Independent advisors with Commonwealth Financial Network are taking advantage of the broker-dealer’s Four-Corners Marketing program, which was launched earlier this year.
The program gives its 1,200-plus advisors access to compliance-approved letters, seminars, invitations, worksheets, market updates and more. They can also use these materials on customized websites developed through Commonwealth’s EasySite web-development program.
The program includes model marketing plans complete with implementation calendars and the tools needed to execute the plans, says Commonwealth.
John Weibler of Lewiston, Idaho-based Weibler Financial & Retirement, decided to update his marketing package less than a year ago, around the time that his son Matthew joined the practice. As the Weiblers moved forward on this project, they turned to the Four-Corners program and other Commonwealth Resources.
“We’ve done marketing in the past and did our [first] website five years ago,” John Weibler says. “But we wanted to improve our targeting and our image, as well as how we tell our story to the right people. We also wanted a clear message to share with our existing clients.”
The plan to re-launch the practice’s website, http://weibler.com, began with a re-working of its logo and other branding efforts. The Weiblers’ practice serves about 400 households with $50 million in assets under management.
“We really wanted to increase the professionalism of our marketing look, the consistency of our communications and our recognition within our target markets,” says John Weibler.
The Commonwealth Four-Corners program “makes this work simpler and more affordable,” he explains. “We could have used a web consultant. But with Commonwealth, we could leverage compliance and their understanding of our business.”
Jim Weiss of Weiss & Hale Financial in Pomfret Center, Conn., says Four-Corners Marketing “segments the daunting process of adding clients.” The practice now has about 260 families as clients and $175 million in assets.
Weiss explains that his group made “a major commitment” to the program in order to revamp its brand. “We’ve been successful but too low profile,” he says.
“Now, everything’s done with the same taste and touch of our practice,” explains Weiss. “We really did ramp up [our marketing]. It feels good that people know us.”