How original ideas can give asset management marketing a big lift

Discover how to distinguish a global dividend fund in a crowded market through insightful thought leadership. Learn strategies for captivating investors by challenging industry norms and presenting compelling content across diverse media platforms.

Picture a scenario where there are 10 asset managers, with an almost identical investment product such as a global dividend fund. Under those circumstances, what can be done to stand out?

Let’s say one of those providers, let’s call them Acme Asset Management, has big ambitions to build one of the largest global dividend funds i.e. attract lots of new investors.

Showing superior capital appreciation, a higher dividend yield, more competitive fees and maybe a different geographic / sector spread than rivals will certainly help Acme win more investors. And also to get favourable mentions in the various rankings for investment products. But let’s say the differences in performance between the 10 are negligible.

There are some obvious tactics Acme can use to drown out a good proportion of the competition. It could unleash a spending barrage on advertising, content marketing and corporate communications.

Having a high profile fund manager on tap to blog, podcast and share views with the media goes a long way too. This can be supported with a blitz on search engine rankings so any time someone googles ‘global dividend funds’ Acme dominates the rankings.

The problem with this strategy is that it can degenerate into an arms race. If pitted against one of the largest asset managers who also covet the global dividend space, Acme could quickly find itself outspent and outgunned.

Go deeper

And though marketing and advertising are necessary – they can only go so far. Their effectiveness can be greatly leveraged by promoting original ideas around investing.

This would infuse Acme’s marketing and sales campaigns with gravitas and authority.

Institutional investors in particular are not just looking for market commentary, economic, sector and company research reports. They want deeper explanations underpinning how various asset classes and regions might perform in the years ahead. What are the key drivers of performance likely to be? Why are they happening? And how will these trends impact investing in dividend paying companies across the world? Who might the future winners and losers be and why?

An extreme example of someone who has massively boosted their profile through thought leadership is the hedge fund manager Ray Dalio of Bridgewater Associates fame. Apart from regular media interviews, Dalio has published books where he takes strong positions on various economic and market topics.

Sometimes his views are controversial, but because they are interesting and well reasoned — they get heard and discussed. This has helped him build a dominating presence. That kind of profile undoubtedly makes life a lot easier for Bridgewater’s sales teams. Very likely investors reach out to them rather than the sales teams having to go knocking on doors.

Bold, interesting and contradictory views backed by strong evidence can take a life of their own, particularly if they capture the imagination of the media and other influencers.

Fresh thinking

To borrow from an old Heineken advert, original thinking refreshes the parts other ‘content’ cannot reach.

If Acme Asset Management took that route it would have to make sure that its thought leadership is timely and credible (an reflects its area of expertise, namely global dividend investing. It must be relevant to its target audience and express its ideas clearly, particularly if targeting institutional investors.

A real bonus would be to convincingly debunk some of the industry’s accepted wisdoms and clearly demonstrate that some unexpected change lies ahead. Last but not least, that thought leadership should be easily accessible in different types of media, in long and short formats, and be widely distributed and promoted.

For more about doing great thought leadership – sign up to one of FT Longitude’s free classes covering topics ranging from planning a successful campaign through to measuring its effectiveness.

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