Asset managers launching or growing an ETF can benefit from working with a marketing agency that specializes in ETFs and investment management communications. The right partner understands how ETFs work, how they are researched and evaluated, and how to reach the advisors, institutions, and investors that matter most.
ETF marketing requires knowledge of fund mechanics, distribution, regulatory and compliance considerations, financial media, and the questions advisors and investors are likely to ask. A strong ETF marketing partner can turn that knowledge into clear messaging that explains what the fund does, who it may be appropriate for, and how it differs in an increasingly crowded ETF marketplace.
That's where specialized ETF marketing experience matters.
Why does ETF marketing require specialized knowledge?
ETF marketing is different from marketing most consumer or business products, and it differs from many mutual fund marketing programs as well.
An ETF may need to reach several audiences at once. Registered investment advisors may be conducting due diligence. Broker-dealer home offices may be evaluating the fund for their platforms. Institutional investors may focus on liquidity, costs, portfolio construction, and trading. Self-directed investors may first discover the fund through a screener, search result, social post, or financial media mention.
Each audience comes to the fund with different questions and different levels of investment knowledge.
ETF marketing also operates within a highly regulated environment. Depending on the firm, communication, and type of material, marketing may be subject to SEC and FINRA requirements governing investment company advertising, performance presentations, disclosures, and other communications. While a marketing partner doesn't replace legal or compliance counsel, it should understand the environment well enough to create materials with compliance considerations in mind from the beginning.
A general marketing agency may be able to produce polished creative, but explaining an ETF strategy clearly, working effectively with a fund's compliance team, and identifying a timely opportunity for a portfolio manager to contribute to a financial news story require a different level of industry knowledge.
What Does an ETF Marketing Partner Do?
An ETF marketing partner helps position the fund, prepare launch communications, coordinate outreach, and sustain visibility after launch. The work should evolve as the ETF moves from planning to launch to ongoing education and engagement.
Before the ETF Launch
Before launch, much of the work centers on positioning and preparation.
At this time, the team should answer several core questions: What makes the strategy different? Who is the primary audience? What questions are advisors or investors likely to have? Can the investment team explain the strategy clearly without relying on industry jargon?
Prior to launch, it’s crucial to develop core messaging and prepare the communications materials that will support the ETF. These may include fact sheets, FAQs, website content, educational materials, media messaging, social content, and other launch resources.
Media preparation should also begin before the ETF launches. Ideally, your marketing firm will begin identifying appropriate spokespeople, determining which aspects of the strategy may interest financial journalists, and preparing the investment team for interviews.
When the ETF Launches
Launch day is important but announcing that a new ETF exists is rarely enough to generate lasting attention.
A coordinated launch may include media outreach, digital and social communications, website content, investor education, and more.
This is also where preparation pays off. Portfolio managers and other spokespeople should be ready to discuss why the ETF was created, what investment need it’s designed to address, and how its approach differs from ETFs already in the marketplace.
After the ETF Launches
Once the initial launch activity is over, the marketing work continues.
Portfolio managers can contribute to market commentary, bylined articles, media interviews, educational content, social media where allowed by compliance, webinars, conferences, and other opportunities that keep the firm and its expertise visible.
Media outreach can also respond to relevant news cycles. Interest rate decisions, market volatility, sector developments, changes in investor behavior, or other events may create opportunities for investment professionals to provide useful perspective.
The same strategy applies in situations where an existing fund undergoes a conversion, strategy update, name change, or other significant development.
The goal is not just to promote the ETF. It is to create an ongoing communications program that reaches target audiences and helps them understand the strategy, the investment case, and the people behind it.
What Should You Look for in an ETF Marketing Partner?
When evaluating a potential partner, start with experience.
Do they have direct ETF and mutual fund experience?
Broad financial services experience is helpful, but it isn’t the same as having worked directly with investment products. Ask about ETF launches, conversions, repositioning, and ongoing fund marketing the firm has supported.
Do they understand ETF distribution?
A marketing partner should understand that advisors, institutions, platforms, and self-directed investors don't all evaluate funds in the same way. Messaging and communication should be geared toward the audience you're trying to reach.
Can they work effectively with compliance?
Compliance shouldn't be an afterthought. Ask how the agency typically works with clients' legal and compliance teams and whether its writers and account teams are accustomed to developing content for regulated investment products.
Do they have current Financial Media Relationships?
A long list of media contacts isn't particularly meaningful if those relationships aren't active. Look for recent, relevant coverage and experience working with journalists who cover investments, markets, ETFs, and the areas in which your portfolio managers have expertise.
Who will actually work on your account?
Ask how involved senior team members will be after the initial pitch. ETF positioning, media strategy, and communications around difficult market periods often benefit from people who have been through them before.
What happens after launch?
A launch plan is only one part of the equation. Ask what the agency recommends for maintaining visibility in the months that follow. How will public relations, content development, digital marketing, social media, and other communications work together?
These questions are specific to ETF marketing. For a broader framework for evaluating a financial services PR or marketing firm, including account structure, capabilities, and ROI, see our guide to choosing an asset management PR partner.
Where SunStar Fits
SunStar Strategic specializes in public relations and marketing for asset managers, ETF issuers, and other financial services firms, with extensive experience supporting ETFs, mutual funds, new fund launches, ETF conversions, and established investment products.
Because we work in the financial industry every day, our team understands the practical challenges of marketing investment products. We help asset managers clarify complex strategies, prepare communications with compliance review in mind, and identify timely opportunities to connect with financial journalists.
For asset managers evaluating an ETF marketing partner, specialization matters. The agency shouldn't have to learn the investment management business while it's learning your business.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Who can help market an ETF?
Financial marketing and PR firms with direct ETF and investment management experience can help issuers position a fund, develop messaging and content, pursue earned media opportunities, and maintain visibility after launch. The right partner should understand the product, the regulatory environment, and the audiences the ETF needs to reach.
What does an ETF marketing agency do?
An ETF marketing agency may support positioning, messaging, website and digital content, media relations, spokesperson preparation, social media, educational content, marketing collateral, and ongoing communications. The mix should reflect the fund’s stage, timeline, objectives, and target audiences.
How is ETF marketing different from other types of marketing?
ETF marketing involves regulated investment products, multiple distribution channels, and audiences that range from financial professionals to individual investors. It requires clear, accurate explanations of investment strategy while accounting for applicable regulatory and compliance requirements.
What should I look for in an ETF marketing partner?
Look for direct ETF or mutual fund experience, knowledge of investment product distribution, experience working with compliance teams, active financial media relationships, senior-level involvement, and a communications strategy that extends beyond the initial launch.
How much does ETF marketing and PR cost?
Costs depend on the scope of the engagement. One firm may need support for a specific ETF launch or conversion, while another may need ongoing media relations, content, digital marketing, and communications support. An experienced agency should recommend a scope based on the fund’s needs, timeline, and objectives.
What regulations apply to ETF marketing?
ETF marketing may be subject to regulatory requirements based on the fund, firm, distribution arrangement, and communication type. These may include SEC rules for investment company advertising, applicable FINRA communications requirements, and, for registered investment advisers, the SEC Marketing Rule, Rule 206(4)-1, where relevant. Legal and compliance professionals should determine which requirements apply to specific materials.
How long does ETF marketing take to generate results?
Some results, such as media coverage, website traffic, or increased engagement, may appear relatively quickly. Sustained awareness among advisors, investors, and other audiences usually requires ongoing effort. ETF issuers should set appropriate measures for their objectives and evaluate progress over time.