Pannone demonstrates risks of re-branding
20 May 2011
Pannone kindly demonstrated all the risks of an expensive rebranding project this week. Highlights included the obligatory barage of marketing jargon, photos of confused-looking lawyers on its new website, and a social media experiment that quickly descended into personal abuse.

The firm's "Pannonevision" rebranding seems to involve mainly advertising on taxis, a questionable video and a website rammed with cut-and-paste management slogans such as "Energy", "Excellence" and the cryptic "Accepting that we cant [sic] stand still and seeking opportunities to improve". Plus of course new photos of its lawyers on its website, blinking as they emerge from darkened offices:

Richard Copson is confused to find himself outside his office during daylight hours

Garret Spring is amazed by an iPad.

Barry O'Neill demonstrates how to use a phone and a biro at the same time.

Andrew Bradley enjoys a hilarious article in the Solicitors Journal.

And Elizabeth Hughes shuts her eyes to make it all stop

Matters were not helped by the Pannone's ambitious plan to promote its relaunch through social media, which involved the firm tweeting a running commentary of its launch bash at Manchester Art Gallery. While the firm may have been pleased at volume of responses using the #pannonevision hashtag, the content was probably not what it was hoping for - as it consisted mainly of speculation on the sexual peccadillos of various staff members and/or their weight problems.

Tragically, the offending tweets have now vanished from the internet, with rumours abounding that this may have been the result of the firm's dark forces. Pannone declined the opportunity to comment.