BRAND CREATION AND MARKETING STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT FOR WELA

Capital Investment Advisors (CIA) is a fee-only financial advisory and portfolio management firm based in Atlanta, GA. CIA created a new company for investors who seek top-level investment guidance but don’t meet the high minimum investment required by many firms. As a long-standing partner of CIA, we were thrilled when the firm asked us to brand their new company – and later, develop their marketing strategy.

To kick off the branding process, we began brainstorming several company names, which included a high-level trademark search. After presenting our recommended names, CIA decided on “Wela,” Old English for “wealth.” Once they had a solid name, Wela needed a logo to match. Our team came up with five black-and-white logo concepts – but one stood out among the rest. The chosen design exhibited just the right level of sophistication. We also developed a stationary package in blue, gray and white for the logo and company.

When Wela expanded their services to include a digital advisor, they approached us yet again. We were challenged to create a website for their free tool, which lets people access their current portfolio, develop an investment strategy, and connect with an advisor. With its friendly, responsive design – Wela’s site spoke to young investors looking to start their financial journey.

To draw traffic to their new site, we developed a digital advertising campaign, leveraging social media, re-targeting and search engine marketing. The campaign featured startling facts that pulled the user in; once they reached the landing page, they were presented with ways in which Wela could help them avoid becoming a statistic of their own. A subtle pairing of popular luxury items with Wela’s own color palette added to the allure.

Our strategy needed to further entice site visitors to sign up for a free Wela account, so we set up a drip campaign through Infusionsoft – a small business CRM. We created and sent e-mails to all users who requested more info on Wela’s financial tools. We then pulled weekly reports to compare acquisition rates from e-mail to e-mail.

THE RESULT

From brand inception to marketing execution, our work helped Wela make a mark in the financial services industry. Wela continues to thrive as a highly memorable, approachable brand – one that financial clients can easily connect with.