While I am receptive to various approaches for disseminating your distribution materials, I firmly believe that regardless of the method, it is imperative to begin with a compelling messaging playbook. Establishing your messaging strategy serves as the fundamental cornerstone to your distribution or public relations campaign. This crucial exercise is frequently overlooked by many organizations.
In hopes of encouraging you to NOT skip this step, I have listed below several initial questions designed to assist you in effectively determining the key aspects of your campaign: the target audience, the core message, the distribution channels, the timing, and the underlying motivations. These questions are also available for download here.
- What is your company’s core identity and purpose?
- What unique value do you offer as a financial services firm?
- List the factors that led to the decision to launch a product/strategy now and how it align with market opportunities.
- List the key spokesperson/spokespeople + their areas of expertise.
- How do you want to be established as a thought leader / industry influencer?
- What is the target market audience for your offering(s)?
- What is this audience's specific needs and preferences?
- Will you launch more products/strategies in the future? If so, what are the strategic objectives behind them?
- What motivated you to enter the market despite existing competition?
- How does your firm differentiate itself?
- Who are the main competitors in the industry and how does your firm compare in terms of unique strengths?
- Why would an investor choose your firm’s offering over your competitors?
- How is your specific product or service unique and compelling in the market?
- List the key benefits and appeal for investors in owning your product.
- List common challenges or misconceptions investors may face in understanding your fund/strategy.
- Provide insights into the underlying holdings and sector composition of your firm’s product.
- List the distinctive advantages and appeal of owning this fund/strategy.
- How does this new product/strategy fit within existing investment portfolio(s)?
- Is this new product considered a core investment? Or would you say this is more of a satellite investment?
- List any assets it could replace or complement.
- What market environments do you expect this product to outperform and/or underperform in?
- What is the expense ratio?
- Do you have an expected dividend yield and frequency for this fund? If so, what is it?
- In terms of holdings, is there any overlap?
- If you have more than one fund, what is the rationale for investors to own multiple funds from your firm? Do they complement each other?
- Are there any noteworthy partnerships, research efforts, or business-related initiatives beyond asset management that you are involved in? If so, please list them out.
Your answers to the above will serve as an internal compass, guiding your marketing, public relations + sales endeavors and fostering alignment across all your business initiatives. That’s right, it's not just for distribution.
Related: How to Enhance Your LinkedIn Company Page To Reach More Investors