3 Ways Asset Managers Will Fail to Differentiate in 2021

Growing asset management revenues is much harder than it used to be. The number of asset managers and strategies have proliferated in recent years. However, the number of consultants has shrunk, leading to a notable decline in available mandates. In this fiercely competitive marketplace, even firms with a solid track record of performance will struggle. Asset managers which master the marketing process and effectively differentiate themselves will be triumphant in 2021.

Each year, I check in with my network of industry experts to get a pulse on the trends and best practices in asset management marketing. The upcoming year will be marked by big changes in the way marketers develop and deploy their plans. Largely, this is due to the pandemic and a shift to digital. With everyone “going digital” with their content, events, etc…, it’s going to be harder than ever to rise above the noise.  Recently, I met virtually with three experts in investment management marketing. I learned what asset managers should avoid if they want to differentiate and gain assets in the coming year. Here are three things asset managers should avoid if they want to differentiate in 2021.

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Put Clients at the Center of Your Business — and Your Tech Stack

The pandemic ushered in a new age of technology in the investment management industry. Even firms that had been resistant to digitalization became suddenly, and acutely, aware of existential business risks that could be managed only through digital means. Investment management marketing teams began taking a hard look at their tech stack. A surge of quick pivots followed as firms scrambled to adopt new tools, change processes, and streamline operations to ensure business continuity.

These adaptations are particularly crucial for preserving relationships between advisors and wholesalers. According to research from Broadridge, 22% of advisors found wholesalers to be less helpful during the pandemic, and 32% have decreased their reliance on wholesalers over the past two years.

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Are Data Bottlenecks Impacting Your Bottom Line?

Asset management sales and marketing efforts are fueled by data. The faster firms get clean, accurate product performance data in the hands of consultants, advisors and wholesalers, the better their chances of closing deals and increasing inflows. Effective governance for investment data is the foundation for this effort.

A growing number of firms are using marketing content automation solutions to quickly create and update pitchbooks, collateral materials and website product pages. Yet, many are still using inefficient, ad hoc processes for collecting, storing and distributing the source data that populates these communications.

These processes, coupled with a lack of formal governance around data collection and usage, increase product information’s time-to-market. Also, they raise the likelihood of errors that could result in reputational damage and regulatory sanctions.

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Noel Rodolfo Will Leverage a 15-year Tenure with Synthesis to Support Clients in a New Role

Synthesis Technology recently announced that Noel Rodolfo has stepped into a new role of director of client solutions created to support client success and growth.

“In my 15-year tenure at Synthesis, I’ve led both product and project teams. I’m truly excited to be bringing all that experience and knowledge to the client services team, and to take on this valuable new role to help our clients grow.”

Noel has always been able to see a problem from multiple angles and envision effective solutions. When he joined Synthesis as a project manager in 2005, he drew on a combination of technical and business expertise — and an interest in investing — to aptly manage a team responsible for new software implementations and ongoing support for our client base of financial services firms. In this role, Noel helped to ensure clients benefitted from highly tailored software implementations that met their unique requirements.

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