alder case study

In February 2008, Afrinvest an investment banking institution, desired to be positioned in the market place as a premier investment firm. The firm also planned to launch a new retail product: a mutual fund called the Afrinvest Equity Fund (traditionally,  many of its offerings had been targeted at the corporate market).

To facilitate its brand positioning and retail strategy, Alder Consulting was asked to develop 2 distinct programmes.

The first programme focused on brand strategy and advisory services.

The second was centred on marketing communication to project the Afrinvest brand locally and internationally while also launching the mutual fund.

Afrinvest (West Africa) Limited is focused on investment banking, wealth management and securities trading.

In 1995, the firm merged with SecTrust an integrated securities brokerage, asset management and investment research firm with an enviable reputation in the Nigerian capital markets.

Today, Afrinvest provides research content on the Nigerian market and is an advisor to blue chip corporates across West Africa on M&A and international capital market transactions.

The brand strategy & communication programme was important for the following reasons:

The firm's desire to launch a new retail investment product in the midst of numerous
competing investment products

Confusion over the ownership of the firm. (UBA, one of Africa’s largest financial service
institutions owns Afrinvest UK but not the Nigerian arm of the firm)

Little understanding of the company and its offerings by the retail market

Perception of the firm as inaccessible and elitist

The programme developed for Afrinvest incorporating the following:

Strategy
A strategy session was held with the critical thinking parts of the firm to determine the following brand fundamentals:

Conceptual definition Vision Mission

Personality Values

A brand strategy document was developed for the firm that closely aligned with its business strategy direction.

Marketing communication
Taking off from the core brand strategy, a marketing communication campaign (and materials) was developed which included the following:

Press inserts Print adverts Web banner adverts T V adverts

Corporate brochure Product fliers 3D promotional boards Multimedia presentations

To combat the feeling in the market, that the organisation was inaccessible and to promote the fund, the company held a series of road shows and investment seminars across Nigeria, which Alder supported with communication materials.

Some of the designs developed by Alder for Afrinvest West Africa. Click on any image to enlarge.
Newspaper adverts