Portfolio

Case Study:
L&G Lifetime Mortgage PR

PURPOSE:

To both a) inform the business on LTM proposition, service and communication  fundamentals and b) provide a sound platform from which to produce engaging content that will be for target  advisers.
Specifically this research unearthed:

·       Current adviser perceptions of Equity Release and specifically Lifetime Mortgages

·       The role LTMs currently play in financial planning

·       Expected future use – including perceived drivers and barriers

·       What advisers and providers can do to ensure better identification of need, explanation of
benefits and engagement with clients where LTMs may be of benefit

·       Adviser consideration of LTM in various contexts

·       Brand awareness and use – including what drives solution and provider selection

·       Adviser experiences and use of L&G

·       What services and support advisers value from providers (and what good looks like). 

OUTPUTS:

As well as further informing key proposition and communication fundamentals we, in partnership with Technical Connection, produced a delivered a suite communications:

1.     Press releases

2.     Case studies for use with Financial Advisers

3.     A series of online events

4.     Direct adviser engagement material.

Case Study:
Aviva - Content and supporting Insight in relation to the Business Protection market

PURPOSE:

Aviva were looking to engage advisers who are predominantly focussed on and active in wealth creation and preservation for their clients.  Aviva believed that these advisers both carry a risk and are failing to maximise on material opportunities to enhance their service delivery to benefit their clients and their businesses.  The key objective of the exercise was to connect with the target advisers in such a way that they are encouraged to seriously take action (with the help and support of Aviva) to “do things differently” so as to become active and relevant in making their clients change the way they are thinking about and acting in relation to protection.

The brief was to generate appropriate content for publication to the targeted advisers

OUTPUTS:

We conducted research in July [with SME business owners] which will helped further develop some of the more interesting themes emerging from the two syndicated studies from last year. This combined insight fed the articles that we used to drive further PR and marketing outputs throughout the year. The research was structured around key themes to allow a number of bursts throughout the year, aligned to salient industry developments to maximise engagement. The Proprietorial Aviva research delivered:

Research Engine -

• Creation (and further exploration) of themes that will have an impact

• Discussion guide development

• Revision and int

• Research with SME business owners

• Revision and integration of data, insight and content from the syndicated studies

• Analysis and reporting

• F2F debrief

• Integration of insight into articles

Case Study:
Columbia Threadneedle Investments – Reputational Audit

PURPOSE:

Columbia Threadneedle Investments (CTI) had not undertaken formal research to examine the brand reputation in the European market place since 2010, during which time the business had undergone a major transformation. We undertook a reputation audit to help benchmark current brand awareness and favourability to help identify potential barriers to growing the business, principally through CTI’s focus on decision-makers and gatekeepers in intermediary markets (e.g. institutional investors, brokers and advisors).

METHOD:

In addition to a wide-ranging phases of qualitative research, where we engaged with representatives from the regulator, trade associations, the media, internal leadership teams and employees, providers, investment consultants, ratings agencies – we also conducted quantitative CATI research with 300 advisers and brokers. Interviews lasted between 20 and 30 minutes and were conducted with investment decision-makers. 

The study also involved an online brand awareness survey of 3,000 investors across six European markets.

OUTPUTS:

We provided Columbia Threadneedle with all raw data and (for quantitative elements) a set of cross-tabulated tables in Excel format. In addition, we created a full debrief in PowerPoint given to the Senior Leadership Team, which was used as the basis for decision making on implementing expansion plans.

Case Study:
Premier Asset Management – Multi-Asset vs. Model Portfolio

PURPOSE:

Premier Asset Management commissioned us to undertake a quantitative study of financial advisers who, at least in part, use an outsourced investment strategy, in order to:

• Provide an engaging, credible and distinctive platform to talk to (and positively influence) the market about Multi Asset solutions (and Premier).

• Understand what motivates advisers to use model portfolios (conscious and sub-conscious, appropriate and otherwise).

• Understand why advisers choose model portfolios vs multi-asset funds.

METHOD:

We conducted a total of 200 interviews with advisers who, at least in part, use an outsourced investment strategy. All interviews were conducted by telephone, lasting 20 minutes on average. Participating advisers were offered access to online client facing material from Technical Connection in return for their participation. 

OUTPUTS:

Premier required outputs for two very different purposes. The first was a short slide deck condensing the key messages of the study into a set of ‘killer slides’ for a member of the Premier senior management team to present at a conference. The second was a full report to be used by the business internally to a) help drive decision making in terms of marketing messages b) create PR content for the business and c) provide clear direction on the steps Premier could take to help drive increasing levels of multi-asset business with target advisers.

Case Study:
Royal London – Target Distribution Segmentation

PURPOSE:

With a top-line segmentation model adopted group-wide, Royal London was looking for a more granular piece of research focussing in on the specific target segments to support a programme of work to develop the most appropriate proposition(s) for the long-term savings market. 

METHOD:

The study incorporated a series of 60 in-depth qualitative interviews with Small Segment (as defined by Royal London) in order to explore the range of factors that created difference in the existing segment, in order to ensure that the subsequent quantitative adviser survey would only explore issues that would identify sub-segments (as opposed to issues that create one homogenous group).

On the back of the qualitative phase, we created a series of hypotheses (in the form of ‘emerging segments’) that we then wanted to test in the quantitative survey. Using the qualitative findings to develop, in conjunction with the team at Royal London, a 30-minute CATI questionnaire, we surveyed 300 Small Segment advisers – using lists provided by Royal London. 

OUTPUTS:

When out of field we conducted a full cluster segmentation analysis – through which we identified, agreed and expanded upon six distinct segments.

While we are unable to share (other than the de-sensitised screen grabs in section 2.3.4) – we also produced segment practical persona documents for Royal London to use internally, to be used by their sales and marketing teams when engaging with advisers. These focused on key characteristics, the things that make them tick and how they like to be communicated with.

 We also produced a series of short segment videos to help disseminate and embed the segments across the organisation.

Case Study:
Smarter Financial Planning

Brief:

To create a new brand identity and rebuild the website for Smarter Financial Planning, a wealth management firm based in Buckhinghamshire. 

Purpose:

The existing website used templated design and off-the-shelf copy. It was too product focused and failed to explain the true benefits of financial planning and what it was like to work with Jon, the adviser. The logo was tired and lacking sophistication. In the client’s words, the entire brand was “putting off more people than it was attracting”.

Output:

After the site launched in January alone, Jon had more fresh enquiries than he'd had in the previous 12 months. The site is now set up to attract and convert more visitors from Jon’s target market. Faith also recently produced corporate and client testimonial videos to further attract and convert prospects into clients.

Case Study:
nuaxia

Purpose:

nuaxia is a healthcare focused information technology, research and recruitment business. It currently offers businesses and institutions in the healthcare sector the ability to connect with doctors, patients and other healthcare professionals in USA, Germany, France, UK, Italy and Spain. They required their very first service explainer video in order to bring their services to a global market.

Output:

Kellie undertook storyboarding, animation & illustration to complete a video that could be re-dubbed into various languages if required. It was used at conferences and for onboarding and received highly positive reviews.