On 4th December 2024, we held our inaugural NY Financial Services Marketing Leaders’ Summit at Reuters in Times Square, and it was a smash hit! As with the previous UK Summits, the event was sponsored by the Chartered Institute of Marketing, the World Media Group, EI Advisory and kindly hosted by Reuters. The Summit brought together 75 industry leaders to discuss the future of financial services marketing – including 18 speakers on the agenda. Here we’ll provide an overview of the day’s key moments and takeaways.

Opening: The Growing Role of Digital Transformation

The event began with a warm welcome from Jacob Howard, Chair of the CIM FS Group and Founder of Financial Marketing Insights, followed by a brief introduction from Josh London, CMO of Reuters. They set the stage for a day of insightful discussions, emphasizing the importance of innovation and collaboration in the ever-evolving financial services industry, with Josh London highlighting how artificial intelligence (AI) and automation are revolutionizing the sector by enabling more personalized customer experiences and streamlining operational processes.

Panel: The Rise of Sports Marketing in Financial Services

Next was a fascinating panel about leveraging sports partnerships featuring Suzanne Escousse, CMO of Blue Owl Capital, Dipti Kachru, CMO of Broadridge and Ashley DeSimone, CMO of Clear Street, ably moderated by The Ricciardi Group’s Meredith Rowley.

This session highlighted how brands are using sponsorships to drive visibility, attract top talent, and align with values of excellence and innovation, with the stat mentioned that the “sports sponsorship market is projected to grow to $109.1 billion by 2030”.

The panel discussed the importance of measuring the return on investment (ROI) and overall impact of sports marketing initiatives and shared best practices for tracking metrics such as brand awareness, customer engagement, and conversion rates. They also discussed the challenges of quantifying the intangible benefits of sports marketing, such as brand sentiment and long-term loyalty, and how to address these challenges effectively. Panellists talked passionately about aligning the values and culture of their financial brands with those of the sports entity to create authentic and impactful partnerships. One insight shared was when a celebrity shared an unexpectedly viral tweet… leading to the recommendation to have a ‘lightning plan’ for when things go very right, or very wrong!

It was clear from the room that there was a lot of interest in the future of sports marketing in financial services, with topics discussed including growing interest from private equity, the role of social media influencers, and the increasing importance of sustainability and social responsibility in sports partnerships. Attendees were left with a forward-looking perspective on how to stay ahead of the curve in the dynamic world of sports marketing.

Building Trust in Financial Services

The second panel focused on trust, and featured varied marketing perspectives from a startup (Jasper Martens, CMO, PensionBee), an academic (Aniko DeLaney, Lecturer of Marketing at Fordham University Gabelli School of Business) and an investment bank (Joan Khoury, Senior Managing Director and CMO of Oppenheimer & Co. Inc.) expertly moderated by Anna Bernasek, Global Head of Thought Leadership at State Street – who has actually written a book on Trust: The Economics of Integrity.

Jasper Martens talked about how PensionBee was a trusted brand in the UK, but now they have to start again in the US and re-build that awareness. He talked through how PensionBee works with a number of big name financial brands that help to give reassurance to customers – and how even putting up a Billboard lends legitimacy to a new financial start-up.

Joan Khoury shared many insights relating to Oppenheimer’s award-winning relaunch of its brand and how it maintains trust with its clients through clear communication and robust client relationship management practices.

Aniko DeLaney discussed a recently carried out CMO study on brand crisis management, advising the audience to think through their campaigns, and do some scenario planning for the best and worst outcomes.

The panel discussed how empowering clients with knowledge about financial products and services can lead to more informed decision-making and stronger trust, and the need for financial institutions to maintain a human touch, even as they adopt more digital tools. Authentic connections, empathy, and understanding clients' unique needs were highlighted as key factors in building long-term trust.

The discussion offered a forward-looking perspective on sustaining and enhancing trust in a rapidly evolving industry with topics such as cybersecurity and the impact of artificial intelligence meaning that there’s a need for continuous innovation to stay ahead.

