When it comes to the automation of marketing materials like fact sheets, people often have a hard time letting go of their InDesign templates. This is understandable. Preserving the InDesign functionality gives marketers a sense of security, especially if they’ve been using this program for years. We see this scenario all the time in both large and small investment company marketing departments.

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(To read our blog on Trends in Asset Management Marketing for 2017, click here.)

You know that guy who always has something interesting to share and teaches you something new in each conversation? The guy that always seems to have a pulse on what’s currently going on in the industry? Andrew Corn, CEO of E5A Integrated Marketing, is “that guy” for me.Read More

By Emilie Totten

The criteria used to evaluate and select an automation solution vary from firm to firm, but there are some common trends. As part of our ongoing research to understand our customers, prospects, and target market, we make it a regular practice to interview current and potential clients as well as the lead sponsors of lost opportunities. Based on buyer persona research we’ve conducted over the past year, we’ve identified what marketers see as the most important criteria when evaluating and purchasing an automation solution for collateral production. Please note, while this research is largely qualitative and the sample size does not support true statistical measurement, it has shown us some clear and recognizable patterns of decision making and the value systems that drive these patterns.  We plan to dig deeper into this research over the next several months and provide a full report. In the meantime, I’m confident that these preliminary findings hold water for the vast majority of asset management marketers.Read More

One of the criteria often overlooked by asset managers during the vendor evaluation process is data management.

The urge to minimize the data problem during these discussions is understandable. Document or website production is the marketing team’s goal.  Data aggregation and quality control shouldn’t be part of the marketer’s life, but very frequently it is. This is a challenge that should be addressed clearly and upfront in evaluating document automation options.

In beginning conversations, the first thing we try to find out is how their firm is currently handling data. We do this because data really lies at the heart of the communication problem; the question of how to clean up your communication effort goes hand in hand with the question of how your data process will be addressed. Thus, as you’re defining your document automation requirements, it’s wise to look at your data management scenario. In doing this, you determine whether you have the bandwidth and skills in-house to implement quality data feeds and controls or whether outsourcing is the better or more realistic option.

In this blog, we are going to discuss why your data process should drive your automation vendor decision. There are a variety of different kinds of vendors who can automate your marketing documents. So, you’ll want to determine whether you want a vendor/product that requires internal data source and process management or a vendor who will take responsibility for creating and supporting a quality data process.

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