European Asset Managers’ Marketing and Sales Functions Are Evolving Rapidly

Cerulli Associates' latest report, European Marketing and Sales Organizations 2019: Harnessing Technology to Win Business, shows that the role of asset managers’ marketing function is evolving from execution to strategic direction. Several marketing managers told Cerulli that their teams are becoming increasingly important to their firms. Most of the managers Cerulli interviewed reported that their marketing team headcount has increased over the past 12 months—and that they expect this to continue.

Although few managers have fundamentally changed their marketing budget allocation, many are making incremental changes. The main shift in this area is that managers are increasing their digital spend. The largest change is expected in social media: around 37% of the managers Cerulli surveyed expect their social media spend to increase over the next 12 to 24 months and 10% expect it to increase by more than 10%. In addition, social media “listening” has become a powerful tool for managers seeking to measure their brand recognition and develop brand-driven competitive intelligence. More than two-thirds (69%) of the managers Cerulli surveyed use social media to evaluate their brand recognition and appreciation.

As the importance of social media to asset managers increases, firms’ social media team sizes are growing. Just 28% of the managers Cerulli surveyed currently employ more than four people in their social media teams. However, 44% of respondents expect to employ more than four people in their social media units over the next 12 to 24 months, which suggests that managers’ marketing teams are increasing their focus on this channel.

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