27 Words: Can You Name that Firm?
One of the tools we use in our marketing work is language analysis – the words firms use in talking about themselves. We use it to help:
- Identify terms that are over- and under-used across the industry
- Find opportunities for firms to uniquely position themselves
- Evaluate if a firm’s brand aspirations are actually supported by the words they actually use
Most often we find that firms fail to differentiate themselves in a meaningful way. Take the word cloud below, for example. It shows the 30 most-frequently-used words one investment manager uses to describe itself. In this case we’ve blocked the firm’s name, variations on the name, and the city where it is headquartered.
It leads to a simple question: can you name that firm? If you work inside the industry, maybe. If you’re an institutional investor or financial advisor, I doubt it.
And while the word cloud is an oversimplification, the problem it uncovers – the lack of a differentiated voice – is real for many investment managers.