One year ago, I created H-Ideas. It has been a busy, productive year and I would like to thank you for your time, attention and most of all for the trust you have placed in me. Indeed, the most gratifying aspect of this first year is the openness and depth of discussions I have had with you.
The common thread of all our exchanges is that everyone in the financial sector feels the impact of rising operating costs, just when revenues are under increasing pressure. For both these challenges, H-Ideas’ core value proposition – helping clients efficiently grow their business – has been very well received, even exceeding my initial expectations.
Growing your business efficiently can involve:
- Strengthening your brand. Differentiate your proposition, express your unique identity through your clients’ eyes, thereby earning your fees. At present we are running branding projects for three asset managers, addressing both institutional and private clients, and for a fintech firm.
- Designing targeted strategic plans. Growing efficiently means being very clear about what to do and what to avoid. For example, we performed a strategic product range review for one of the largest asset managers in Europe. We also helped an asset manager design its retail segment distribution strategy.
- Powering your marketing function. We are currently working with four asset managers on marketing projects aimed at increasing their success. Our engagements range from serving as an outsourced strategic expert team (for an alternative asset manager), to advising on specific matters like strengthening the positioning and differentiation of a thematic investment product range.
This year has also shown how Responsible Investment (RI) is top of mind across the financial world. We are helping one of Switzerland’s largest asset managers to smoothly integrate its RI suite within its investment processes. We also helped a specialised RI boutique manager design its distribution strategy for Switzerland. Furthermore, we are currently conducting a research project on RI to determine how asset managers connect this important element with their brand and identity. We look forward to sharing the results of this analysis with you in the near future.
In our first year, 11 clients have already put their trust in us and I am deeply grateful to them.
I also want to thank the members of H-Ideas’ expert network: Claire, Markus, Tim, Martin and Claude. Thanks to their unique expertise, we form a team that is custom-made to meet your needs. Thanks to their strong industry backgrounds, we are able to very rapidly make a positive impact when working with you.
Should you wish to know more about H-Ideas, please contact me on +41 22 561 8412. Against the background of an ever-evolving financial industry, I look forward to our continued dialogue and a productive exchange of ideas for many years to come.
