HD VEST

MARKETING &

B R A N D I N G G U I D E

FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY

INTRODUCTIONBranding is your company’s identity. Marketing promotes your brand identity in an effort to acquire clientele. This guide will show you a step–by–step procedure of establishing a marketing strategy. We will take you through the following process:

1Establishing a Brand Identity

Determining Your Target Market

Selecting Marketing Channels

Creating a Marketing Budget

Using HD Vest Marketing Resources

23

45

1ESTABLISHING A BRAND IDENTITYWhen building the brand of your business, you may not know where to start. The brand of your business should reflect you and your personality. If you believe in your brand, it becomes easier to sell. All of the brands we know and love are founded on these 5 elements:

ONE

Name

x

Represent your businesswith a name that fits thestyle and personality of

your practice.

TWO

Logo

Create one logo to use onevery digital and print

representation of your business.You should have a color

version of your logo and anall-white version of your logo

to use on darker surfaces.

Color Palette

Establish your main 2-3 colorsand use only these colorswhen representing your

practice. These should be thesame colors used in your logo.

THREE FOUR

Font

Choose the main typefaceyou will use for your practiceand 1-2 accent typefaces for

visual interest.

FIVE

Image Style

Select an image style that isconsistent throughout all

messaging and branding thatrepresents your personality

and your location.

YOURLOGOYOUR COMPANY

5 ELEMENTS OF AN EFFECTIVE BRANDWhen building the brand of your business you may not know where to start. The brand of your business should

reflect you and your personality. If you believe in your brand it becomes easier to sell. All of the brands we know andlove are founded on these 5 elements:

FOR INTERNAL USE ONLYHD Vest Financial Services® is the holding company for the group of companies providing financial services under the HD Vest name. Securities offered through HD Vest Investment ServicesSM, Member SIPC, Advisory services offered through HD Vest Advisory ServicesSM6333 N. State Highway 161, Fourth Floor, Irving, TX 75038 972-870-6000

FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY

BRAND IDENTITY CHECKLISTThis checklist can help you visualize the 5 elements of your brand: Name, Logo, Color Palette, Font, and Image Style.

FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY

VISION STATEMENTWhat are your most important products and services?What products and services will you never offer?What is unique about doing business with your brand?How would your customers describe your brand?Where do you want your company to be in five years?

MISSION STATEMENTWhat are the specific market needs your company exists to address?What does your company do to address these needs?What are the guiding principles that define your company’s approach?Why do customers buy from you and not your competition?

ESSENCEWhen your customers experience your product or service, what emotions does the encounter elicit?If your brand was a person, how would you describe the personality?

PERSONALITYAre you lighthearted and fun?Are you serious and all-business?Are you down-to-earth?Are you playful?

POSITION/VALUE PROPOSITIONTo whom are you speaking? (Target Market Demographics, Persona)Which market segment does your product or service serve?What is your brand promise? (both Rational and Emotional)Why is your product or service different from the competition, and why should your customers care?

hubspot 2015

BRAND ELEMENTSWhether you are working with an outside company to establish your brand elements or you are taking a DIY (do-it-yourself) approach, we have included a brief summary of each element below.

NAME

The name of your practice can be the most

difficult to establish. Whether you are

using your own name or the location of

your practice to provide inspiration, you

need to commit to using this name for the

foreseeable future. Don’t forget to research

the name you select before finalizing to

avoid using a similar name as another

nearby business. As an example, we will use

our new business, IMA Advisor Financial.

TIP: It should be clear and concise, and it should encompass all of the services you offer. For instance, if you have the word “tax” in the name of your business, consumers may not know you have services beyond taxes.

IMA Advisor Financial

FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY

LOGO

The logo of your practice may seem

daunting if you do not know where to start.

Using the Brand Identity Checklist, you may

have a vague idea of what you are looking

for in a logo. A logo should represent the

essence of your business and take into

account the personality of your business.

Make sure your logo fits with the color

palette you have selected to represent your

brand or choose your color palette based on

the logo you created.

TIP: If you are looking for an inexpensive logo design, you can research “design a logo” in any search engine. You will find various levels of logo designers, including websites where you can build one yourself. Make sure you have a full–color version of your logo in addition to an all–white version to use on darker backgrounds.

ADVISOR FINANCIAL

ADVISOR FINANCIAL

FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY

COLORPALETTEColor can say a lot about your brand.

Advertising agencies study how color affects

purchasing decisions in order to evoke the

right emotions and establish the right target

market.

TIP: Think about the color palette of your favorite brands and how you feel about the brand.

EXCI

TEM

ENT

FRIE

NDLY

OPTI

MIS

M

PEAC

EFUL

GROW

TH

TRUS

T

STRE

NGTH

DEPE

NDAB

LE

CREA

TIVE

FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY

FONTCommunications from your brand should

always have the same look and feel. Using

the same fonts to represent your business

over time can help establish your brand.

Conduct research to find out what famous

companies use for font.

TIP: Select 3 fonts that work well together as a title font, sub–title font, and a body font. For example, see below.

TitleBodini MT BoldA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Za b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 . , “ ! ?

Sub–TitleBodini MT ItalicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Za b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 . , “ ! ?

BodyMyriad Pro LightA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Za b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 . , “ ! ?

FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY

IMAGESTYLEThe use of imagery to convey a message is

an extremely popular marketing trend. Your

use of imagery should reflect the brand

identity of your business. For example, if

your brand’s identity consists of natural

or earth–toned colors, consider using

photography of nature. The second example

would be a good use of imagery if your

practice was located in San Francisco.

TIP: Use imagery that you can relate to on a personal level. Consider where your practice is based, your personal culture, and hobbies or activities that represent who you are.

FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY

ADVISOR FINANCIAL

ADVISOR FINANCIAL

FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY

2DETERMINING YOUR TARGET MARKETTIP: Your preferred target market might not be the market where your business is most effective. Determining your business’ strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats by conducting a SWOT analysis might help you determine your target market.

Start by answering these simple questions: what is your primary objective? Are you looking for new clientele, or are you looking to further the revenue stream your current clients provide?

Your clients and prospects fall into different groups or segments. It’s important to select your target market based on the segments that you feel hold the most promising prospects. Here are some of the segments found in the Financial Services industry:

• Demographic:◊ Professional Occupation: Doctors, Business Owners, Executives, Teachers, etc.◊ Age: Baby Boomers, Gen Xers, Millennials◊ Marital Status: Single, Married, Divorced, Widowed/Widower

• Behavioral: Graduation, Marriage, Children, Purchasing a House, Divorce, Retirement, Job Change, Loss of Spouse, Empty Nesters

• Geographic: Neighborhoods, Counties, Cities, States• Psychographic: Personality, Values, Opinions, Attitudes, Interests, Lifestyle, etc.

NOTES:

3SELECTING MARKETING CHANNELSTIP: You may have to experiment with different channels in order to find one that works for your desired target audience. The success of a marketing channel depends on several different factors. There is not a one-size-fits-all guide to marketing your business.

A Marketing Channel is a medium through which your business communicates a message and reaches prospects. In order to reach your target market, your business needs to choose a marketing channel that reaches each segment of your target market. These are the most common marketing channels in the industry:

FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY

NOTES:

4CREATING A MARKETING BUDGETYour marketing budget should take into consideration your desired target audience. There are seemingly endless ways to market yourself, but most marketing tools come at a price. The old adage about having to spend money to make money is true.

The following marketing ideas can help you shape a budget that fits your business’s needs:

• Build a Website• Post on Social Media• Create a Logo• Develop a Brochure• Send an e–Newsletter

• Update your Business Cards

• Host a Client Seminar• Sponsor a Charity/

Community Event

• Conduct a Direct Mail Campaign

• Send a Press Release• Have a Client

Appreciation Event

Use the blank budget below to get started on making a budget:

MARKETING BUDGET AMOUNT

Branding

Logo DesignGraphic DesignFMG Suite Website CreationStock PhotographyBrochure Design

Communication

Hearsay SocialMarketingProFMG Suite MarketingDirect MailPrint AdvertisingDigital Advertising

Misc

GiftsEvent SponsorshipReferral Offer

FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY

5USING HD VEST MARKETING RESOURCESConsult our HD Vest Marketing Partner Checklist to make sure you are using the HD Vest Marketing Resources to your best advantage:

FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY

1 BUILD YOUR BRAND WITH

2 CREATE YOUR COMPANY WEBSITE WITH

Establish your basic brand elements: Logo, color palette, typeface, and imagery.

Read the Guide to Marketing and Branding. Allow your brand to reflect who you are!

Use your brand to make a Client Welcome Kit, find a template on MARKETplace.

Visit the Online Catalog and order folders for your Client Welcome Kit and Business Cards.

Introduce your company in an “About Us” section.

Allow prospective customers to contact you through a “Contact Us” section.

Put your web address on your business cards, social media websites, and all advertising.

Use the built–in compliance review feature to update content easily!

Establish a digital presence to improve customer perception.

FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY

3

4

5

BECOME A SOCIAL MEDIA SUPERHERO WITH

VISIT HD VEST’S

AND LOG IN WITH YOUR ADVISOR NUMBER!

KEEP CONSTANT CONTACT WITH CLIENTS USING

Visit our Social Media Website hdvest.com/social (password: hdvsocial) and learn how to get started.

Complete the required social media training located on HDVLink® > Marketing > Social Media > Launch VestU

Create a LinkedIn profile and Register with Hearsay Social

Connect your personal LinkedIn, Business Facebook Page, and Business or Personal Twitter Accounts

Create a social media strategy.

Enhance your digital presence with Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

Send your client letters, prewritten financial articles, economic updates, invitations and more.

Use the built–in compliance review feature to get new content approved.

Use the automated mailing services and a built–in simple CRM system as a one–stop shop.

Hire a MarketingPro virtual marketing assistant to help you market your practice.

Find FREE client–approved marketing materials available for ordering in the Online Catalog.

Use the Mine, Market and Manage buckets to mine your prospects, market your practice, and manage your relationships.

Use the Is Today the Day Engagement Lab to find client–approved materials for your clients.

Get familiar with out Strategic Marketing Partners and what they can offer you by clicking the logos on the bottom of the homepage.

For Internal Use OnlyHD Vest Financial Services® is the holding company for the group of companies providing financial services under the HD Vest name.

Securities offered through HD Vest Investment ServicesSM, Member SIPC, Advisory services offered through HD Vest Advisory ServicesSM, 6333 N. State Highway 161, Fourth Floor, Irving, TX 75038, 972-870-6000.

1492617 08/2016