Clarity. Perspective. Direction.
Fall 2009
Opportunity Knocks…Are you Ready?
John Meunier & Christy White
Cogent Principals
As Thanksgiving 2009 approaches, most investment industry professionals are breathing a collective sigh of relief. Economic indicators are pointing in the right direction, investment outflows have abated, and recent market performance has put a serious dent in the unprecedented losses suffered by investors over the past year.
As this positive momentum increases, we see smart providers ready to act; armed with new products and solutions to coax wary investors off the sidelines, and demonstrating a fresh commitment to brand communication strategies that will strengthen investor confidence and attract new clients.
This issue of Cogent Insights is dedicated to giving providers insights they can put to use immediately to help rebuild their brand equity, increase market share, and open new doors of opportunity in 2010.
As an evidence-based consultancy, Cogent Research is dedicated to delivering clarity, perspective and direction to leading organizations in the wealth management industry. Through a unique blend of syndicated and custom research, industry expertise, advanced analytics, and strategic consulting, we are redefining the role and function of marketing research in the areas of product development, brand equity, client experience, and revenue enhancement.
Success at Work: Capturing Advisor-Sold Retirement Plan Dollars
While more than half of all retail advisors currently report servicing at least one employer-sponsored retirement plan, the proportion of individual producers actually selling and supporting plans, as well as total assets managed within these plans, varies significantly by channel.
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Advisor Touchpoints™, Cutting Through the Clutter
The competition for financial advisors’ time and attention is fierce. Managing about 14 different product-provider relationships, advisors typically receive more than 100 contacts each month via e-mails, wholesaler visits, mailings, and internal sales phone calls – and that’s just from the firms they work with! So, while most advisors say they need and value provider contact in order to support and grow their business, they have some very specific ideas about what type of information is of most value, and how providers should be delivering the message.
Yet Another Chance to Refresh VAs?
Never before have investors been so open to solutions that include things like principal protection or income guarantees, and so willing to either pay or make critical tradeoffs to get them. Yet, even as the moment seems ripe for variable annuities to finally have their day in the sun, many investors (and advisors) continue to overlook VAs, and instead are seeking retirement income security elsewhere. Faced with this predicament, the choice for VA manufacturers is simple: continue to fight it out with a crowded field of providers for the attention of those few advisors who “get it,” or “get it in gear” and take a good hard look at some of the lingering challenges that have been dogging the category for years, as well as new obstacles that appear to be impeding increased VA adoption.
Cogent Research 2010 Research Agenda
- Due to recent success and client demand, The Investor BrandscapeTM and Advisor BrandscapeTM reports will now be delivered on an annual basis! The 2010 Investor BrandscapeTM is scheduled for delivery December 2009, and the Advisor BrandscapeTM is scheduled for June 2010.
- A new, optional feature for 2010 includes Cogent's Online Reportal Access to both our investor and advisor databases. Subscribing clients will have the ability to run unlimited customer data cuts.
For a current list of our 2010 product lineup, Click here.
Carrie Merrick
Project Director
Wealth Management Practice
For over fifteen years Carrie has directed marketing research for leading financial services organizations in the areas of retirement planning, investor and advisor satisfaction, marketing communications and brand health. She is equally experienced in designing and managing quantitative and qualitative studies. Carrie brings a unique perspective to each project, having been a user and distributor of research while on the client side.
Yan Zhao
Data Analyst
Yan Zhao has focused on marketing research and statistical analysis for three years. Her research experience includes brand health/product consumption tracking, market structure and consumer segmentation, concept testing, campaign analyses and customized studies. Her data analysis experience includes large-scale database management, multivariate analyses from factor analysis, cluster analysis to brand positioning mapping, decision tree models.
Subscription pricing and private label opportunities are available across all product categories.
For information on special offers that may apply to your firm, including bundled pricing, please contact Sean Mulkerron at 617-715-7641, or email at smulkerron@cogentresearch.com
WHEN WILL IT END?
In our upcoming 2010 Investor Brandscape™ report to be released in December, we examine the mood, investment preferences, and provider relationships among America’s affluent and high net worth investors.
Here’s a peek at when investors think the recession will end:
COGENT IN THE NEWS
11-5: MMexecutive.com
'Fund Companies Inundate Advisers With 100 Messages a Month'
11-4: Ignites
'American Funds, iShares Best at Reaching Advisors: Survey'
11-4: The Mutual Fund Wire
'Which fund firms excel at connecting with advisors?'
9-23: Ignites
'Mutual Funds’ Competition With ETFs Heating Up'
UPCOMING CONFERENCE
College Savings Foundation Conference
'What drives consumer decision-making regarding investing, spending and savings?'
February 24-26, 2010
125 CambridgePark Drive Cambridge, MA 02140 PH 617.441.9944
FX: 617.441.9966
www.cogentresearch.com