Barra

Makovsky + Company Powers Financial Services Campaign

Barra is the market leader in delivering innovative, financial risk management solutions worldwide. Since 1975, their products and services have combined advanced technology, superior analytics, research, models and proprietary data to empower investment professionals to make strategic investment decisions.

To re-launch its Market Impact Model (MIM), Barra engaged Makovsky + Company to help get traction with target audiences and improve sales. Makovsky set out to refine Barra's messages and educate decision makers on the MIM, including how it measured market impact, improved portfolio management and reduced costs. The aggressive media relations campaign raised the profile for Barra and MIM in just a few months and, as a result, generated increased sales.

Assignment:

  • Re-launch the Market Impact Model
    • Software and online product designed to measure market impact and optimize portfolio management leadership
    • Launched in 1998 by company with disappointing sales
  • Generate increased awareness and sales from mutual fund companies, asset managers

 

Challenges:

  • Expensive product
  • MIM is a complicated subject that few non-investment professionals understand
  • Strong bull market bloated fund returns and left few portfolio managers with the need to address portfolio efficiency, management fees, etc.
  • Early publicity targeting only fund managers efforts focused on physical application
    • How it functions
    • Software integration
    • Price
  • Consumer benefits, e.g. lower management fees, tax efficiency, were missing from message

 

Strategies:

  • Drive product demand among fund companies by educating consumers on MIM and how it effects portfolio efficiency, management fees
  • What’s your fund’s real rate of return?
  • Appeal to individual investors sense of consumerism, e.g. with so many fund choices why pick an expensive poorly managed one
  • Reach out to financial writers with a bias against loaded or expensive funds
  • Hold an informational seminar to educate journalists about MIM
  • Develop jargon-free, understandable press materials: fact sheet, backgrounder, presentation