Views

Asset managers. Game on! 16 November 2018

Our latest Living Ratings report on the world's leading asset managers shows that competition within the digital arena is on fire in 2018, with the vast majority of firms making significant changes to their dotcom and social media investments. This year’s report highlights major moves from amongst players of all sizes. And even companies who have increased their individual scores have slipped in the rankings, as the competition has heated up. Fiercely.

Brains, brawn and branding
Bulge bracket firms J.P. Morgan and Deutsche Bank (37th and 78th in 2017, respectively) saw their asset management businesses skyrocket into the Top 10 this year. And proving once again that you don’t need AUM muscle to be a smart marketer, smaller asset managers like Russell Investments, GAM, Ballie Gifford, Putnam and Macquarie – none of whom make the cut for the IPE Top 50 – all scored in our Ratings’ Top 20.

Read more

Fortune favours the brave 08 October 2018

We appear to be living in mercurial times. What worked before no longer does and our appetite for fresh experiences is seemingly insatiable. Trends still pervade our daily lives and often dissipate as swiftly as they emerged but new methods in which we interact with our world are changing the paradigm of 21st century life. How people think and what they want from brands is more important than ever, this cannot be underestimated in a highly competitive brand landscape.

Working with professional service brands we’ve observed a sort of paralysis of conformity. Many clients promote the same values and personalities which results in homogeny in corporate brand identity. Audiences have no real discernible choice and brands have no distinctly identifiable voice. Law firms in particular, typically display superficial differences in brand image and voice. Of course firms can still maintain a healthy balance sheet without a particularly engaging brand, but it only takes a bold move from one firm to capture the imagination of the legal landscape and seriously shift the balance of power.

Read more

Scoring the digital brands of wealth managers 02 August 2018

We recently completed our inaugural Living Ratings of the wealth management sector. Assessing the websites and social media channels of the largest wealth managers in the U.S., we looked at how they engage with highly coveted individual investors online. While their marketing efforts include potent websites, enhanced content, and focused digital communications, there is as much disappointment as there is surprise. Larger players fall short in important categories and smaller contenders demonstrably punch above their weight.

Regardless of their current ranking, each firm in our report can seize the opportunity to improve their digital branding by investing in best practices that define online leaders across financial and professional services sectors.

Read more

Living Ratings: lessons from the road 16 July 2018

They say that you never stop learning.

Over the past 10 weeks we've been on the road with our latest Living Ratings – our proprietary report on the brand and digital intelligence of the world's leading law firms 2018 – and it's fair to say that we've learnt as much as we've shared.

Here are just a few of the insights we've picked up along the way.

Brand intelligence
Brand is more important than ever to law firm CMOs and Partners and we are not just talking about personal brands, but the firm's overall brand. They are all keenly aware of the need to find differentiation in what is largely a homogenous market.

Read more

Rising above the digital chatter 17 April 2018

Why clarity and cut-through rest on twin pillars of success

The long-promised information tsunami is here and it is real. Tweets, texts, emails, PMs, WhatsApp messages, posts, comments – and, dare we say it, blogs – all jostle for space and attention like competitive 5 year-olds. Thanks to the creation of endless digital noise, the medium is now drowning the message. Think it’s different in the rarefied world of Professional Services? If only.

Our latest Living Ratings report of the brand and digital intelligence of the world’s leading law firms makes for a revealing read. When it comes to relevant, focused, accessible content (the stuff that achieves ‘cut-through’ status), there’s real scope for improvement.

Read more

In praise of moving image 06 February 2018

Re-energise your brand by putting it in motion

Back in the 1980s, we were told that video had killed the radio star. The arrival of consumer internet a decade later ushered in what should by now be a golden age of video-enhanced content. Broadcasting was suddenly no longer just for broadcasters or 30 second tv ads; brands could get in on the act and dominate the space. But progress has been slow, and many non-FMCG brands, particularly in the B2B and professional services sector, have been reluctant to commit to video content. This is a pity. Putting your brand in motion can attract new audiences, be less complex and more cost-effective than you think – and enable far greater engagement and ROI.  

Read more