Investopedia Stages Fireside Forum at Race for Kids on “What Financial Marketers Need to Know”

Key Trends for 2020: What Financial Marketers Need to Know

by Caleb Silver, Editor in Chief, Investopedia

On January 9-12, members of the Financial Communications Society met in Stowe, Vermont for the annual Race for Kids Charity event – a weekend of skiing, networking and fireside forums. Thursday night’s forum, “Investor Sentiment and the Financial Marketer,” was hosted by Investopedia and The Balance. The forum featured results from Investopedia’s survey on the top issues impacting financial marketers as they head into the new year, as well as insights from industry experts. Below are some of the highlights and key takeaways from the event.

It turns out that what scares financial marketers in 2020 is the same thing that scares investors—fear of a recession. With the U.S. economic expansion in its 11th year and equity markets making new records almost daily, investors and marketers alike are gripped by an old-fashioned case of high anxiety. Despite their concerns, however, financial marketers plan to maintain or increase their marketing budgets in 2020, according to a survey of participants at the annual Race for Kids event organized by the Financial Communications Society in Stowe, Vermont in January.

According to Investopedia’s survey of financial marketers, 46% said a recession or a decline in consumer confidence represented the greatest threat to their business this year. Despite that, 51% expected to maintain or increase their spending levels in 2020, while only 13% expected theirs to shrink. This suggests a positive outlook for the industry, and potentially the economy.

To read the full article, with photos and our survey results, download our pdf here.