UPC Hub (Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner)
Winner in the Category of Communications/PR/Branding
With the Unified Patent Court (UPC) originally expected to launch in early-to-mid-2023, and with Finnegan opening a new office in Munich, Germany in 2022 to help build out the firm’s European IP practice, the firm wanted to position itself as a trusted source for all things UPC, resulting in clients and potential clients turning to the firm for guidance on their UPC needs.
In November 2022, Finnegan launched its “UPC Hub,” serving as a one-stop-shop for firm-generated UPC content, including FAQs, webinars, blog posts, statistics, infographics, news commentary, articles, and other resources. In addition to positioning the firm as the go-to firm for UPC guidance and service, another goal was for these efforts to ultimately result in tangible work for the firm. In the end, Finnegan’s goals came to fruition in ways that far exceeded expectations.
Production & Implementation:
The team wanted to take a comprehensive approach to content development and then determine the most appropriate way to display and distribute the thought leadership. With the amount of content that Finnegan aimed to produce, it made the most sense to create a centralized hub to house everything. Working closely with the firm’s attorneys, the Finnegan team:
- Created a website landing page as the centralized location for all UPC content.
- Developed three comprehensive FAQ pages focused on specific aspects of the UPC.
- Hosted six additional UPC-related webinars following the launch of the hub, including two separate UPC series.
- Placed bylined articles for UPC attorneys in publications such as Law360, World IP Review, and The Patent Lawyer.
- Secured interview opportunities for our attorneys to comment on UPC developments.
- Utilized its European IP Blog to distribute updates regarding the UPC and cross-promoted FAQs, webinars, and attorney-authored articles when appropriate.
- Developed map graphics to indicate which countries were participants in the UPC and created pie charts and other graphics to showcase statistics regarding the number of case filings per country and technological breakdown.
- Linked to other UPC resources on the court’s official website.
Results:
Since November 2022, Finnegan has appeared in the top 10 (on page 1) of Google search rankings for multiple keywords tracked via Semrush, including “Unified Patent Court FAQ,” “Unified Patent Court,” and “unitary patent FAQ.” The page remains the third-most visited page on finnegan.com, behind the homepage and the landing page for “Our Professionals.”
When the UPC launched in June 2023, Finnegan was one of the first firms to file an action in the court within the first month of its opening, proving that the hub has been a successful tool for bringing new work to the firm.
Finnegan’s UPC Hub successfully utilized public relations, communications, and branding to execute a comprehensive content marketing campaign that also tied directly into business development. The outcome far exceeded Finnegan’s expectations with respect to webpage visits, social media reach, and open rates, and it is one of the firm’s most successful content campaigns to date.