The Overlooked Way To Get A Lot More Law Firm TV Advertising (Free Of Charge)

The TV advertising plan at Levine Benjamin Law Firm called for airing all their ads during the daytime. But something curious kept happening.

“We’ve got people who say they see us after hours,” said Gary Bimberg, managing partner. “Clients or even family members who say, ‘I stumbled across you on late night TV.’”

“All the time,” said the other managing partner, Joe Houle. “And I always say, well, we don’t air after hours, but people swear they see us.”

They weren’t hallucinating.

Levine Benjamin, a disability law firm in Detroit, did in fact have TV ads airing at night. But it wasn’t a deviation from their plan—it was bonus advertising time they received above and beyond their plan. Bonus spots that they received for free.

How?

Because they had a law firm marketing agency working for them, whose media buyers negotiated with television stations asking for extra spots. And it worked.

Levine Benjamin got 9,578 bonus spots in 2023—approaching 80 hours of free broadcast time—the most of any Firmidable legal marketing client.

Firmidable negotiated almost 42,000 bonus spots for all of our law firm clients that year and 220,000 bonus spots over four years.

“If you know how to negotiate professionally but firmly with the television stations, your law firm’s television campaign truly can produce more for your investment,” said Nathan Chapman, president of Firmidable. “Sometimes a lot more.”

Here’s how the legal marketers and media buyers at Firmidable pull off this feat for law firms…

How Does a Law Firm Media Buyer Make Bonus Spots Happen?

Firmidable defines bonus spots as any TV spot that airs for $0.

How do you get these free spots?

• Your media buyer requests them when placing annual ad buys. Television stations air them as goodwill when they have open time.
• Your media buyer reminds stations throughout the year, “Hey if you’ve got open inventory, our client likes free spots!” 
• A station airs an ad incorrectly (wrong time, wrong ad, wrong program, etc.), and your media buyer gets a credit to air again for $0.

Super Bowl 2024 provided a great example of the good fortune that can come your way if you keep your law firm in the conversation for bonus spots.

A personal injury law firm client of Firmidable’s aired a local ad during the Super Bowl.

Then the Super Bowl went into overtime.

The local station had more ad slots to fill. They gave our client’s commercial another airing for free during the Super Bowl.

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Why would TV stations want to give you these free spots?

It’s about relationships.

You’re a good, regular advertiser. When you maintain an ongoing relationship with them, they’ll offer freebies.

“They do appreciate your continued business week after week, month after month,” said Mandy Lee, Firmidable’s media manager and an expert at working with TV stations.

“You’re consistent. They don’t mind throwing the bonus spots in because that’s how stations show their appreciation. And if they screw it up, then we’re going to hold them to it to make it right and not pay for it.”

“We’re definitely very excited we got a good chunk in bonus spots this year,” Mandy said.

Realistically, it is your legal marketing agency and their professional media buyers who maintain these relationships day to day—because you have a law firm to run.

“We have experts in our corner advocating for us,” said Gary Bimberg, of Levine Benjamin, talking about the work Mandy and Firmidable do to maximize the value he gets from his TV advertising—including bonus spots that ad up to thousands of dollars in free exposure.

“They stay on top of the TV stations when we don’t have the time and expertise to do that,” he said. “It’s just another way that Firmidable is the best partner that a law firm can have.”

Could you be doing more to get the most form your law firm’s advertising budget? Talk to Firmidable.

Firmidable has been a national expert in legal marketing for over 30 years. It brings law firms customized, data-driven marketing strategies and services, including online and traditional media for a wide range of legal practices. From Maine to Hawaii, it has transformed the lives of attorneys—and their clients.