Article n°1 - 8 min

Signs your brand needs work

Shifts in your target investors or portfolio management strategies

If your firm’s market position or target audience has changed significantly but your brand hasn’t, it may need to evolve to remain relevant and match your new trajectory.

Signs to Watch Out For

Look for indicators such as changes in client demographics, client goals and new strategies you’ve developed for another market. If your firm’s brand no longer matches with your primary audience or fails to attract new clients, it’s a strong sign that rebranding might be needed.

For example, if you are an investment firm that that has added additional expertise in products or changed your target market focus from intermediaries to institutional, your branding must reflect this transformation.

Addressing the Issue

Conduct a thorough analysis to understand your new clients and their goals. Understand how your shift in strategy attracts different clients and how would it help those clients achieve their goals. Redefine the firm’s value proposition to align with your new positioning.

A rebrand should aim to position the firm as a leader in your Ideal Investor Profile’s mind, clearly communicating its unique strengths and capabilities.

Moreover, the messaging to announce this shift to the market should be consistent across all channels. Update marketing materials, websites, social media profiles, and client communications to reflect your new investor value proposition. Investing in content marketing, such as producing educational webinars, thought leadership articles, and engaging social media content, can help establish your firm’s authority.

An outdated brand body

Your brand’s body which includes your logo, color palette, and overall design aesthetic, plays a crucial role in how investors will perceive your brand. Outdated brand design can make your firm appear out of touch and unprofessional. First impressions determine how credible people think you are so an outdated brand body can hinder client trust and engagement.

Questions you need to ask yourselves

Staying relevant and maintaining a strong brand is crucial for long-term growth. However, even the most established firms can reach a point where their brand no longer resonates with their target audience or reflects their evolving portfolio management strategies.

Rebranding is not a decision to be taken lightly, but it can be a smart move to rejuvenate a firm's image, attract new clients, and maintain a competitive edge. Here are signs it might be time to consider a rebrand.

Signs to Watch Out For

If your firm’s brand body looks dated compared to other firms (especially the ones you look up to) or no longer aligns with your values and market positioning, it’s a sign that rebranding might be necessary. Feedback from clients and partners about the visual appeal can also provide valuable insights.

Addressing the Issue

Partner with a branding agency to redefine your brand body that reflects your firm’s value proposition and appeals to your Ideal Investor Profile. This process should start with a thorough brand diagnostic to identify what’s working and what’s not.

Launch your new brand’s design with a comprehensive marketing campaign to build awareness. Utilize digital channels, such as email newsletters, social media posts, and website announcements, to inform clients and stakeholders about the rebrand. Hosting webinar can also provide an opportunity to explain the rationale behind the rebrand.

Would investors remember us and what makes us unique after having read our documentation/website?

Does our name contain labels like Investment, Management or Capital that are similar to other firms?

How long has it been since we’ve had a conversation about our brand’s areas of improvement?

Do we know what emotions our ideal investors are feeling when they’re looking to invest?

Do you feel like your firm’s strengths are not getting noticed or not valued enough ?

Does our firm have a soul? Do we have a north star? Why do we do what we do?

Does our marketing has to spend more time clarifying what value we bring?

Do we feel confident in the way our firm stands out from the crowd?

Has your messaging been built with investors emotions in mind?

Are we having trouble maintaining our management fees?

Is our documentation easy to understand and to follow?

Are our Ideal Investor Profiles clear, or are they vague?

Is our Investor Value Proposition clear and unique?

Are we having trouble attracting the right talent?

Are you undergoing a merger/acquisition?

Has our reputation suffered recently?

Does our brand lack personality?

Sources

Turn these insights into reality.