case studies
Over the last 25 years, the Principals at Brand Blueprint have played a significant role in evolving a number of leading brands in the financial services, consumer, education, healthcare, non-profit, professional services and technology arenas.
Recent Brand Blueprint clients that have utilized our brand strategy, positioning and visual expression expertise to differentiate and grow their businesses include:
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LPL FINANCIAL www.lpl.com
Brand Challenge
With an investment by Goldman Sachs and ongoing business strategy research conducted by Bain, LPL Financial sought to increase the equity in its brands and refine their competitive sets, reposition competitors and provide entry into new premium vertical markets. Brand Blueprint was engaged to create a brand strategy that would:
Define the brand architecture for all current and future brands in the portfolio
Strengthen and reposition its most profitable brands in their categories
Develop new brands to better serve current customers
Create new sustainable points of differentiation for all current brands and define the benefits customers receive by choosing LPL Financial, its sub-brands and its shadow endorsed brands
Ensure the retention of more than 11,000 independent financial advisors as well as investors, banks, and insurance companies
Position the company to identify and integrate new acquisitions into the brand portfolio
Focus communications for brand managers
Ultimately prepare the company for a future IPO
Deliverables
- A Brand Portfolio composed of:
- A Master brand
- Sub-brands
- Shadow-endorsed brands
- Brand Positioning Statements for the master brand and all sub-brands
- Brand Foundation Stories for the master and select sub-brands
- Brand Naming Strategy for the master and the sub-brands
- Key Messages for the master and sub-brands
- Brand knowledge transfer to internal stakeholders and agencies-of-record
- Visual Brand Strategy
- A Brand Blueprint – a comprehensive and actionable document that unifies, guides and informs internal resources and agencies-of-record
Results
In 2010 LPL Financial had an initial public offering (NYSE:LPLA). With an offering priced at $30 per share, LPL Financial beat all expectations and raised more than $469 million for its founders and private-equity owners. The shares quickly shot up 8% on the first day of trading on the New York Stock Exchange.
Originally established to serve the independent advisor, today LPL Financial serves three customer groups:
Independent Advisor Services supports more than 12,000 independent and registered investment advisors.
Institution Services supports financial advisors at more than 750 regional and community banks and credit unions.
Custom Clearing Services supports more than 4,000 advisors affiliated and licensed with insurance companies through a unique outsourcing arrangement.
