Dealmakers and innovators in the wealth management and wealthtech spaces require the services of skilled storytellers, who know how to convey the proper messaging to both the media and industry decision-makers, in order to achieve maximum positive impact for the firms involved. That’s where the winners of this year’s IMAGE 10 earn their keep.
Speaking the truth, making complex concepts easy to understand and relevant for highly targeted audiences, while getting to the point in an engaging manner, is no simple task. This is the work of public relations and marketing firms, organizers of industry events, and increasingly even lead generators for financial advisors.
Speaking the truth, making complex concepts easy to understand and relevant for highly targeted audiences, while getting to the point in an engaging manner, is no simple task.
That’s why this year we’ve expanded the scope of the Wealth Solutions Report IMAGE 10. As with last year, this annual list still relates to image building, brand elevation and reputation management. In short, the most effective and accomplished storytellers for the wealth management industry. Now, however, the WSR IMAGE 10 is open to industry leading platforms that create content, events, connect people and/or drive leads.
Please join us in congratulating the 2024 roster of the IMAGE 10: Top Wealth Management Storytellers, listed below in alphabetical order.
AcquireUp
AcquireUp provides seminar marketing services and technology for financial professionals. The firm combines its almost 40 years of seminar marketing experience with technology and data to attract qualified prospects to financial seminars, so that they register, attend and convert into new clients.
The firm’s “Ready-Made” campaigns use predefined educational topics, vetted venues and digital advertising with a consumer-facing brand, and customers pay for households who attend. The “Tailor-Made” campaigns enable advisors and agents to control the seminar type (educational or meal-based), topic, venue and promotional strategy (digital, direct mail or omni-channel), use their brand and pay a single upfront fee.
The firm uses its proprietary technology platform LeadJig in its seminar marketing campaigns. The platform has access to data on over 250 million consumers nationwide, providing insights about seminar attendees, such as age, home value and asset level, as well as real-time campaign analytics and performance metrics.
The firm also offers automated, personalized content with its marketing automation platform, Nurture & Engage, which provides FINRA-reviewed content, advisor-branded messages, premade newsletters, compliance-aware workflows and compliance-approved content for social media posts, video scripts and emails.
“We’ve used AcquireUp for many years now and have been very happy with the results,” said Joel Johnson of Johnson Brunetti Retirement & Investment Specialists. “They are up on the latest technology and are great at bringing new resources and suggestions to the table. Their support has been wonderful, and they constantly ask for our feedback to find ways to enhance their service and our results.”
Craft & Capital
Founded in 1996 as MacMillan Communications, Craft & Capital has long been one of the leading providers of public relations services to the financial services industry. Firm President Chris Sullivan joined the team in 2005 and took over ownership and operation of the agency in 2018. In the ensuing six years, the firm has doubled in size, in terms of both clients and team members, and continues to add to the services and solutions it offers to its clients.
That roster includes some of the largest investment and wealth management providers in the country, as well as numerous innovators and entrepreneurs in exchange-traded funds (ETFs), advisor independence solutions, fintech, research and more. Its clients include experts in specific traditional fund structures, diversified portfolio management, alternative investments, separately managed accounts (SMAs) and broad macro trends impacting financial markets.
Craft & Capital practices a relationship-driven approach to public relations, which consistently delivers opportunities for its clients to be the leading voices in the full range of top-tier and industry trade publications as well as across all of the major broadcast, streaming and podcast platforms. The firm has won numerous awards for its work from ETF Express, With Intelligence, Hedgeweek and others. Craft & Capital is headquartered in New York and has team members in Boston, Washington, D.C., and Arizona.
“Craft & Capital has become an invaluable extension of the Verdence brand over the past four years,” said Michele Welsh, Chief Marketing Officer at Verdence Capital Advisors. “Their team didn’t just get to know us and our business—they fully immersed themselves in our mission, helping to strengthen our presence with precision and a commitment to our vision. Their thoughtful, strategic approach has been essential in amplifying our voice in the industry. They are our PR team and trusted collaborators who have evolved with us every step of the way.”
Ficomm Partners
Ficomm Partners is an award-winning growth marketing firm working alongside RIAs and wealth management platforms at every stage of growth. Ficomm strives to help its clients become better and more strategic marketers so they can serve more clients. As a strategic partner to the firms it serves, Ficomm leverages a proprietary, systematic and progressive approach to marketing that is designed to drive greater organic growth.
