One call, that’s all: Love him or not, he’s one of Milwaukee’s most effective marketers

Is David Gruber the best personal injury lawyer in Milwaukee?

Maybe. We have no idea. That’s not the point.

In the ferociously competitive category of personal injury lawyers, David Gruber plays to win.

And whether or not David Gruber knows anything about empirical marketing or has read “How Brands Grow,” he’s been doing everything we’ve been talking about in this series. And he’s been doing it almost exactly right. For decades.

1. He’s been building mental availability since day one. He’s everywhere. You can’t turn around without hearing or seeing his tagline. You can’t swing a cat in this town without hitting one of his ads.

You’ll find him on television, radio, billboards, t-shirts. Tens of thousands of people hear his name every time the Bucks sink a three-pointer. You’ll find his logo at festivals and charity events.

So if you are hurt in an accident, chances are Gruber Law Offices will be top of mind when it’s time to call a lawyer.

2. Gruber has been incredibly disciplined in the use of distinctive brand assets — his tagline, his logo, his voice and his face.

3. He has been relentlessly consistent in his messaging. “One call, that’s all” is a promise. It’s clever. It rhymes. It’s sticky. And it’s been drilled into our heads for more than 35 years.

4. He seems to be acutely aware of the 95/5 rule. At any given time, at least 95% of people do not need a personal injury lawyer.

But he doesn’t advertise to reach those 5%. Those people are not why he has sponsorship deals with the Bucks, Badgers, Brewers, Marquette and UW-Milwaukee sports. It’s not why he supports the MACC Fund or Summerfest.

He does it to build trust and an emotional connection with the audience.

He does it to put on a show.

He does it to reach the overwhelming majority of people who don’t need his services at that moment but may, at some point, get into a bad car accident.

5. And he does it because he seems to understand that brand loyalty does not exist. If you are a loyal customer of a personal injury law firm, then you have had a run of very bad luck, and we hope things turn around for you.

6. His ads are — at least for this category — fairly creative. One ad showed stock footage (we assume) of happy dogs doing happy dog stuff simply because he wanted to make people smile.

Why? Because emotion is the most important driver of advertising effectiveness.

Also, he smiles. It’s an earnest smile, not a goofy one. And we can’t think of another law firm that leans into anything other than very serious lawyers doing very serious lawyer stuff.

You don’t have to love David Gruber. You might find the entire category distasteful. That’s not the point.

He has woven himself into the fabric of Milwaukee. He associates himself and his brand with things people love. He’s doing what works.

He has made himself famous. His law firm is famous. Milwaukee famous, sure, but still …

What does this mean for you?

You might not have the marketing budget of David Gruber Law Offices. That’s okay.

Your brand can still be relentless, disciplined and entertain people. 

You can put on a show. You can associate your brand with things people love.

You can play to win.

You can borrow from David Gruber’s playbook. And we can help you create your own.

We’ll see you next time.