ext-marketing.com
We speak financial.
What does “We speak financial.” mean to us?
We’re citizens, not tourists, in the financial world. We’re just as at home creating a logo as we are reading an attribution report. We’re in a unique position – we understand your goals and have the specific talents to help you achieve them.
3 offices in New York, Toronto & London
300+ projects delivered in 2024 Working with 75 top asset managers in 2025
Delivering real results for 15 years
2 Bloomberg terminals in house
Over 500+ clients since inception
30,000+ PM commentaries written 90+ brands created and updated Crafted over 200+ pitchbooks
We unite deep financial services knowledge and creativity.
This is where the magic happens.
A team unlike any other
Our team members cut their teeth at leading financial services firms and creative agencies. They’ve produced national ad campaigns, launched internationally recognized brands and used marketing to grow our clients’ AUM.
Client strategy
Client delivery
Creative team
Writers, editors & analysts
Trusted by the industry’s best
Since our inception in 2010, we’ve partnered with 500+ of the world’s leading financial services firms – across investment management, banking, fintech, insurance and private capital. These enduring relationships reflect our expertise, proven processes and commitment to doing the work right. Here’s just a few of our clients.
What we do.
We elevate financial services firms with world-class marketing.
Our process
We combine analytical thinking with creative execution to meet all the creative and analytical needs of the financials sector. Every step is built for precision, scale and credibility.
1. 2. 3. 4.
Kick off/discovery sessions to clarify objectives Map competitive landscape and target audience
Build tailored messaging and positioning framework
Draft on-brand and compliant copy
Translate ideas into elegant visual designs
Refine messaging/creative during collaborative reviews
Finalize content and design
QC to ensure accuracy and style
Coordinate approvals and delivery
Publish across digital, print and paid media channels
Monitor performance and engagement
Use data to refine and optimize campaigns
AI is a tool to help us expand possibilities. We amplify human expertise – we do not replace it.
Strategy
Our senior financial marketing marketing strategists work collaboratively with you to develop and execute your marketing. Our focus is to build your brand, drive your sales and grow your assets.
Key messaging
We believe that every successful brand has a strong messaging foundation. We help our clients define their brand promise, value proposition and key messages through a series of interviews. We then distill the information we have compiled into a simple key messaging framework.
Creative & campaigns
Content is king – but it needs to be supported by strong creative and campaigns that leverage all relevant platforms. Our design team will give you ideas for infographics, ads and campaign materials that will garner attention and drive action.
Analysis & positioning
Is your flagship product suffering from mixed-messaging? Our product positioning approach helps align the activities of Product, Marketing and Sales teams to ensure your solutions are positioned to maximize sales.
Branding & visual identity
Once your key messaging is in place, you need a visual identity that reflects who you are, your values and your product/sales promise. Whether it’s a logo refresh or developing a complete brand package, our creative team will develop something that is authentic to you.
Thought leadership & strategy
A good content strategy puts the right content in front of the right user at the right time, in the right format. We build content strategies to engage, educate and drive readers to act.
Digital engagement strategy
We use an integrated approach to develop your digital strategy – whether that’s through your website, social channels or OTT applications. We use video and content to engage, then metrics to measure.
Content & design
Pitchbooks & presentations
As your firm’s narrative evolves and becomes stronger, your pitchbook must also adapt. Our team will work collaboratively with you to help reflect the maturation of your firm in your updated pitchbook.
Websites, blogs & SEO
A website should be a tool that engages clients. Our team writes content, designs and builds sites that deliver a premium client experience, drive engagement and help firms grow. We also provide SEO services.
Whitepapers & reports
Strong content is at the heart of every sales and marketing initiative. Our team of writers includes CFAs who can produce deep-dive technical whitepapers, as well as thoughtleadership pieces and other collateral.
Infographics
Today, people read less and “view” more. Give us a topic or theme and we will create an engaging, informative infographic.
Brochure & collaterals
Brochures and other collateral (even if digital first) still play a role in any sales process. Our team will help structure, write and design materials that will help you inform your end-clients and lead to a sale.
Videos & podcasts
Videos and podcasts are fast becoming among the most effective ways to engage your audiences. We combine our awardwinning creativity with an air-tight process to optimize your story across these mediums.