For more than 10 years, Ficomm’s services have transformed the industry brand awareness of financial advisory firms by encouraging them to lead with authenticity, target their focus and drive to commercial success. Ficomm’s strategic approach, industry expertise and marketing capabilities have earned it a seat in ThinkAdvisor’s Luminaries Classes of 2021 to 2024, back-to-back wins from 2021 to 2023 for digital campaign of the year in WealthManagement.com’s Wealthies, recognized as a Wealth Solutions Report Top 10 Wealth Management Marketing & Communications Agency, and a Top 4 Industry Disruptor in 2020 by WealthManagement.com.
In July, Ficomm published a survey of more than 1,000 consumers who had purchased financial advice services, and what led them to choose the advisor that they did. The results showed an upcoming “referral cliff,” highlighting the industry’s need to diversify lead sources beyond referrals. In addition, Ficomm publishes a quarterly state of advisor marketing report that shares trends and insights for driving organic growth. The firm consistently creates thought leadership and content with the goal of helping the industry humanize wealth management and transform the impact of financial advice.
“The team over at Ficomm is terrific,” said Jon Dauphiné, CEO of Foundation for Financial Planning. “They have helped us with so many things, including strategy development, media relations—where they’re particularly strong—social media strategy, and skill-building for our trustees and our staff. You name it, they’ve been there to help us out.”
Future Proof
Future Proof is best known for its flagship event, the Future Proof Festival—the world’s first and largest outdoor wealth festival—which debuted in 2022 in Huntington Beach, California. With a goal of pioneering the next era of finance events, Future Proof has a Net Promoter Score of 71 indicating a strongly positive audience response. The 2024 Festival attracted more than 4,200 participants, nearly tripling in size since its inception. Major wealthtech companies such as Orion and Envestnet made industry announcements from the stages of the September festival.
Future Proof also hosted its inaugural Future Proof Retreat, in March in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It convened more than 500 wealth management executives and fast-growing advisors for content, one-to-one meetings and experiences in an alpine setting, to discuss topics ranging from leveraging emerging technology to streamlining operations to managing portfolios. Returning in March 2025, the retreat will see the debut of Future Proof Citywide with a SXSW-style event on Miami Beach.
At the heart of Future Proof’s events are tech-enabled Breakthru Programs, enabling attendees to forge connections, discover new companies, make memories and unlock results. These networking programs—Breakthru Meetings, Breakthru Talks and Breakthru Experiences—facilitated over 30,000 one-to-one meetings, 166 peer-to-peer roundtables and 55 unique experiences at this year’s festival, earning a 96% satisfaction rate. To date, more than 6,500 senior leaders and decision-makers have participated in Breakthru Programs. It also attracts attendees and speakers from professional sports, government, technology and more to a music-festival-like atmosphere.
“It’s refreshing to find innovators so focused on helping the industry move forward from a client service, technology and inclusivity perspective,” said Andree Mohr, President of Integrated Partners. “By focusing on where we can improve as an industry and not being afraid to be different, Future Proof is helping us all to be better versions of ourselves.”
Gregory FCA
With over 34 years of experience, the Gregory FCA team of over 125 professionals serves clients in wealth management, ETFs, private equity, fintech, and other spaces, with offices in New York, Boston, Philadelphia and London.
The firm’s approach combines strategic messaging, media relations and thought leadership to help clients elevate their brand and navigate market challenges. Approximately 20% of its team are former journalists, which the firm leverages to bring an insider perspective to its crafting of stories for the media.
The firm expresses its mission through its trademarked motto: “Our clients are changing the world. We make sure the world knows it.”
Gregory FCA acquired financial PR firm BackBay Communications in May, which specializes in private equity, venture capital and fintech, an acquisition that expanded the firm’s sector-specific expertise and reach. The firms aligned around shared values of storytelling and client-centricity. Citing O’Dwyer’s 2024 ranking of financial PR firms, the firm said the purchase created the sixth largest financially focused strategic communications firm in the U.S. and the 36th largest overall.
The firm commits to staying at the forefront of financial industry trends, including the use of AI and other technologies. It leverages AI-driven media monitoring tools to uncover emerging stories in real time and views it as an enhancer of its delivery of smarter and more efficient strategies. At the same time, the firm emphasizes keeping human relationships and authentic storytelling at the center of its work.
Aside from technology, the firm views investing in its team and long-term client relationships as important to helping wealth management firms amplify their brand, tell impactful stories and stay ahead in the evolving media landscape.
J. Todd Douds, Managing Partner and Chief Operating Officer of Fort Pitt Capital Group, said of the firm, “GFCA has had a large part in executing our strategy over the years. We truly appreciate all that you have done for us. It’s been a great experience being part of the growth at Fort Pitt.”
