Recap
Reported by Craig Derbenwick, Director, Marketing and Content Strategy, at Wentworth Financial Communications
On February 22, Wentworth Financial Communications attended the FCS’s first in-person, post-pandemic event in Chicago. During the session, “Institutional Investors & the Next Market Cycle,” a panel of leaders from The Wall Street Journal/Barron’s Intelligence and GRP Media presented findings from a survey featuring responses from more than 1,000 institutional investors.
Pictured: Joe Soriano, GRP Media, Jim Gardner, WSJ | Barron’s Intelligence, David Partain, FlexShares, Jill Arthur, GRP Media
The survey asked respondents to share their views on a wide range of topics, including:
- Expectations for market performance
- Trends impacting the investment management industry
- Current & planned investment strategies
- Media consumption patterns and content preferences
- Perception and use of media brands
The panelists included Jill Arthur and Joe Soriano of GRP Media; Jim Gardner of The Wall Street Journal/Barron’s Intelligence; and guest speaker David Partain, the Chief Marketing Officer of Northern Trust’s FlexShares Exchange Traded Funds.
My three biggest takeaways from the survey and panel discussion—and what we think they mean for asset management marketing—include:
- Nearly 80% of survey respondents said there’s a greater need now to completely rethink how they approach portfolio construction.
Clearly, market disruptions are creating opportunities. While volatility can be painful for both investors and firms, this could be the time to shine for asset managers with differentiated offerings. Of course, conveying how a strategy or fund is actually unique can be challenging. In addition to clearly articulating the “four Ps” (people, philosophy, process, performance), we recommend that asset managers focus on articulating a strategy’s use case and explaining the specific role the strategy can play in a portfolio.
- 77% of survey respondents currently invest in cryptocurrencies, with 12% more planning to invest within the next year.
Crypto’s demise has been greatly exaggerated. Investors continue to seek out innovative alternative asset classes, opening the door for well-positioned managers. That said, asset managers’ marketing materials can’t pretend like the whipsaw volatility that cryptocurrencies have exhibited doesn’t exist; doing so would make the asset manager seem tone deaf or intentionally one-sided. Instead, asset managers need to explain the role digital assets can play in multi-asset portfolio construction by potentially providing diversification and uncorrelated returns.
- Thought leadership and research studies are the preferred formats for institutional investors to learn new information.
Content is still king. Investors are looking for white papers, articles, and other insightful materials to give them an edge in a rapidly changing world. During times of market transitions, surveys can be a particularly valuable foundation for your thought-leadership efforts. Investors and other market participants are always eager to see what their peers are doing. Turning survey results into e-books, white papers, videos, and infographics can elevate the credibility and relevance of your content strategy.
We’ve seen these developments in action throughout 2022 and into 2023, particularly as asset managers seek to communicate their expertise in traditional and alternative asset classes. Put more simply: To be part of the conversation, you need to create content that gets people talking.
FCS Chicago returns to in-person events with a must-attend breakfast, hosted by WSJ | Barron’s, on Wednesday, February 22. The event will focus on “Institutional Investors and The Next Market Cycle,” with a research presentation and analysis followed by a one-on-one interview with David Partain, Global CMO, FlexShares — the Northern Trust ETF Group.
The Wall Street Journal | Barron’s Intelligence Group, in collaboration with GRP Media and Erdos & Morgan, recently conducted an in-depth survey of over 1,000 institutional investors across the U.S.
Following an intro by Jill Arthur, SVP, Managing Director, GRP Media, the top-line research findings will be presented by Jim Gardner, Senior Director of Intelligence, WSJ | Barron’s Group. Then Joe Soriano, VP, Group Media Director, GRP Media, will talk about the survey’s key takeaways.
Jim will then interview David Partain for his real-world experience and perspective of the research.
In addition to learning important content and hearing insights about the coming year in the markets, this event provides a great opportunity to reconnect with your industry colleagues in-person.
For industry friends who have yet to (re)join the FCS, we’re offering a special one-time price ($150) that includes a ticket to the breakfast plus a one-year membership ($250 value). To take advantage of this offer, please contact FCS Admin Coordinator Marisa Jago, [email protected].
Our Chicago-based sponsor Packed with Purpose will hold a free raffle of a gift basket for all attendees.
Seating is limited; first come, first served. Please reserve your tickets today.
THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT
