Advisors are always looking for differentiators, but as Mark Tibergien wrote in his February 2013 column for Investment Advisor,
"The lack of clarity in financial services business models and the profusion of practitioners plying their trade using virtually the same branding has created a saturated market. How do the great companies succeed in this environment?"
While there are many differentiation strategies, one way to stand out to both current clients and prospects, immediately and directly, is in your collateral marketing material. The core of that material is your company logo and tagline that (should) figure prominently on your business cards, office signs, stationery and website, in fact, in all your printed and electronic communications. After all, that logo and tagline can send a message to the world about who you are, what you do and where you are. It is your chance to make a first impression with prospects and, unlike a good part of your other marketing efforts, it's something you totally control.
In part to recognize and in part to (we hope) educate, the editorial staff of the Investment Advisor Group—the editors, writers and art directors of AdvisorOne and Investment Advisor and Research magazines—decided to judge the efficacy of the 230 logos we gathered last year as part of our annual Top Wealth Managers project.
We whittled down the number of logos with (and without) taglines that we most liked to 20, using criteria such as how well the logo and tagline coordinated with each other, how eye-catching was the overall design and how well the specific colors and typefaces helped support the visual and verbal cues. Our editors and art directors voted for their favorites, and the 20 logos winning the most votes were deemed "Top Wealth Manager Logos," which are listed here in alphabetical order.
Of course, you may disagree with our choices, so let your voice be heard by voting for your favorite until April 23, when voting closes. Please email the editors at [email protected] for any comments regarding our coverage.
Please go to the next page to see the first of our 20 Favorite Top Wealth Manager Logos—listed alphabetically—and see if your firm made the cut:
Comments by AdvisorOne's editors and art directors:
Strong logo; short, precise tagline; good use of different fonts.
Location: Oklahoma City
President, CEO, or Owner/Partner: Brian Puckett
Year Started: 1994
Total AUM as of 12/31/11: $143,500,000
AUM per client as of 12/31/11: $1,138,889
City / State : Lincoln, MA
President, CEO, or Owner/Partner: Lisette Cooper, CEO
Year Started: 1993
Total AUM as of 12/31/11: $4,078,198,707
AUM per client as of 12/31/11: $107,321,019
City / State : Boston, MA
President, CEO, or Owner/Partner: John LaPann
Year Started: 1991
Total AUM as of 12/31/11: $3,790,813,302
AUM per client as of 12/31/11: $50,544,177
City / State : New York, NY
President, CEO, or Owner/Partner: Gregg S. Fisher
Year Started: 1993
Total AUM as of 12/31/11: $1,033,964,201
AUM per client as of 12/31/11: $1,033,964
Comments by AdvisorOne's editors and art directors:
Simple, clean, and logo matches up with name.
City / State : New York, NY
President, CEO, or Owner/Partner: Maarten R Van Hengel
Year Started: 2002
Total AUM as of 12/31/11: $1,969,109,191
AUM per client as of 12/31/11: $19,691,092
City / State : Carmel, CA
President, CEO, or Owner/Partner: Gifford Lehman
Year Started: 1997
Total AUM as of 12/31/11: $50,817,975
AUM per client as of 12/31/11: $141,161
Comments by AdvisorOne's editors and art directors:
Good use of lighthouse incorporating L and A of firm's name,
with simple, coordinated tag line matching art.
City / State : Allentown, PA
President, CEO, or Owner/Partner: Michael D Baittinger
Year Started: 2004
Total AUM as of 12/31/11: $102,000,000
AUM per client as of 12/31/11: $680,000
Comments by AdvisorOne's editors and art directors:
Strong image and contrasting colors, with nice 3-D effect.
City / State : Dayton, OH
President, CEO, or Owner/Partner: Dan Hypes
Year Started: 1989
Total AUM as of 12/31/11: $178,776,600
AUM per client as of 12/31/11: $391,196
Comments by AdvisorOne's editors and art directors:
Tree graphic relates well to typography.
City / State : Montecito, CA
President, CEO, or Owner/Partner: Ted Cronin
Year Started: 1992
Total AUM as of 12/31/11: $1,762,470,380
AUM per client as of 12/31/11: $11,015,440
Comments by AdvisorOne's editors and art directors:
Good branding of firm's name and location with cool, shaded
image of Old North Church in Boston.
