In the world of financial services, the old adage "You can’t unring a bell" rings especially true when it comes to media interviews. Your words carry weight—potentially impacting your firm’s credibility, regulatory standing, and marketing opportunities.

Leverage your press

Have you ever had a stellar interview with a media outlet, only to realize later that you couldn’t leverage it effectively because of compliance concerns? Media interviews can be powerful tools, but their value increases exponentially when you can secure reprint rights and repurpose them strategically.

Reprints are invaluable for highlighting your firm’s investment expertise, strategy, and performance. The implied endorsement from a third-party source can lend greater credibility than traditional marketing materials like brochures, fact sheets, or commentaries. When reprints are featured on your website, shared at conferences, or integrated into email campaigns, they can attract investor interest and, ultimately, drive new business.

To maximize the value of your media engagements, it’s critical to use compliant, precise language from the start. Here are our top 10 tips to help you ace your next interview while staying within compliance boundaries:

1. Be truthful and avoid hyperbole – Stick to facts and realistic language. Overpromising can lead to both reputational and regulatory risks.
2. Avoid promissory language – Use phrases like “we believe” or “may” to express potential without guaranteeing outcomes.
3. Don’t predict the future – Frame forward-looking statements with qualifiers like “in our opinion” or “we feel.”
4. Avoid absolutes – Replace “certain” or “definite” with phrases such as “has the potential to” or “we see potential opportunities for.”
5. Steer clear of non-fund performance comparisons – When discussing benchmark or peer comparisons, always qualify with “historically.”
6. Substantiate rankings or claims – Avoid claiming to be #1 or the best unless you have current, verifiable data to support it.
7. Don’t quote yields without full disclosure – Yield quotes are complex and often require extensive compliance approval.
8. Skip calling yourself an ‘expert’ – Highlight your team’s tenure, market cycle experience, and insights instead.
9. Avoid discussing stocks you plan to trade – Focus on your current top holdings to maintain compliance and avoid conflicts of interest.
10. Avoid terms like ‘unique’ or ‘first’ – Unless unequivocally provable, opt for “one of the few” or “among the first.”

Compliance is your friend

Compliance isn’t your adversary—it’s your ally in creating content you can confidently repurpose. Whenever possible, collaborate with your compliance team for language adjustments and suggestions. In some cases, publications may even accommodate edits to align your quotes with compliance standards. However, the best approach is to use compliant language from the outset.

By following these tips, you’ll not only safeguard your firm’s reputation but also maximize the shelf-life of your media engagements. Your 15 minutes of fame could have a lasting impact on your business - make it a good one.

In a media interview, discussing politics can be a slippery slope for asset managers. Learn to navigate such conversations effectively.

The Risks of Discussing Politics

Talking politics can alienate clients who hold diverse views. Unlike prominent figures like Warren Buffett or George Soros, most asset managers can't afford to lose clients over political disagreements. Therefore, it's crucial to avoid political discussions to maintain trust and client relationships.

Strategies to Stay on Track

1. Stay Neutral: Refrain from sharing personal political opinions. Instead, focus on how political events might impact the market and your investment strategy.

2. Use Bridging Techniques: When asked about political matters, use bridging techniques to steer the conversation back to your expertise. For example, if asked about an election, you could respond with, "While elections bring uncertainty, what we focus on is how such events affect our investment outlook."

3. Be Prepared: Anticipate potential political questions and have pre-prepared responses that align with your key messages. This preparation helps in smoothly redirecting the conversation to your area of expertise.

4. Highlight Market Impacts: Discuss the implications of political events on the financial markets rather than delving into personal political views. This approach keeps the discussion relevant to your professional role.

5. Avoid Off-the-Record Temptations: Remember, there’s no such thing as "off the record." Always assume your comments could be made public and maintain a professional stance.

6. Focus on Expertise: Emphasize your role in managing investments and providing financial insights. Steer clear of partisan comments and instead focus on how policies or political climates might influence market behavior.

Navigating political topics in media interviews requires a strategic approach. By staying neutral, using bridging techniques, and focusing on your expertise, you can manage these discussions without compromising your professional integrity. For more detailed guidance on handling media interviews, visit SunStar's Education Center.

The folks over at FUSE Research have been digging into the latest ETF trends. Most recently they explored scalability in the industry.

Do you consider yourself to be a good communicator? Perhaps you think you're able to get your point across by enunciating and speaking clearly to your audience. But, what about listening?

The aging of the baby boomer generation, with a record number of Americans turning 65, signals a transformative era for financial advisors, highlighting an unprecedented opportunity in retirement and estate planning.

In January 2024, the mutual fund industry witnessed notable shifts, with total assets climbing to $25.66 trillion, marking a 0.6% increase. This upward trajectory is a reflection of the broader market dynamics and investor sentiment.

ICI's January release discusses a granular analysis reveals a nuanced landscape. Long-term funds, including equity, hybrid, and bond funds, saw a net outflow of $21.08 billion, indicating a shift in investor preferences. Notably, bond funds bucked the trend with a significant inflow of $32.34 billion, showcasing investor appetite for perceived safer assets amidst volatility. This trend underscores a strategic pivot towards bonds, driven by market conditions and investor risk assessments.

The equity sector experienced outflows, with domestic equity funds and world equity funds registering decreases, suggesting a reevaluation of equity positions in portfolios. The hybrid funds also faced outflows, albeit marginally.

Money market funds emerged as a refuge for investors, with a robust inflow of $61.61 billion. This surge points to a heightened preference for liquidity, likely spurred by market uncertainties.

Impact on the mutual fund landscape

The mutual fund landscape is also marked by a slight contraction in the number of funds, reflecting consolidation and investor selectivity.

For mutual fund managers, these trends underscore the importance of adaptability and strategic repositioning. Embracing a dynamic approach in asset allocation and staying attuned to investor sentiments will be key to navigating the evolving market landscape.

This snapshot presents a vital perspective for mutual fund managers aiming to align their strategies with the latest market trends and investor preferences. As the industry navigates through these shifts, understanding these dynamics will be critical for sustaining growth and investor confidence.

Impact on managers

How are these trends impacting your firm? Good or bad, are you in a position to discuss? Whether you're in a media interview or a meeting with a client or prospect, yourself and other managers and key executives in your firm need to be prepared to discuss your philosopy and products in any market environment.

If you're not prepared - consider SunStar's Messaging Workshop & Media Training.

The short answer – YES. In the evolving landscape of financial services, mutual fund firms face a unique set of challenges and opportunities.

Brainstorming is often a crucial part of any PR and marketing plan, but it can hit roadblocks.

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A marketing program is more than an email or a brochure. It’s a multi-faceted program with many parts.