Meet the Neighbors
Photo courtesy of Feldstein Grinberg Stein & McKee
The law firm of Feldstein Grinberg Stein & Mckee sits between two downtown Pittsburgh college campuses, but few students—or professors— realized it, says partner Alison T. Smith, because the seven-story building had no signage.
“We’ve got a great flow of foot traffic, and we need to be taking advantage of it,” she adds.
“We’re trying to get name recognition, and there’s not … any easier thing to do than put a sign on the door.”
Feldstein Grinberg decided to take an innovative, inexpensive approach and asked neighboring Art Institute of Pittsburgh students to help with their sign design and placement strategy. Advertising and graphic design students from the school worked in pairs, competing for cash prizes.
Ultimately, in December, the law firm selected two first-place teams, paying each $750. The team that came in second received $300.
The two first-place teams were asked to combine their ideas for a final product. Smith, who chairs her firm’s estate administration practice, estimates that if a professional company did similar work, it would have cost at least $5,000.
“The other factor is that it was important as a law firm to be part of the community of downtown Pittsburgh,” she says, “and the contest was a way to improve our relationship with the community.”
