How will you differentiate your firm in the eyes of advisors?

Transcription

1 It s a crowded marketplace. How will you differentiate your firm in the eyes of advisors? ADVISOR INSIGHT Marketing Effectiveness reveals best practices and top-rated firm profiles for value-added programs (VAPs) and marketing. Findings establish advisor preferences, identify attributes for success, and indicate areas for improvement. Insights are based on survey responses from 1,800 advisors and nearly 200 branch managers. Advisors provide insights into... Value-added Programs (VAPs): Key VAP topics Preferences for program frequency, delivery method, deliverer, and the role of wholesalers Key criteria for choosing a VAP VAP participation rates and reasons for lack of participation Over 30 firm-specific VAPs Marketing: Preferences for delivery method, advertising, Web site usage Firm-specific marketing efforts and their statisfaction levels Rankings of marketing materials for 54 firms Over 30 firm brands in their own words For more information on ADVISOR INSIGHT, contact FRC today at (888) or [email protected]. 2 Vol. Advisor Insight Series in conjunction with Marketing Effectiveness 2008 Copyright 2008 by Financial Research Corporation. All rights reserved.

2 Study Overview Financial Research Corporation (FRC) and Horsesmouth joined forces to gain insight into the actual effectiveness of advisor value-added programs (VAPs) and marketing materials. This study establishes advisor preferences, identifies best practices, and profiles firms that are garnering attention among advisors. Survey Respondents A comprehensive survey of nearly 1,800 financial advisors was conducted from November 2007 through early January 2008 as well as a survey of 182 branch managers conducted during January The surveys, conducted by Horsesmouth, were executed online and drawn from Horsesmouth s database of financial advisors. Extensive demographic data was gathered on the survey participants. Advisor Demographics & Profiles Channel Advisor with Wirehouse Advisor with Regional Broker/Dealer Advisor with Independent Broker/Dealer RIA,Independent Dual Registered RIA/Rep with Wirehouse Dual Registered RIA/Rep with Regional B/D Dual Registered RIA/Rep with Independent Broker/Dealer Investment Rep with Bank, Credit Union Advisor with Insurance Company Other (Non-registered fee-only planner, trust company, or CPA firm) Compensation Model Region Tenure Entirely Fee-Based Northeast 1-4 Years Three-Quarters Fee-Based MidAtlantic 5-9 Years Half Transactional / Half Fee-Based Midwest Years Three-Quarters Transactional South 20 Years or More Half Transactional / Half Fee-Based West Entirely Transactional Profile Type Registered Representatives RIA/RIA-like Advisors Fast-Growing Advisors Large, Fast-Growing Advisors SMA-Oriented Advisors Mutual Fund-Oriented Advisors VA/Insurance Oriented Advisors ETF-Oriented Advisors Fee-Based Advisors Transaction-Based Advisors Team-Based Advisors Defined Contribution-Based Advisors Section Three - Corporate Attributes Advisors provide their perspectives on the following corporate attributes: Investment management Investment philosophy and process Corporate image and reputation Sales support Marketing support Overall (the firm as a whole) These attributes are measured in all volumes of ADVISOR INSIGHT to provide historical data that enables firms to benchmark their improvements as well as industry competitors.