Email & social
Email continues to be a powerful way to communicate with your target audience. The trick is to write email copy that gets noticed and design that has impact. Our team can deliver – so you get more responses.
Commentaries
We write monthly, quarterly, semi-annual and annual investment commentaries. We also develop branded templates that make your communications look more professional.
Whitepapers & articles
Recent whitepapers & article topics:
• Active vs. passive investing
• Actively managed and factorbased/smart beta ETFs
• Advanced analytics
• Asset allocation
• Asset manager selection
• Currency hedging
• Credit, convertibles
• Cybersecurity
• Defined contribution vs. Defined benefit
• Emerging markets equity, debt and small-cap investing
• Enhanced equity
• Estate planning
• Exempt market dealer use of technology
• Fiduciary duty
• Fraud
• Future of investor relations/communications
• Goals-based investing
• Idea generation/creativity tools
• Inflation, income, volatility and longevity
• Inflation-protected income strategies
• Investor psychology/behavioral investment
• Investment commentary best practices
• Latin America: macroeconomic and equity markets
• Liability-driven investing
• Liquid alternatives
• Macroeconomic outlooks for CIOs
• Mortgage funds
• Public pensions, individual pension plans
• Private debt
• Private corporation tax changes
• Robo-advice platforms
• Real assets
• Regulatory changes
• Responsible investing/ESG
• Saving for education
• Sector-specific topics: tech, health care, infrastructure, energy, real estate
• Small-cap, large-cap equities
• Time-weighted vs. money- weighted returns
• Value of financial advice
• Venture capital
The work.
Pitchbooks
Institutional investors expect pitchbooks that are clear, professional and strategically focused. But too often, hedge fund materials are cluttered or overly technical. Many fail to highlight the firm’s edge.
We partner with managers to streamline their story. We clarify their investment philosophy, process and performance narrative. Our pitchbooks combine sharp messaging with elegant design, helping funds present with confidence and win investor attention in a competitive capital-raising environment.
Fidera Vecta
Branding and logo design
Financial services firms often struggle to differentiate themselves in a highly regulated, visually conservative industry. Many come to us with outdated logos and unclear brand positioning.
We clarify our clients’ brand stories, then translate it into a visual identity system that’s modern and professional. Our logo and branding work balances credibility with distinctiveness. We give firms the confidence to stand out in a crowded market, while staying true to their core.
Marketing Campaign
Challenge
Scholar’s Edge needed to raise awareness of 529 plans among advisors, parents and grandparents, while standing out in a crowded landscape. We also wanted to simplify a complex investment product and inspire action.
Solution
We created a targeted digital campaign featuring emotionally resonant videos and bold ad creative. The campaign ran across search, display and social platforms, driving strong engagement and above-benchmark click-through rates year over year.
Rebrand
Challenge
Aqua Finance wanted to refresh its brand identity to better reflect its diverse business and growth potential. A second phase involved creating a new dealer branded experience to amplify ongoing enhancements.
Solution
We developed a key messaging framework and visual identity system to define Aqua’s master brand, differentiators and value proposition. We followed with a new dealer brand name (Aqua+), key messaging and a multimedia campaign targeting the dealer audience.
Challenge
ENTACT wanted to elevate its corporate story from a construction company to one that creates safer, more sustainable communities, while showcasing the depth of the team’s expertise and innovative solutions to solve its clients’ challenges.
Solution
We started with refreshing ENTACT’s brand story and visual framework that was integrated in a modern, contemporary website and a social media campaign targeted to the Liquified Natural Gas industry.
Reports
Challenge
Canada Life hired us to create a complete market outlook that would engage financial advisors and investors through strategic, creative and educational marketing materials.
Solution
We focused on translating complex financial concepts into clear, plain language that resonates with our audiences. This readerfirst approach has shaped everything we’ve created for Canada Life.
Investment commentaries
We produce over
commentaries per year 3,200 35%
This is great work,
and our team is excited to continue working with you.
Manager, Investment Communication & Product Experience
We produce commentaries for approximately of mutual funds in Canada
Challenge
Investor education is a top concern for investment firms. But they often lack the resources to accomplish this without disrupting multiple teams in their organization.
Solution
We have developed and systematized commentary writing, editing and project management best practices. And we have in-house Bloomberg terminals to bring the latest data and research to our work.
We love the quality,
and our advisors love the content.
Marketing Director, Investment Content