Clio’s choice of Austin, Texas, for its Clio Cloud Conference this year was a foray into enemy territory, and the enemy responded strategically with guerilla tactics of its own.
Austin, as it happens, is the home base of AffiniPay, the parent company of MyCase, LawPay, CASEPeer and Docketwise, all of which are competitors to Clio.
So AffiniPay took advantage of the influx of legal professionals with what can only be described as guerrilla marketing.
Related: At the Clio Cloud Conference, Building Momentum for Better Legal Practices.
This, as Investopedia explains, is the marketing tactic in which a company uses surprise or unconventional methods and interactions to promote a product or service.
And so, from the moment attendees deplaned at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, AffiniPay advertising was seemingly everywhere, starting with big signs right there in the airport proclaiming, “Legal professionals, welcome to our home town.”
But the most-inspired maneuver may have been the pedicabs.
The second night of ClioCon always features a big party. Unlike the opening night party, however, it requires a paid ticket beyond the conference registration fee.
So AffiniPay chose that night to throw a “Taste of Texas” party of its own. And it held that party at Uptown Sports Club, the newest restaurant by legendary Austin barbecue chef Aaron Franklin, with Franklin himself there carving and serving the brisket.
All good so far. But here’s the inspired part. To get people to and from the party, AffiniPay hired a fleet of pedicabs to be at attendees’ beck and call.
Rhys Dipshan, tech desk editor at ALM, catches a ride.
Now, in Austin, pedicabs are ubiquitous, sporting tourists here and there. So, hiring pedicabs may not seem like such a big deal.
But AffiniPay not only hired them, but it also repainted them so they were branded with MyCase and LawPay and CASEPeer and Docketwise.
And many of those branded pedicabs ended up not just outside the AffiniPay party or attendees’ hotels, but outside the Clio party.
That meant that those leaving the Clio party could get rides home, courtesy of its competitor.
Next year, Clio won’t be returning to Austin. The decision to go elsewhere had nothing to do with AffiniPay’s guerilla campaign. But I’m sure someone at AffiniPay had fun with this bit of monkey business.