Haven Tower Group
Founded in 2011 with an exclusive focus on supporting clients in the wealth management industry, Haven Tower Group delivers a high-touch service experience across communications, public relations, marketing (including paid and organic social media) and brand strategy to directly support client growth goals and other strategic objectives.
Prior to launching Haven Tower, Joseph Kuo, Founder and CEO, served as Senior Vice President and Head of Public Relations for LPL Financial. During his time with LPL, he developed and implemented the company’s PR strategy for its successful initial public offering on the NASDAQ Stock Market in November 2010. Additionally, he developed turnkey marketing and communications growth strategies for large and sophisticated wirehouse breakaways who chose to launch their own RIA firms on LPL’s custody platform.
Headquartered in Los Angeles, Haven Tower has offices in Seattle, Chicago and New York. Financial services industry and marketing-focused publications have consistently recognized the firm’s work.
This includes a Silver Award in the Merit Marketing and Communications Awards and an inclusion in MarTech Outlook’s Top 10 PR agencies. Additionally, Haven Tower is a three-time winner of WealthManagement.com’s PR Campaign Of The Year as part of the annual Wealthies awards, including for each of the last two years.
Its clients include many of the largest and fastest-growing firms in the RIA channel, along with other wealth management enterprises, wealthtech platforms, asset managers and insurance solutions providers.
“Haven Tower's exceptional client service experience begins with a thorough understanding of our strategic growth goals, and all the work they have done for us directly supports those goals. From developing consistent messaging that makes our value proposition stand out, to providing continuous access to senior professionals who plan and execute flawlessly, Haven Tower’s knowledge of our industry, dedication to clients and the brand elevation results they generate are unmatched on every level,” said Arthur Ambarik, the CEO of Perigon Wealth Management.
In January this year, the firm launched its Haven Mark Partners platform.The platform offers project-based, flexible engagements to complement its ongoing agency partnership structures for clients with one-time, non-recurring needs. This includes fully outsourced chief marketing officer solutions, including web development, social media and other digital marketing services, that support wealth management businesses at each stage of the life cycle.
In addition to serving as Partner and Head of Digital Marketing Strategies at Haven Tower, Katherine Paulson is Managing Partner of Haven Mark Partners. She has over 20 years of wealth and asset management experience and a strong track record of developing and executing strategic marketing programs for independent financial service providers.
Other members of Haven Tower’s leadership team include Michael Dugan, President and Managing Partner, as well as Mitch Manning, Partner and Head of National Media.
Impact Communications
Impact Communications serves fintech companies, financial institutions including custodians and independent broker-dealers, RIA networks and membership organization, super OSJs, allied consulting entities, wealth management firms and independent advisors with marketing communications and PR.
Led by Founder and CEO Marie Swift, the firm’s campaigns often result in clients being featured in national publications such as US News & World Report, Forbes, Barron’s and The Wall Street Journal, as well as industry-specific publications.
In January, Impact led the PR and marketing team for Technology Tools for Today’s 20th annual T3 Technology Conference in Las Vegas, which saw record-breaking attendance.
To commemorate its 30th anniversary in August 2023, Impact partnered with the BLX Internship Program, providing 12 months of pro bono PR services. BLX received a Pathfinder Award for Hispanic Opportunity Organization of the Year in 2023. The program creates opportunities for Black and LatinX individuals, making it easier for these underrepresented communities to enter the financial planning profession while also offering financial advisory firms access to a broader range of skilled and motivated professionals.
In 2023, Impact launched Fiduciary Voices, a digital platform dedicated to raising awareness of the value of independent advice and the fiduciary standard. In 2024, Impact launched a Financial Literacy series aimed at educating both advisors and the general public. The weekly FinLit video series provides insights covering a wide range of topics, from vacation planning to financial education for children to retirement planning, emphasizing the firm’s focus on promoting long-term financial well-being.
“Impact Communications is a true partner, not just another vendor,” said John Mackowiak, Chief Revenue Officer at Advyzon. “Impact uniquely combines decades of wealth management industry experience (and the longstanding relationships that come with it) with PR expertise that is second to none. Working with them has significantly enhanced Advyzon’s profile and supercharged our growth.”
JConnelly
JConnelly is a leading integrated communications and digital media agency, serving clients across industries including financial services, technology, professional services, entertainment, personal and executive brands, consumer goods and nonprofits. The agency has been a trusted partner in the wealth management industry for 21 years, with a mission of delivering measurable results and driving significant value and impact.
Headquartered in New York with locations across the U.S. and Europe, JConnelly helps clients achieve their business, communications and marketing goals through a range of services, including media relations, digital marketing, corporate communications, social media, crisis management, AI-driven solutions, data-informed strategies and digital transformation consulting.