3 ADVISOR INSIGHT Series Established by Financial Research Corporation (FRC) and Horsesmouth to provide a current view into the financial advisor s world. In this ever competitive environment, it is essential to understand the challenges and needs of advisors to effectively position your firm for success. This series, which acts as an advocate for the financial advisor, provides the necessary insight to appeal directly to the specific dynamics of your desired target audience and differentiate your firm from your peers. Findings are based on a detailed survey of a broad financial advisor audience. Volume One, Wholesaler Effectiveness, identified the high quality interactions required by financial advisors in order for wholesalers to have an impact on their buy/sell decision process. It also unearthed the fact that marketing support, as a corporate attribute, was not viewed in an overwhelmingly positive light by many advisors. Volume Two - Marketing Effectiveness Marketing Effectiveness, Book One, uncovers the areas for improvement, identifies best practices, and profiles firms that are making an impact in the areas of Value-Added Programs and Marketing. Advisors also reveal if Brand messages are differentiating firms, and if they truly have an impact on an advisor s decision-making process. Advertising, Public Relations, and Web site are also explored. Each section includes recommendations and key takeaways. Book Two includes three appendices: Appendix A - Exhibits Tenure Annual production level Assets under management Assets added in the last 12 months Appendix B - Exhibits All firm rankings (Complete survey findings vs. high-level findings) Appendix C - Exhibits Company-specific ratings (Quick snapshots of a firm s rankings in each category in comparison to the overall average)

4 Study Excerpts Advisor Use and Benefits from VAPs Survey respondents described in their own words, how a VAP has made a positive impact on their business. This section includes a wide range of valuable insights confirming the importance of a worthwhile VAP and shedding light on how this information impacts their business. Additionally, respondents cited programand firm-specific VAPs that have added great value to their business. The positive impact on business responses were categorized into the following topics: Provides support Generates ideas Offers product knowledge Offers education Assists with business planning Grows business Increases referrals AllianceBernstein has an excellent presentation on obtaining referrals: there were specific actions that I could immediately implement in my practice. The presenter was also entertaining, experienced, and accessible. Advisor Rankings of Top Marketing Firms Survey respondents identified the one firm that they believe does the best job of marketing and described why. A total of 91 firms received at least one mention from advisors. The top-ten firms accounted for 64% of all mentions, while the top-20 totaled 77% of all mentions. (Firm-specific rankings are available.) Advisors also rated the top-five firms in their overall book of business and the top-five firms they ve used in the last 12 months. They then responded to a number of questions regarding the marketing material of three specific firms based on their top-five selections. They (Lord Abbett) always seem to keep themselves on our minds through brand differentiation and follow-up. Financial advisors rated four attributes: Overall Layout and appearance Unique/differentiated from materials at other firms Institutional-level quality information.

5 Table of Contents (Page 1 of 2) Book One Directory of Exhibits iii Biographies Introduction Methodology Executive Summary Section One Value Added Programs I.Value-Added Programs Generic Advisor Participation Rates/Reasons Advisor Preferences: Key Topics Advisor Preferences: Ongoing vs. One-Time VAP Advisor Preferences: Delivery Method Advisor Preferences: Key Criteria for Selection Advisor Preferences: Key Criteria for Selection Independence of Source Advisor Preferences: Key Criteria for Selection Differentiation Advisor Preferences: Key Criteria for Selection Brand/Reputation of Sponsor Firm Advisor Preferences: Key Criteria for Selection Home Office Support Advisor Preferences: Key Criteria for Selection Branch Manager Support Advisor Preferences: Role of the Wholesaler in VAPs Advisor Preferences: Measuring Success and Creating Differentiation Advisor Use and Benefits from VAPs VAP Pitfalls II.Value-Added Programs Firm-Specific Top-Ranked Programs Distinguishing Characteristics of Successful Programs Measuring Success Measuring Success: Participant Levels Overall Measuring Success: Participant Levels by Key Profiles Measuring Success: Participant Assets Generated Measuring Success: Assets Gathered by the Sponsor Firm Top Programs Advisor Verbatim Responses Measuring All Firms vs. Advisor Preferences Advisor Preferences vs. Program Realities III.Branch Manager Perspective IV.FRC Recommendations and VAP Key Takeaways Section Two Marketing I. Marketing Generic Advisor Rankings of Top Marketing Firms Advisor Preferences: Delivery Advisor Preferences: Advertising Advisor Preferences: Web Site Usage Web Site Improvements II.Marketing Firm-Specific Top-Ranked Firms Top-Ten Firm Satisfaction

