In financial services, standing apart—and standing above—can be particularly challenging, as competitors increasingly broaden their offerings and target new audiences. This challenge is magnified by the ever-present need to inspire confidence in outcomes without appearing to promise future performance. For some competitors, focusing on relationships can instill confidence. For others, a brand built around process may provide reassurance. But for all financial services companies, understanding the motivations and concerns of a broad range of people, from investors and intermediaries to partners and employees, is key to success.
Can a legendary brand be a bad thing? That was the question facing Guggenheim Partners when it set out to evaluate its long-standing brand. The firm struggled to identify the relevance of the Guggenheim name to today’s investors. How does association with a 150-year-old family, no matter how illustrious, benefit a 21st century investment manager?
We talked to Jaime Kalfus, Global Head of Brand Experience for J.P. Morgan Asset Management, about how she and her team view a successful brand launch as a journey, not a destination.
Depending on your outlook, the financial services industry is either an incredibly scary or extremely exciting place to be. More than any other industry, financial companies are facing a paradigm shift brought on by the perfect storm of digitalization, increased regulatory scrutiny and changing demographic profiles and preferences of both clients and workforce.
