Internal branding is the emotional connection you develop with employees on the inside so they in turn can connect with people from the outside. Consider looking at it as giving staff a cause, not just a job.

You've got your marketing humming. Your advertising is on song. Your direct mail is getting good conversion rates and your newsletter looks great. But have you neglected to invest and the same effort in the most powerful brand builder and sales converter of them all - the customer experience?

The single most critical factor in winning and retaining business in funds management is owning a value proposition that out-sells your competition. Is yours a competitive advantage or are you just trying to put lipstick on a pig?

Some financial services brands say that trust is everything, but I argue that it is no longer enough to successfully compete.

The internet has surpassed traditional media in terms of its ability to shape brands. Brands that embrace the heroes, battle the villains and accept the transfer of power will thrive.

Is all of the time, effort and money you're spending on your brand generating a real financial return for your business?

Brands are most effective in an industry like financial services where customers lack the information, ability and frankly, the will, to make informed product choices and where competitive offerings are perceived, by-and-large, as similar.

as customers continue to take control of your brand, your investment in developing strong brand utility, emotion and energy is critical to your ongoing business success.

Anyone who’s ever been to a presentation on marketing or done a marketing course will know that there are branding examples-a-plenty in fast moving consumer goods and a dearth of them for financial services. Here’s why great branding is so tough in Financial Services.

Boards and CEOs cast very long shadows across their organisations, so their ownership and approach to brand will significantly impact staff views and behaviours around brand.  And considering that in the service-based financial services industry, employees are the mainstay of brand, it's critical that Boards and CEO's buy-in to and take ownership of their brands.

There are few other areas in your business that can lead to such as positive outcome or have such a devastating impact on your business. Knowing when and how to either stay on or move away from brand is critical to the long-term health of your business.

The pension fund market is maturing.  But, with market maturity comes a commoditisation effect on the very base product/service that funds are offering (particularly in a low-involvement/engagement category like pension funds).  Investment options, insurance options, pricing, call centre services and advice services can all be easily mimicked by competing funds and fundamentally look the same to members.

Super Funds have a technical heritage, but tomorrow’s competitive environment will require Super Funds to become true marketing organisations to survive and prosper. This paper covers what funds need to consider and pursue to become or maintain themselves as true marketing organisations and to prepare their brands for the tougher times ahead.