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 WealthManagerLogos@sbmedia.com 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.
City / State : Boston, MA
President, CEO, or Owner/Partner: William Peck
Year Started: 2005
Total AUM as of 12/31/11: $195,371,470
AUM per client as of 12/31/11: $2,056,542
City / State : Jericho, NY
President, CEO, or Owner/Partner: John Marchisotta
Year Started: 2000
Total AUM as of 12/31/11: $92,687,000
AUM per client as of 12/31/11: $799,026
Comments by AdvisorOne's editors and art directors:
Bold, memorable graphic. Awesome, Strong, Confident. Great
design of landmark image tied up to firm name and location.
City / State : San Francisco, CA
President, CEO, or Owner/Partner: Brodie Cobb
Year Started: 1997
Total AUM as of 12/31/11: $3,730,000,000
AUM per client as of 12/31/11: $23,167,702
Comments by AdvisorOne's editors and art directors:
Clean, simple, yet powerful. This one snuck up on me; it's
nice, modern.
City / State : Orlando, FL
President, CEO, or Owner/Partner: Michael H. Davis
Year Started: 1988
Total AUM as of 12/31/11: $869,894,014
AUM per client as of 12/31/11: $2,693,170
Comments by AdvisorOne's editors and art directors:
I like old ships and corny tag line that matches old wood-etching
image, which makes firm seem conservative, solid.
City / State : Austin, TX
President, CEO, or Owner/Partner: Brooks Slaughter
Year Started: 1991
Total AUM as of 12/31/11: $240,000,000
AUM per client as of 12/31/11: $657,534
Comments by AdvisorOne's editors and art directors:
I like the high-def tree image.
City / State : Chicago, IL
President, CEO, or Owner/Partner: Richard M. Burridge, Jr., CEO & CIO
Year Started: 2005
Total AUM as of 12/31/11: $2,452,754,789
AUM per client as of 12/31/11: $2,601,013
Comments by AdvisorOne's editors and art directors:
I like the design element better than the typeface.
City / State : Dallas, TX
President, CEO, or Owner/Partner: Steve Blum
Year Started: 2003
Total AUM as of 12/31/11: $96,337,000
AUM per client as of 12/31/11: $802,808
Comments by AdvisorOne's editors and art directors:
Sharp and modern.
City / State : Tucson, AZ
President, CEO, or Owner/Partner: Robert Swift, CEO
Year Started: 1990
Total AUM as of 12/31/11: $1,000,093,334
AUM per client as of 12/31/11: $851,143
Comments by AdvisorOne's editors and art directors:
V really stands out; makes you remember name. Elegant.
City / State : Phoenix, AZ
President, CEO, or Owner/Partner: Thomas J. Connelly
Year Started: 2004
Total AUM as of 12/31/11: $412,804,126
AUM per client as of 12/31/11: $5,733,391
Comments by AdvisorOne's editors and art directors:
Very clever. Unique colors, very nice treatment; W can be viewed
as 2-D or 3-D–one of my favorites. Art enhances firm name with
W design and four colors of the seasons mentioned in tag line. The
lines also indicate ups and downs of the market…it's a good one.
City / State : Appleton, WI
President, CEO, or Owner/Partner: Christina V. Winch
Year Started: 1981
Total AUM as of 12/31/11: $180,693,864
AUM per client as of 12/31/11: $328,534
Comments by AdvisorOne's editors and art directors:
Good use of a description: "Private wealth management"–as part of
the company's name.
City / State : Gold River, CA
President, CEO, or Owner/Partner: Steven Zeller
Year Started: 2007
Total AUM as of 12/31/11: $80,000,000
AUM per client as of 12/31/11: $444,444
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>>>>>>(Click here to VOTE for the Best Wealth Manager Logos.)<<<<<<
- Agree or disagree on our choices? Send us your comments about our choices or your own favorite logos and taglines to the editors at WealthManagerLogos@sbmedia.com.
- Check out detailed information on these 20 the firms and more at AdvisorOne's 2012 Top Wealth Managers landing page.
- Send us your client horror stories–anonymously if you choose–to be included in AdvisorOne's Worst Clients Ever with subect line of "Worst Clients Ever" to AdvisorOneEditors@sbmedia.com.
- Send pictures or stories of good and bad reception rooms in the advisor industry with subject line of "Reception Rooms" to AdvisorOneEditors@sbmedia.com.
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