Welcome to our asset management marketing roundup
Asset managers are increasingly looking to embrace digital, offering innovative ways to engage with investors who are looking to trust those that are up to speed. From marketing funds on new look websites and social media accounts, to video marketing and written blogs, we here at Kurtosys scour the web to find the very best industry-specific examples of fund marketing and industry movers and shakers to save you the hard work.
This week’s round up brings you the very best digital uses by asset managers, entertaining Money 20/20 observations and a social media campaign plate-balancing-act from UBS.
Movers & Shakers
Phil Goffin
Phil Goffin has held multiple directorial roles in fintech companies and is known as one of the UK’s leading fintech minds. He has recently joined FNZ Group, which provides blockchain and other technologies to asset managers. Phil co-founded Time Machine Capital, an Artificial Intelligence lab and incubator, and was Director of Innovation for IFDS (the UKs largest fund administrator), in charge of an Innovation team in London. As Chief Innovation Officer at FNZ, his mandate is to “change the industry”. We know Phil well at Kurtosys and we couldn’t think of a better and more qualified person to think outside-the-box and make fintech a reality for our industry. We wish you all the best Phil!
Angus Abraham
Is now ➜ Head of Fund Operations at Smith & Williamson
Was: Head of Operations at City Financial
Further information: CityWire
Alan Cauberghs
Is now ➜ Head of Private Assets at Schroders
Was: Senior Investment Director for Fixed Income at Schroders
Further information: Schroders
Thomas Glocer
Is now ➜ Lead Director at Morgan Stanley
Was: CEO of Reuters Group
Further information: Investment Week
Kevin Guillot
Is now ➜ Fund Manager Echiquier Agressor at La Financière de l’Echiquier
Was: Equity Analyst at Verrazzano Capital
Further information: CityWire Selector
Natascha Richardson
Is now ➜ Marketing Manager at Fidelity International
Was: Marketing Content Manager at Marketing in Partnership Ltd. (MiP)
Seraina M. Roos
Is now ➜ Strategic Business Consultant at Franklin Templeton Investments
Was: Marketing & PR Manager at Franklin Templeton Investments
Kurtosys expresses their best wishes to all starting in their new positions.
Website Spotlight: Quilter Cheviot
Another investment firm website gracing our 50 Best Asset Management Websites gallery (and for good reason) is that of UK-based Quilter Cheviot.
Rolled out recently, Quilter Cheviot’s homepage blends photogenic SVG graphics with a comprehensive drop-down mega menu. Its full range of content is tailored to its investor audience, with a well laid-out literature library featuring downloadable PDFs of multi-asset funds.
We particularly like its idiosyncratic content such as the award-winning ‘Diary of a Fund Manager’ (with the ability to subscribe) and its weekly market updates, all displayed on the homepage alongside its wealth of informative services without seeming too convoluted; the ‘Baby Bear’ of asset management websites, if you will.
The responsive design works extremely well for mobile, too. This fin-site has just about ticked all of our critical boxes!
Fund in Focus
LRI Group: €600m Real Estate Fund
This week’s fund-related portion comes courtesy of LRI Group, who have teamed up with an undisclosed German insurance group to launch a €600 million fund based in the real estate industry. It aims to attract professional investors to a diverse portfolio.
The group’s unveiling of a Specialised Investment Fund (SIF) does adhere to the more specific regulatory needs of German institutional investors, using the base of Luxembourg to allow for more streamlined implementation; SIFs are highly efficient in Luxembourg.
The managing director of LRI Invest S.A., Michael Sanders, has praised the partnership, asserting it as a successful effort to further the partnership of LRI group and German investors who express an interest in alternative investments.
Further information: Investment Europe | Real Estate Investment Times
MiFID II News
When data transparency and compliance issues are brought to the fore by the incoming MiFID II directive, what does one financial institution do to make sure they’re in line as efficiently as possible?
In this week’s MiFID-related gossip, the German stock exchange (Deutsche Börse) has made the bold step to partner with trailblazing fintech company Risk Focus and its software off-shoot RegTek.Solutions. What this software allows is the tracking of derivative trades, quality assurance, risk management and the submission of data in different formats – an issue which so far makes a trade reporter’s job all the more difficult.
