#BehindtheBrandManager: Hawa Moya for Werksmans Attorneys

Hawa Moya

Tell us a bit about yourself and your role at Werksmans Attorneys…

I studied Marketing Management at the Institute of Marketing Management (IMM), and have over 10 years of holistic marketing, brand management and communications experience in various B2B industries. [In my role at Werksmans Attorneys] I wear various hats in managing marketing and advertising, brand, PR as well as all communications for the firm.

Do you feel branding in the legal sector comes with a different level of responsibility to say, consumer brands, given the nature of the business?

The legal sector definitely magnifies the level of responsibility in terms of it being highly detailed-orientated and dealing with complex subject matter. In that, ensuring that brand messaging across all mediums of communications are aligned and relatable to specific audiences, ensuring creative thinking is at the forefront.

What is it you love about the legal industry and your role in it?

What makes me wake up each morning is knowing that I am in for a different day. The legal industry is ever-changing, which thoroughly challenges me daily in dealing with cutting-edge legal matters so relevant to our economy and country. Juggling between my various roles at Werksmans in finding new and better ways to position the firm is what I find most exhilarating.

What are some of the biggest lessons you've learned from your experience in the sector?

The importance of precision and timeous communications in all that you do really matters. It is a highly competitive academic environment and creativity plays a huge role in ensuring that your brand does not become lost and monotonous.

Which channels do you find the most successful for brand communication and why?

LinkedIn has shown much success in terms of our holistic B2B objectives as it also allows for specific targeting when one looks at digital platforms. PR is of utmost importance in terms of content being authentically recognised by mainstream media and allows for our lawyers to be positioned as thought leaders in their relevant areas of law. I also believe that direct marketing will always have its place in terms of maintaining successful relationships with clients.

Message delivery and connecting with stakeholders can often be a challenge. What is your strategy when delivering the intended message?

I think it is most important to understand who these stakeholders are and to segment communications and its mediums around this. Effective data collection is a core role of this process in terms identifying who and how to communicate effectively.

What’s on your wish-list for brand objectives for 2021?

Given the current Covid-19 pandemic, there has been a big shift in the way we communicate and needs of clients. With this in mind, one of the primary objectives is to continue and consistently improve our standing as thought leaders across our areas of law with purpose-driven content creation that resonates with relevant existing and new audiences, aligning always to overall business objectives.

How do you plan on building the Werksmans brand going forward?

The evolution of digitalisation and the consumption of information is rapidly changing, and strategically applying these to our overall objectives will be key in building and growing the brand. In addition, what is most important is to ensure that our brand promise remains authentic to actual firm service.