“Marketing & J.S. Held: A Story of Evolution” by Chief Marketing Officer Monica Christopher

A Tale of Two Eras

J.S. Held is constantly changing and reinventing itself—our vision, who we are, what we do, and who we serve. While this continued evolution has been one of our company's key strengths over the last 50 years, it’s also been the biggest challenge facing our Marketing Department since inception a little under a decade ago. We have changed so much in such a short period of time that putting together long-term marketing strategies and building our brand has demanded ongoing agility and flexibility.

From 1974 to 2015, J.S. Held had become an industry leader in property damage and builder’s risk insurance claims consulting, working on many of the largest claims in history. Since we were so well known, marketing was not a big emphasis. That quickly changed from 2015 to 2020 as we started to diversify the services we provided to the insurance market by adding practice lines specializing in Environmental, Health, and Safety; Surety Services; Equipment Consulting; Forensic Architecture and Engineering; and Forensic Accounting. During that time, we also established our Construction Advisory practice, which initiated our growth outside of insurance.

Brand building became a key focus. We reframed our position in the market to reflect our expanded capabilities and role as trusted advisors, built out new communications strategies to reinforce our value proposition and increase brand exposure, and ramped up development of thought leadership content to deliver expert insights on trends and issues impacting our clients.

Then came 2020, which truly was a pivotal year. The entire business landscape changed with the COVID-19 pandemic and there were major implications on marketing. We had to quickly adjust our strategies and messaging while accounting for rapid shifts in the channels used to connect with current and prospective clients. Traditional sales efforts and in-person interactions practically changed overnight, placing greater emphasis on marketing to help drive the firm forward. Our marketing efforts helped maintain and transform how we meaningfully engaged with our audience during the pandemic, and how we’ve continued to foster engagement since.

Another key part of our evolution during this timeframe was that our core business continued to grow beyond insurance through acquisitions, and our geographic focus significantly expanded as we broadened our presence outside of the United States. Once again, we had to refresh how we positioned who we are and the solutions we provide across sectors and geographic markets. Law firms and corporations became focal points for marketing campaigns, and compliance with international data privacy laws moved to the top of our priorities.

Each acquisition presents opportunities and challenges. We’ve been able to leverage the brand equity of the firms we’ve acquired to help establish and build J.S. Held’s presence in front of new audiences and markets. But on the other side of that, the challenge of rebranding well-established legacy firms is no small feat. Developing tailored communications to announce the combined value of multiple brands, consolidating marketing systems and platforms, shifting strategies, and bringing different cultures together requires significant time and resources. Through careful planning and strong partnerships, we’ve been able to navigate these changes together as a part of J.S. Held’s continued transformation.

The Next Chapter: Adapting for the Future

The post-2020 period, particularly 2021 and beyond, has come with no shortage of “A-ha” moments for our Marketing Department. Remote solutions have paved the way for new possibilities – not only for our outreach, client relationships, and workplace collaboration, but also in unveiling new marketing opportunities as J.S. Held, the global business environment, and the marketing landscape continue to evolve. I am proud of how our Marketing Team has come together to leverage our different strengths to navigate the challenges that come with change and recognize our collective path forward.

Our firm shares an entrepreneurial spirit that helps drive our success. Helping clients realize value and mitigate risk requires us to constantly innovate, not only to effectively address the matters our clients face today, but also those that are anticipated to follow. As a result, resourcefulness, adaptability, and forward-thinking are key characteristics that make up the “DNA” of our Marketing Department as we support, sustain, and propel the unique and diverse company and brand that J.S. Held has become.

Since 2020, J.S. Held has continued to grow and diversify as trusted advisors to insurance companies, law firms, corporations, government agencies, and financial institutions globally. We’ve added expertise in intellectual property, cyber security, political risk, global investigations, sustainability & ESG, forensic economics, accident reconstruction, and turnaround & restructuring, among others. While we continue to transform and reflect the depth and breadth of the organization in our marketing communications and brand development, a focus on our people – our most valuable asset – and our commitment to provide unrivaled expertise, unparalleled client service, and to be catalysts for change in our industry remain constant.

It is rewarding to look around the Marketing Department and see the diverse and complementary team that we are today. We have smart, strategic people, who, regardless of role—whether a copywriter, graphic designer, content creator, or digital specialist—leverage their respective talents and knowledge of our business to make a profound impact on the organization. This means being intimately familiar and adept with a vast span of technical knowledge, scientific expertise, and highly-tailored services; in addition to shifts in consumer behavior, influences in the decision-making process, and what defines and powers business-to-business and business-to-consumer relationships. Companies today must rise to meet broader expectations beyond the scope of simple “business,” especially within the realm of social responsibility. Our growth here at J.S. Held has shown me that not only are we ready to meet expectations, but we are eager to be leaders as new challenges and opportunities arise.

Join Us as We Celebrate 50 Years

Throughout 2024, leaders from across J.S. Held are sharing stories of their experiences over the past 50 years and how the industry and different departments have evolved. We look forward to sharing more of our company’s journey, how we have reached this milestone, and how we are preparing for the future.