6 Table of Contents (Page 2 of 2) Section Two Marketing (Continued) Measuring Firms Against Advisor Preferences Brand Analysis Firm Brand Verbatims Advisor Feedback on Brand Descriptors Views from the Branch Manager Top-Ranked Web Sites III.FRC Recommendations and Marketing Key Takeaways Section Three Corporate Attributes I.Satisfaction Rates by Attribute II.Top-Ten Scoring Firms by Attribute II.Above-Average Scoring Firm Comparisons Section Four Company Profiles I.VAP Profiles AssetMark Janus Nuveen II.Marketing Profiles Ivy Funds The Hartford GE Asset Management Russell Book Two Appendix A: Tenure, Annual Production, AUM, & Assets Added in the Last 12 Months Exhibits Appendix B: All-Firm Exhibits Appendix C: Company-Specific Rankings For more information, contact us today. Financial Research Corporation 100 Summer Street, 15th Floor Boston, MA (888) [email protected]

7 Study Author Craig Kilgallen Craig is Vice President, Director of ADVISOR INSIGHT for Financial Research Corporation (FRC), where he is responsible for leading FRC s advisor-oriented research. This includes three volumes per year of ADVISOR INSIGHT, a research series that focuses on topics such as wholesaler effectiveness, marketing, value-added programs, practice management, and other critical advisory service themes. He also works directly with clients pertaining to advisor-related initiatives. Craig joined FRC in 2005 as Vice President, Director of Relationship Development, a role in which he worked closely with senior management and business strategy teams to facilitate their research and evaluation of strategic issues including evolving distribution strategies, new product development, and competitive analysis. Craig has 13 years of financial services industry experience. Prior to joining FRC, he was responsible for sales, client service, and marketing of mutual funds at Century Capital Management and performed external and internal wholesaling functions at Funds Distributor, Inc. Before moving into mutual fund distribution, he was an assistant equity trader at McLaughlin Capital Markets working with various institutional clients. Craig began his career at The Boston Company. Craig received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Villanova University and holds his NASD Series 7 and 63 licenses. Research Partner Horsesmouth Horsesmouth is dedicated to helping financial advisors build better businesses for themselves and their clients. Every day, we deliver the practical how-to guidance, tools, best prac-tices and inspiration necessary for advisors to develop more business,build stronger relationships with clients and manage their practices more effectively. Advisors have ongoing access to over 4,000 different business-building resources. On average, more than one-third of these resources are utilized by advisors each day. Through our pioneering flagship online service and advisor community, as well as our acclaimed advisor programs and workshops, Horsesmouth is the trusted partner of advisors across the financial services industry. Horsesmouth also partners with asset management firms, insurance companies and other organizations with a shared commitment to helping advisors. We design, build and implement custom programs that leverage our vast advisor resources, wide network of experts and innovative primary research capabilities. MINDSHARE PROGRAMS enhance the productivity and profitability of existing advisor relationships and make it easier to build new relationships with targeted advisors that meet ideal client criteria. These programs arm asset managers with a powerful suite of tools that put wholesalers and firm branding in front of advisors every day and provide sales and marketing executives with exclusive, unique, custom intelligence on their prospects, customers and the overall marketplace. VALUE-ADDED PROGRAM SUITES are customizable, modular turn-key programs that give advisors exactly what they want help with their most critical business development and practice management issues. Horsesmouth's value-added programs allow asset managers to maximize ROI by including sustained follow-up between wholesalers and advisors and providing opportunities for direct linkages to product sales that can be measured. Horsesmouth is headquartered in the financial district of New York City. Its team of talented writers, editors, designers, IT experts, and customer support specialists, spread out across ten states, includes former advisors, branch managers, sales assistants, advisor trainers, mutual fund professionals, and financial communications experts who bring both broad anddeep experience to the work of serving advisors every day. Horsesmouth also leverages the expertise of hundreds of subject matter expert partners recognized both within the financial services industry and across broader business landscape.