Editors’ Insights on Macro Trends

Leading financial editors provided a comprehensive overview of macro trends affecting the financial services industry. Moderated by Jamie Credland, Chief Executive of World Media Group, the panel featured Lananh Nguyen, US Finance Editor at Reuters, and Laura Secor, Senior Editor at The Atlantic. They discussed how economic uncertainty and geopolitical events are shaping marketing strategies, with protectionism on the rise and whether global brands are in retreat. Following on from the earlier session about trust and authenticity, Lananh shared an interesting insight into how Reuters’ journalists were trained to recognise gun sounds so that instead of reporting ‘Pops Heard’, they could immediately and accurately report: ‘Shots Fired’.

Laura Secor discussed the rise of tech platforms and social media influencers. She referenced an article in The Atlantic titled "The Mainstream Media Has Already Lost," which highlights the changing media landscape due to ad dollars shifting to Google and Meta.

The article emphasises that the shift from institutional journalism to influencers is irreversible and calls on new media personalities to try and uphold the same ethical standards as traditional journalists. It underlined the importance that these platforms try to maintain fairness and objectivity in their content, as they are now effectively the new mainstream media.

Building the Right Team, the Right Way

In a discussion moderated by April Rudin, CEO of The Rudin Group, Amanda Werth Stewart, CMO of The Clearing House, and Lee Shapcott, CMO of PGIM Quantitative Solutions shared strategies for managing marketing teams in the current climate and into the future.

In particular, the panel did a deep dive discussion into four particular questions:

• Organisational Design: how can the overlap between Marketing and PR/Comms be best managed, given areas of overlap such as social media and other key functions?

  • Conclusion: Integrating marketing and communications teams can drive more cohesive storytelling and content strategies.

• Hiring In: what are the merits vs downside to hiring a Marketing leader or team member from a non-financial services background?

  • Conclusion: Bringing in talent from outside the industry can bring fresh perspectives, but cultural fit and maintaining curiosity are critical (as Financial Services is different!).

• Handling Hybrid: how can marketing leaders navigate success in building, managing and engaging teams given on-site, hybrid and remote environments?

  • Conclusion: Embracing hybrid work models requires balancing in-person collaboration with flexibility. Done well, it can empower groups such as working parents, but there’s no ‘one size fits all’.

• Blended Teams: how can internal teams work best with external agencies?

  • Conclusion: Leveraging specialized agencies can fuel innovation, when balanced with long-term partnerships.

Effective ABM Strategies

Matthew Robson, Exec Director - Head of Marketing for Trade & Working Capital, J.P. Morgan, and Emily Pachuta, CMO, Ascensus shared insights on building successful Account-Based Marketing (ABM) strategies. Moderated by Tony Jarvis, the discussion focused on targeting high-value accounts, personalizing marketing efforts, and aligning sales and marketing teams.

The panelists highlighted the key elements of a successful ABM strategy and the importance of collaboration between sales and marketing teams to drive successful outcomes. To find out more about EI’s work around ABM and its ABM Club, visit their website here: https://www.ei-a.com/insights.

FS Marketing Leaders’ Priorities for 2025

The event concluded with collaborative roundtable discussions on team priorities for the year ahead. Attendees shared their top strategic focuses, including agility, customer-first strategies, and investment in innovation. Feedback emphasized the need for continuous adaptation to market changes and the importance of customer-centric approaches. Insights were shared on improving team alignment and staying ahead of evolving market trends.

Conclusion

Our New York event was a resounding success, providing a platform for industry leaders to gather and share insights, discuss challenges, and explore opportunities. From understanding the impact of sports marketing to building effective teams and strategies, the day was filled with valuable takeaways. As we look ahead to an uncertain 2025, the themes of agility, innovation, and customer-centricity will continue to guide our efforts. Where possible, plan for the unplanned.

Particularly standing out from the discussions was the importance of building more personalised and authentic connections with clients, leveraging data and technology where possible to deliver tailored marketing and to maintain a human touch even in digital interactions.

Thank you to all our attendees, speakers, sponsors and helpers for making this event an enriching experience. We look forward to continuing the conversation and driving forwards the future of financial services marketing. Stay tuned for the latest news and events from Financial Marketing Insights!

• Photographs: @kavehspix