Once there was a portfolio manager who was voted best presenter at a big fund selector event. What was his secret? Among other things: talking about something he got wrong. 

Everyone experiences "Death by PowerPoint" at some point in their career. Cognitive neuroscience explains why we find bad slides uncomfortable.

When you're in the business of selling funds, your primary focus is on the positive. But getting good at talking about the negatives is a skill that will really set you apart.

We use the term “Content Alpha” to refer to the value-add that allows your materials to stand out from the competition and achieve a better return on marketing investment. But where do you find it?

The foundational article looks like "thought leadership", but it's a killer prospecting tool that unpacks the DNA of your product. Done right, it's a stealth marketing asset that can be used for years in a wide range of situations.

Developing marketing content can be time consuming and resource intensive. Thinking in a modular way can help you create more versatile materials that your sales teams will be happy to use over and over again. 

Are you stuck in “transmit” mode, just telling your audience what you want to tell them, or are you giving them something they can usefully absorb? The answer may depend on how joined up your content creation is.

A high-value-added monthly commentary is more than just a routine servicing document. It can be a powerful prospecting tool, a training resource, and even an asset for marketing and media activity. 

When you're promoting a fund, a well-balanced package of product marketing support should answer a series of questions using different types of content, depending on where your audience is in the marketing funnel.

Making smart people look smarter—and helping them connect better with their audience—is the most rewarding aspect of an investment writer's job. The right fit between PM and writer can result in world-beating content.

Hero content is our term for the handful of fund content items that offer highest return on investment. If your marketing budget is limited, hero content is the place to focus.

It's so central to our philosophy that we've trademarked it. But, like all good ideas, Content Alpha is obvious when you think about it.