Fisher Investments is a large investment management company based in the United States. They are known for their aggressive marketing campaigns and frequent commercials on TV and radio. In this article, we will take a closer look at Fisher Investments’ promotional strategy and examine some of their most notable commercials over the years. With billions under management, Fisher Investments has the budget for large-scale advertising aimed at retail investors. However, their commercials have also attracted some controversy regarding their accuracy and transparency. Overall, the Fisher Investments commercials provide an interesting case study into how a major investment firm promotes itself to the public.
High-Budget, Large-Scale Commercials are a Hallmark of Fisher Investments’ Strategy
Fisher Investments spends over $70 million a year on advertising, allowing them to run commercials across national TV and radio at primetimes. Their ads tend to follow a similar formula – spotlighting the company’s long history, prestige, and linking their services to concepts like the American Dream. Oftentimes Fisher Investments enlists celebrity spokespeople to enhance the prestige of their brand. These big-budget commercials have helped Fisher grow rapidly, with over $160 billion under management today.
Aggressive Promises of Market Beating Returns in Their Ads
A common theme across Fisher Investments commercials is the promise of market-beating returns for clients. Their ads frequently claim that their strategies can outperform the S&P 500 and provide investors much higher returns than simple index funds. However, some point out Fisher’s actual performance doesn’t necessarily back up these bold claims made in their commercials. While past returns are no guarantee of future performance, Fisher commercials have faced some backlash for making ambitious performance claims despite mixed results.
Numerous Controversies and Complaints Around Transparency of Fisher Ads
Fisher commercials have attracted their fair share of criticism over the years as well, especially regarding their transparency. In some cases, Fisher commercials have created confusion by implying celebrity endorsers are clients when they are merely paid spokespeople. They also frequently reference awards they have won without proper context. While Fisher Investments maintains their ads abide by regulations, some believe they toe the line when presenting information to retail investors.
Commercials Represent a Large Spend in Fisher’s Overall Promotional Budget
In total, Fisher Investments spends around $300 million per year on general advertising and promotion. The national TV and radio commercials represent the highest visibility piece of this budget. They also engage in direct mail, print ads in major publications, and digital advertising to reach investors. The company views this level of ad spend as a necessary cost to aggressively grow their asset base and attract new clients to their platform.
In summary, Fisher Investments commercials demonstrate an ambitious promotional strategy funded by their large asset base. The frequent ads showcase Fisher’s scale and history, while making bold claims of market-beating returns. However, they have also attracted criticism regarding transparency issues. Overall, the Fisher commercials provide an intriguing case study of how investment firms market themselves to retail investors.