Ivy Investments
Turning over a new leaf.
Marketing a financial services firm is a lot like raising capital—your audience is looking primarily at people and process. Named Barron’s “Best Mutual Fund Family” for five consecutive years, Ivy Investments (and parent Waddell & Reed Financial Advisors) have long trusted 50,000feet with bringing the story of its unique investment process to life. Because in investing, it’s not just what you know; it’s what you do with it.
Insight
Ivy Funds and its affiliates, Ivy Distributors and Ivy Global Investors, had an expansive product portfolio with varied and nuanced selling propositions. The investment management leader needed a brand strategy and identity system that would support each product’s story while working within a broader brand framework--one which aligned with the company’s vision. They looked to 50,000feet to develop a strategic approach to this challenge and to reimagine their brand in a differentiated and bold way.
Idea
50,000feet worked with Ivy Funds to consolidate its affiliates into a unified, global brand: Ivy Investments. The team designed and developed a digital ecosystem, including a corporate website that supports financial professionals with product discovery, thought leadership and lead generation. The redesigned digital experience includes features that enable financial advisors to review and order thought leadership and to track performance data. Responsive design makes the site easy to use across channels, and video helps to deliver their message in an immediate and impactful way. A robust and redesigned sales enablement program empowers marketing and sales teams to support clients throughout their journey.
Impact
The new brand and supporting communications competitively position them while signaling the investment management leader remains rooted in the values that have served their clients well for more than 70 years. The new brand name and visual identity capture and convey the breadth and depth of the company’s capabilities with current and prospective clients and their supporting brand communications have helped to educate and energize their many audiences across channels, platforms and media.
The World Covered
A global brand should bear universal appeal. Now with one umbrella name to cover all that they do, “Ivy Investments” is reflective of the company’s incredible growth beyond more than just offering retail mutual funds. Evolving from “Ivy Funds” to a name that captures the breadth and depth of the company’s capabilities was not only worthwhile but also necessary, helping reach new clients and address the needs of existing ones with a portfolio that lives up to the tagline, The World Covered.
Brand Video
A new look (and name, in this instance) is the product of strategic collaboration and something in which all parties—agency, client, stakeholder and financial world—should take great pride and interest. The brand video captures the momentum, energy and excitement behind the launch, highlighting the detailed process and beautiful end result, providing an effective tool for the grand reveal and helping rally stakeholders around the fresh vision for the company.
Brand Identity
Brand Communications
Consistency in investment performance is mirrored by consistency in brand applications, bringing comprehensive yet simple guidelines into play. 50,000feet developed templates and standards for all communications, reducing the number of logo variations across businesses to a singular expression.
Fund Materials
While all of the company’s investments follow the same disciplined approach, which is informed by a global perspective and core set of beliefs, the various products within the expansive portfolio have different selling points. By utilizing a visual system that speaks to the brand’s authenticity and inventiveness, Ivy Investments can unpack each product’s story in ways that are unique yet consistent.
Website
50,000feet designed and developed the Ivy Funds website in 2013 and has since refreshed the digital experience to include the new name, identity and brand system throughout. In the financial world, communicating large amounts of content in real-time can be a significant undertaking. 50,000feet employed an information architecture to share the Ivy brand story and financial research in a compelling, user friendly way.
Waddell & Reed Brand Refresh
Parent company of Ivy Investments, Waddell & Reed Financial Advisors saw the former’s brand refresh as an opportunity to revisit its own. Since its founding in 1937, Waddell & Reed’s financial advisors have distinguished themselves by cultivating many of the longest-lasting client relationships in the industry. Built around the idea of “Taking Planning Personally”, this brand refresh runs across touchpoints—reminding advisor and client alike of why they’re here.
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