Re-Branding a Financial Advisory Firm to Provide Financial Services to Grieving Individuals and Families
Finally, our new brand is going public! As with any significant transition in a business, it is important to communicate what has changed and what has not. So, in the blog series to follow, we will be unpacking our new brand, specifically focused on what is behind the new name, the story of how we have arrived here, and the personalized service we will be providing our client family.
For 2.5 years we have been slowly aiming our firm’s conviction, vision and resources at what we believe to be the future of the financial planning industry. Through a lengthy, professional re-branding glidepath, during which we spent hours analyzing from where we have come, what current needs exist, and where we want to be headed, we emerged with a structure and toolset to serve a certain demographic of clientele.
A way of financial planning that enshrouds a family’s unique journey when life dramatically changes
It was not too long ago in the financial advisory world (and many other industries) that your brand was yourself. You absorbed the education, passed the required exams and hung your shingle. A relevant cry in today’s tech-connected world, remembering the significance of trusting an actual human being with your family’s financial future.
With the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional designation beginning in the mid 70’s, the first generation of true financial planners is now on the cusp of, if not already immersed in, retirement. So how does the industry adapt? How does a new generation of financial services position themselves to provide value?
Nowadays, a business’ brand is one of its most valuable assets, requiring a lot more than just a name and face (but not less!). We are a brand-centric culture, after all. Take the example of a can of soda at your local grocery store. You will undoubtedly see name brand Coca-Cola next to your grocer’s version of the same beverage. The contents? Arguably similar. The price? A bit different. So why do some people stay loyal to Coca-Cola and forego the knockoff?
Brands provide an associative comfort that can be developed into real psychological trust
But what has begun as an effort to find brand loyalty has quickly led to an over-saturation of choices when it comes to meeting your family’s needs. Nowadays, you can easily get access to well-known financial firms that provide a swathe of services to their clients. Previously, the challenge existed to find a well-established and forward-thinking financial services firm without having to settle for less.
As financial advisor culture and industry regulation has expanded, there are countless firms that provide quality, longevity, technology, relationship…you name it. But “Overchoice” has set in (cognitive decision-making difficulty due to the availability of multiple options).
Now the challenge lies in finding a firm that offers services that best align with the narrative of your life, your beliefs around money, and the pursuit of meaning over the pursuit of accumulation. This does not diminish the need for advisor competency, but rather redefines what it means for an advisor to be competent.
This is our response to the need for financial advisors that specialize in serving a specific demographic of people who now share a common thread of reality. For our firm, the thread is this: “I am grieving. Because I am grieving, the way of life I once knew has changed forever. In this new way of life, I cannot or will not navigate my finances alone…”
Our name: Ambient Financial Advisors
Our purpose: Introducing order and stability to the financial turmoil associated with personal transition, grief, and loss, so that individuals and families can focus on healing and building a new vision for their financial future that provides a sense of purpose, opportunity, and hope.
Our tagline: When Your Story Changes.
We invite you to come along for the ride.
