MRKTG Access

MRKTG Access

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MRKTG Access episodes

  • Ep 05 – Trust in Black Hat World: Was Finance Ever Trustworthy?
    Ep 05 – Trust in Black Hat World: Was Finance Ever Trustworthy?
    You're on your own. There are few left to trust." That's how Dave Nadig opens his provocative essays on the death of white-hat thinking in finance—and it sets the stage for one of MRKTG Access's most philosophical episodes yet. Catharine and Avery wrestle with big questions: Was the ETF industry ever truly trustworthy, or did it just feel that way? Can you work for pay-to-play publications and still be a white hat? How do marketers build trust when the entire financial system's moral center has allegedly eroded? Drawing on Nadig's extensive industry background and his Black Hat/White Hat framework, this conversation challenges assumptions about ethics, transparency, and what "trust" actually means in financial services marketing.

     

    47 min
  • Ep 04 – Creative Chaos: When ETF Marketing Tries Too Hard
    Ep 04 – Creative Chaos: When ETF Marketing Tries Too Hard
    Financial services marketing is traditionally safe, boring, and consistent. But what happens when ETF issuers swing completely in the opposite direction? This episode examines recent creative campaigns that are trying to break the mold—and breaking cohesion in the process. It's an honest conversation about the line between innovative testing and brand chaos.

     

    37 min
  • Ep 03 – Show Face, Track ROI: Why Conferences Are Burning Your Budget
    Ep 03 – Show Face, Track ROI: Why Conferences Are Burning Your Budget
    Financial services events are expensive, exhausting, and often poorly executed. This episode breaks down what went right and wrong at Future Proof Festival, tackles the GEO vs AEO debate after Samantha Russell's panel, and gets real about how asset managers are burning money on events without tracking ROI. Plus: why there are now more ETFs than stocks, and what that means for investor confusion.

     

    26 min
  • Ep 02 – When Digital Ads Fail: Why Billboards Beat Algorithms
    Ep 02 – When Digital Ads Fail: Why Billboards Beat Algorithms
    Your digital reach is down double digits. Google's AI is answering your audience's questions without ever showing them your site. Your ad budget is at the mercy of algorithms that decide if your audience even sees you. But there's one channel no algorithm can touch—and it's been in front of you this whole time. It's called Out-of-Home advertising, and in a world where attention is bought and sold by platforms, it might be your best marketing advantage. Cat and Avery explore how OOH advertising—billboards, transit ads, and physical placements—is cutting through digital fatigue and delivering results that social media can't match. With 67% of adults discovering brands through OOH and a 17% lift in mobile engagement, it's time asset managers reconsider what "modern marketing" really means.

     

    36 min
  • Ep 01 – AI is Stealing Your Clicks: The New Rules of SEO for Asset Managers
    Ep 01 – AI is Stealing Your Clicks: The New Rules of SEO for Asset Managers
    ChatGPT and Google AI summaries are killing website traffic — here's what asset managers need to know.
    Your carefully optimized content is no longer reaching investors. ChatGPT is answering their questions. Google's AI summaries are giving them what they need without ever clicking through to your site. AI agents are fundamentally changing how people discover information—and most asset managers haven't noticed yet.
    In this episode, Cat and Avery break down the evolution of SEO in the age of AI, exploring how AI Overviews are stealing 37% of website traffic, why traditional keyword strategies are dying, and what content marketers in financial services need to do about it. From understanding the difference between AI, AI agents, and LLMs to rethinking your entire content strategy, this conversation is essential for anyone responsible for digital marketing in asset management.

     

    33 min
  • Ep 04 – Creative Chaos: When ETF Marketing Tries Too Hard
    Scattered creative marketing campaigns, industry festival ads, and the fine line between A/B testing and brand destruction.
    Description

    Bold testing or brand confusion?


    Financial services marketing is traditionally safe, boring, and consistent. But what happens when ETF issuers swing completely in the opposite direction? This episode examines recent creative campaigns that are trying to break the mold—and breaking cohesion in the process. It’s an honest conversation about the line between innovative testing and brand chaos.

     

    Resources & References

    • Future Proof Conference >> https://futureproofhq.com/festival/
    • Reddit advertising platform >> https://ads.reddit.com/register
    • LinkedIn advertising >> https://business.linkedin.com/marketing-solutions
    • Northern Trust Landing page >> https://ntam.northerntrust.com/united-states/all-investor/landing/northern-trust-etfs
    • Northern Trust ETF website >> https://etfs.ntam.northerntrust.com/us/en/individual

      • Action Items for Asset Managers

      1. How many different creative approaches are you running right now?
      2. Can someone identify your brand across all your campaigns?
      3. Are your landing pages matched to your ad creative?
      4. What unifying visual elements exist across your marketing?

        5. About the Hosts

        Cat delivers unfiltered critiques of financial services marketing with the expertise to back it up, helping firms understand what actually works in ETF marketing.

        Avery brings a creative director’s eye to financial advertising, balancing aesthetic considerations with conversion strategy and brand building principles.

        Engage With This Episode

        Disagree with our takes on these campaigns?


        Think we’re being too harsh—or not harsh enough?

        We want to hear your perspective.

        Share your thoughts on social media or reach out directly.

        Coming Up Next

        Episode 5 tackles trust in the financial industry, Dave Nadig’s controversial White Hat/Black Hat essays, and whether finance was ever truly trustworthy to begin with.

         

        Northern Trust (FlexShares) ETF LinkedIn Account

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        37 min

      About MRKTG Access

      From the publisher's feed

      A live chat on all things marketing trends, investor empowerment and digital innovation. Hosted by Cat Frick and Avery Stonestreet, marketers, investors, and entrepreneurs who built careers at the…