Investment Marketing Newsletter – 2Q10
The Investment Marketing Business
The time for alternative investments to differentiate themselves through branding is inarguably here. Once able to rely solely on track record and performance history, the current state of the market and overall investment industry has delivered increased competition, regulation, and demand for some degree of transparency. Investors and institutions both demand consistent materials and messaging when performing more intensive due diligence and alternative investment firms now need to follow suit. This doesn’t mean a breach in advertising compliance; just that hedge funds and other alternatives will need to incorporate a level of branding and messaging that will differentiate and distinguish themselves like other segments of the investment services and asset management. Firms will benefit from branding sophistication that aligns with the investment style and services they offer. For more information on alternative investment branding and multi-tiered password protected websites, visit MBC’s Alternative Investment Services.
Watch List
Early in the second quarter, the content team at MBC finished up a project for a major mutual fund company based in New Jersey. The research and writing project was to support the launch of a new magazine distributed to all of the financial advisors that work with the $40 billion fund company. MBC helped the company write the cover story article that highlighted the firm’s overarching outlook on markets and diversification in today’s environment, as well as contributing a series of product positioning articles for particular funds that make sense for current investment strategies. Topics included alternative investments, new ways to look at diversification, finding non-duration sensitive yield, and the power of income-producing stocks.
Marketing Consultant’s Corner
MBC Strategic recently embarked on efforts to refresh elements of our own brand. Focusing on the website homepage and portfolio of work, the visual update will maintain the same color palette and style long associated with the firm’s core identity, while implementing new design elements to emphasize recent work and successes. It is important to periodically revisit your branding strategy to ensure that your visual identity evolves as your company does. Adjustments to your look, when consistent with the overall brand, can highlight new services, features, and technologies, as well as repositioning your firm to reflect current focus, goals, and offerings. A brand refresh can also serve as a new and interesting touch point to reach out to past and current clients and prospects. Stay tuned for the re-launch.
The Ticker
During the second quarter, MBC also revisited and updated an entire program on advisor practice management for one of the largest national networks of financial advisors. The 60+ page, five-chapter series helps advisors reach their peak performance through analysis and hands-on exercises around goal-setting, time management, client relationships, and developing an effective business plan. MBC worked closely with the firm’s leadership to create the concept, provide supportive research, write the content, develop the exercises, and support the art direction and design. The program was distributed to sales leadership in May and will continue to be ramped up through their advisor network.