Messaging Case Study

Problem Longboard Asset Management had strong performance over time and recognized thought leadership in their niche. They were truly exceptional but struggled to articulate their distinct value. As a smaller firm, they are not well known in an industry that sells on reputation. And their excellence shows up in nuanced ways investment advisors don’t always understand, because alternatives are a small part of the advisors’ portfolios, rather than their main focus.  

 

Strategic solution Through discovery, client conversations, and competitive analysis, we identified several opportunities. Instead of selling the category, alternatives, as most competitors do, the brand could sell itself by:

• promoting the access it gave to their decisionmakers and education vs size and reputation of competitors
• talking about the main frustration advisors have with alternatives—insufficient returns — and how they can transcend it
• being the source of the right way to do alternatives through brand-agnostic advice vs not just the best/right products as others claim
• selling on success through symbiosis with advisors, with other funds, and with the broader investment ocean

 

Outcomes The result is a messaging strategy that differentiates Longboard as the best partner for optimizing your alternatives strategies. Not just through their products, but through their advisement as well. Suddenly their smaller size isn’t a reason to stay away but to connect. Especially for financial advisors that lack a deep understanding of alternatives, which is just about everyone. All their strengths are on display, and their acknowledged thought leadership has immediate relevance in the marketplace.

#messagingstrategy, #strategicmarketing, #strategicdifferentiation