Synopsis: $27+ billion asset manager engaged Synthesis to automate their fact sheet production after failed attempts at automation with other vendors. The result?

• Quarterly time-to-market with updated collateral fell by 70%, with a corresponding decline in internal resource allocation
• Because they were no longer focused on sales product support for 24 weeks a year (the total length of time spent managing quarter-end data production), the Marketing team could focus on core marketing functions
• They were able to fully invest themselves in projects which added significant value to the firm’s overall brand
• As a result, management approved higher budgets, more staffing, and a significantly broadened project portfolio.

It is easy for asset management marketing and sales teams to understand the benefits of data and marketing collateral automation.

Why? Because automation:

• Saves time
• Improves efficiency
• Reduces opportunity costs, and
• Enables stronger alignment across the marketing, sales, and compliance departments.

Understanding is one thing, but convincing upper management to add budget line items for new relationships is often tough – especially when their impact often escapes the usual bottom-line KPIs.

Synthesis has an asset management client with $27+ billion AUM, whose marketing director faced exactly this sort of pushback when the relationship was initiated. Here’s their story:

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By Chris Ruppenstein

You’re probably already aware of SEC’s Modern Marketing Rule (Rule 206(4)-1), which replaces previous rules governing advertising by registered investment advisers, including asset managers and private funds.

You may even know these rules are scheduled to go into effect on November 4, 2022.

But does everyone in your firm who is involved in communicating with the public understand the new requirements? And, more importantly, is your firm on track toward meeting these requirements?

If you’re not, you’re not alone. According to Red Oak Compliance Solutions, less than 25% of their clients admit that they’ve fully instituted processes for complying with Rule 206(4)-1.

The good news is that most print and online marketing and advertising materials that asset managers produce already comply with SEC requirements.

However, the SEC’s new rules are designed to close certain loopholes, particularly concerning the way performance information is presented, as well as encompass the reality that messaging platforms like email and social media have become as important as pitchbooks, and web sites in conveying marketing and sales information to clients and prospects.

And, if that wasn’t enough, the SEC will now require asset managers to provide extensive documentation of the processes they used to create, review, approve and distribute advertising materials.

Is there a silver lining here? Perhaps, since the SEC is finally going to allow asset managers to use client testimonials and endorsements in their advertising.

Let’s take a closer look at the key provisions that will create the most work for asset managers—and what they need to do now to comply with the new rules.

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Over the past couple of years, the way we live, work and communicate has been changed forever. The global pandemic left an indelible mark on the asset management landscape that requires new strategies for engaging both clients and employees. So how do asset managers attract and engage financial advisors and grow assets in a more distributed and remote workforce?

This topic was explored at length at the Spring 2022 IMEA conference in Chicago. Some of take-aways from the event are included in our tips below:

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Guest post by Marianne Hewitt, CEO at The Growth Strategy Group. This article first appeared on cdp.com.

Asset managers must continue to drive down expense ratios and keep an intense focus on growth by leveraging modern technologies and improving operational efficiencies. For asset managers to deploy that technology, they need to invest in the marketing technology (Martech) stack of the future.

The Asset Management MarTech Stack Insights and Trends research, in which I collaborated with Synthesis Technology and Sondhelm Partners, identified operational efficiencies as the largest influence for shaping MarTech Stacks in the next two years. Delivering an effective customer experience and generating business insights were also priorities that will influence the construct of the future MarTech stack.Read More