Brewin Dolphin is one of the oldest, private client investment managers in the UK – a highly competitive sector – with an ageing core audience. Its bi-annual publication Antenna is its key marketing tool to demonstrate Brewin Dolphin’s suitability as a long-term investment partner for the 21st century.
Launched in June 2018, each issue explores a single topic in detail. The topic is chosen because it is viewed as one that will affect readers’ lives for generations to come, thereby emphasising the need for a long-term strategy. They will be thought provoking for clients, prompting discussions around their Sunday lunch tables with their children and grandchildren.
The debut issue, for example, examined artificial intelligence, considering its potential impact on the world at home, work and in society. The writers and contributors are specialists in their field, writing for publications such as Wired, The Guardian and The Sunday Times; the issue also carried an interview with the renowned artificial intelligence ethics expert, Professor Joanna Bryson.
Illustrations are used to explain complex subjects in an easy-to-understand way. The launch issue carried A brief history, stretching from 400BC when the Ancient Greeks were the first to record the idea of a mechanical man, to the present day when Chinese tech firm Alibaba developed a neural network that outperforms humans at reading and comprehension.
Each feature concluded with ‘three takeaways’, summarising the three most important conclusions, and a panel analysing how AI is likely to impact financial portfolios. A reading list at the end of Antenna suggests further resources for those keen to explore the subject further.
The publication was distributed to nearly 25,000 clients, and is also being used by Brewin Dolphin at conferences, speaking events and prospect meetings. It is not seen as a direct sales tool, but a platform to improve brand visibility. Initial client feedback has been extremely positive.
The judges described it as a ‘quality publication where design and content expertly meets audience. A clear focus, the magazine visually invites the audience to take the time to read its sharp, weighty articles’.