In 2023 and 2024, JConnelly supercharged its leadership team: Carol Graumann returned as Co-CEO, James “Jaime” Doyle was named President and Jami Schlicher was promoted to Chief Strategy Officer. With nearly 15 years of working together, this long-tenured team provides clients with the confidence that comes from trusted relationships, deep institutional knowledge, and a shared commitment to anticipating challenges and identifying opportunities. Together, they seek to deliver solutions rooted in years of collaboration and an intuitive understanding of client needs.
In 2024, JConnelly focused on helping wealth management clients boost visibility, enter new markets, build stronger stakeholder relationships and drive business outcomes. A recent digital campaign by JConnelly delivered a 220% increase in followers and a 93% rise in engagement. In another, JConnelly reshaped a brand’s public perception, reaching new audiences and driving a 167% increase in lead generation over six months.
“JConnelly has supported Creative Planning’s growth by elevating our brand at the highest levels,” said Peter Mallouk, President and CEO of Creative Planning. “Their strategic insights and media relationships consistently deliver optimal results. They navigate the complexities of the industry with expertise, ensuring our voice resonates with our audience. I’m grateful for their partnership and the impact they’ve had on supporting our success.”
StreetCred PR
Founded in September 2020, StreetCred PR was built on the principle that PR is a contact sport—requiring energy, effort and a deep passion for the game. Since then, the firm has grown into a team of more than 20 professionals. StreetCred is on a mission for clients to turn to the firm not just for media coverage but also because those clients see the team as fully committed to being their sword and shield, fiercely defending their reputations while consistently elevating their brands.
Over the last year, StreetCred’s client roster expanded by approximately 25%, while its team has grown by around 30%, adding skilled professionals who share the firm’s passion for storytelling and financial services. StreetCred priorities include serving as an extension of its clients’ brands, taking a proactive role in identifying media opportunities that align with their messaging and target audience(s), not just reacting to opportunities—but creating them.
Whether working with independent broker-dealers, fintech innovators, RIAs or community banks, StreetCred aims to be familiar with sector nuances by staying immersed in them daily, constantly engaging with journalists who cover these industries, aligning clients’ stories with what’s happening in the market and making sure their voices are heard.
StreetCred’s collaborative, team-based approach includes tapping into the diverse skills and perspectives of its team to bring fresh ideas and opportunities. As the firm plans for continued growth, its focus remains on helping clients do the same—achieving their goals and standing out in their industry.
“StreetCred’s expertise in our industry is unmatched,” said Tim White, Chief Growth Officer of Wealth.com. “The impact on our organization is immense. When we partnered with them, we had high hopes, and they surpassed our expectations at every turn. I often say there was Wealth.com before StreetCred and after—truly a transformative partnership.”
Technology Tools for Today
In 2003, financial planning professionals Joel Bruckenstein and David Drucker—both of whom held Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designations—had a vision: An in-person gathering of the industry’s leading pioneers, financial advisors and technology innovators to advance the adoption of tech, keep advisors and financial services firms on the cutting edge, and create better outcomes for the financial advice and wealth management profession.
The longest lived event of its kind, the T3 (Technology Tools For Today) conferences bring together tech, solutions and insights for financial advisors and enterprises as the transformative effects of digital-first communications, workflow automation, virtual teams and artificial intelligence become ubiquitous.
T3 conferences offer interactive panels, networking opportunities and expert keynote speakers, plus T3’s well known exhibit hall featuring technology from more than 100 exhibitors. Attendees can shop side-by-side comparisons of software and technologies, and learn what’s going on in the ecosystem.
T3 celebrated its 20th anniversary in January 2024 at the Cosmopolitan Hotel & Resort in Las Vegas, attracting more than 1,000 participants. Yearly, attendees gather for the presentation that Bob Veres and Joel Bruckenstein provide on the initial findings from the annual T3/Inside Information Advisor Software Survey results. T3 also presents tech awards for Emerging Technology as well as the Lifetime Achievement Award.
“T3’s presentation content is the best in the tech space (they even let ME speak), but the biggest draw, for me, is the exhibit hall, which is a comprehensive compilation of the advisor fintech services and programs all on display, with CEOs and senior engineers manning the booths, rather than sales agents,” said Bob Veres, Co-Producer of the annual T3/Inside Information Advisor Software Survey and publisher of Inside Information. “Much of what advisors take for granted today, in their tech stacks, was injected into the profession’s mainstream at one or another of the T3 conferences.”
Chris Latham, Managing Editor at Wealth Solutions Report, can be reached at clatham@wealthsolutionsreport.com.
