from the experiences of lawyers who've come before you.