Following in the footsteps of Nasdaq, who recently acquired London-based Sybenetix (a behavioural analytics tool for fund managers to remain alert to suspicious trading), the collaboration between traditional players and regtech companies is clearly proving a fruitful endeavour. The implementation of Validate.Trade (one of RegTek.Solutions products) across Deutsche Börse will allow their Trade Reporting Services to test their OTC Submissions without hesitation; ideal under MiFID II’s ever-more-narrow time constraints.
Further information: Financial News | Finance Magnates | Risk Focus
Living Group: The Digital Intelligence of the World’s Leading Asset Managers 2017
We at Kurtosys are always delighted to see asset managers going to great efforts to bolster their digital output, so this lengthy and detailed study by Living Group outlines the performance of the top 100 asset managers’ ‘digital communications’.
A substantial number of categories (50) including the asset managers’ document libraries, productivity tools and fund strategy information are analysed alongside 4 main categories: website functionality; website content; active social media channels; and social media content.
Unfortunately, most companies studied (63) were deemed ‘lacklustre’ in their digital strategy, a number which must be improved, possibly through Living Group’s pointers on how to improve their websites and content marketing.
Nonetheless, the top 5 efforts are assessed in detail here with comparative graphs and screen grabs of website pages. This thorough, quantitative study is exemplary in its highlighting of exactly how digital in assessment management is faring right now.
Social Media Masterclass: UBS
Dominating the Twitter-sphere (and more) this time around is global financial services giant UBS.
As is becoming quite the trend, UBS incorporates attractive and bold graphics into their tweets, like this (slightly creepy) robot to advertise a case study into AI. Its hashtag #UBSInnovate works successfully to outline a key social media campaign…
Are we at risk of being replaced by machines? Find out more: https://t.co/d3iRmAjSUb #UBSInnovate pic.twitter.com/hUVlUtxjWD
— UBS (@UBS) August 2, 2017
…as well another focus: happiness in investors, as part of #UBSInvestorWatch. UBS has utilised various Twitter functions to highlight an issue which will emotionally connect the company with its clients and followers, including attached graphs and a Twitter poll.
When do wealthy investors reach their peak happiness? #UBSInvestorWatch shares the surprising findings. Read more: https://t.co/2vIiHrAD1s pic.twitter.com/nVljEUCpFk
— UBS (@UBS) July 29, 2017
At what age do you believe we reach peak happiness? Vote below and find out the answer here https://t.co/ciXuHBI7Yn #UBSInvestorWatch
— UBS (@UBS) August 2, 2017
Juggling multiple social media campaigns across different platforms seems to be UBS’ forte; their Nobel Laureates in Economic Sciences thought leadership pieces are a key aspect, culminating in a Nobel Perspectives Live! Event on 30 August, advertised on YouTube…
…and their perspectives are routinely displayed using Instagram videos, with informative investment-specific videos available on their website here. Another effective use of video is the advertisement of a UBS movie focused on the efforts of #ImpactBonds on global problems.
UBS’ social media presence is an effective example for all asset managers to follow.
Fintech News
Following our chat about financial services’ solutions to MiFID II issues through collaboration with fintechs, this piece from Financial Technologies Forum outlines how Symphony Software Foundation (based out in Palo Alto, Californ.I.A.) is gaining users – from global banks to 40 of the top asset managers – for their open source software. With around 50 open source projects on the go, the prospect for increased innovation is definitely on the cards, with “the potential of reshaping Wall Street”, says Symphony’s executive director. The adoption of open source technology in FinServ is a matter to keep an eye on for certain.
An Added Extra
Following the recent Money 20/20 Europe event (one of the most influential conferences in the banking, payments and fintech spaces), this entertaining romp of an article from financial skeptic Pascal Bouvier outlines his major observations on the death of banks, business strategies using APIs and open banking, and the unbundling or rebundling of products and services. Taking authorial inspiration from the conference’s final outing in Copenhagen, mentioning Norse tropes and a certain Scandinavian television heroine, Pascal’s well-written observations are engaging and a true reflection on the need for traditional financial institutions to rejuvenate before finding themselves in the titular crypt.
That’s all for this week, but be sure to check back soon for more asset management marketing highlights and fintech snippets from Kurtosys.
