In the midst of a general growth trend for this category of investment manager, our client experienced both a sudden stall in new business development and a rapid increase in redemption activity. In order to establish a marketing strategy and tactical plan that would effectively begin and support a turnaround, it was necessary to fully and accurately identify the reasons for the lost business, and to craft a strategy designed explicity in response to those concerns.
Client and market research uncovered a number of problems, some real, and some simply "disconnects" between perception and reality. Having this "intel" enabled us to partner with our client to create a plan that clearly demonstrated the firm's mission, objectives, approach, and results.
Hard data about why the market was suddenly saying "no thanks" meant that the firm could make better decisions about allocating resources to programs more likely to achieve results. The actionable strategic plan we provided was used as a path forward by our client as she successfully won Board-level support for her activities, as well as financial resources for marketing expenditures.
Our work was deemed a success by our client, who has happily referred us to other industry colleagues. The broader firm, however, has experienced a number of fits and starts in its progress over time. Ultimately, it is up to our clients to "own" the information and the plan, and to execute over the long term.
