Investment firm marketers who can anticipate when investors will move to their next life stage can quickly capture market share with well-timed and personally relevant messages, according to the first Investor Services Consumer Dynamics study released today by Acxiom� Corporation (Nasdaq: ACXM), a global leader in interactive marketing services.

Acxiom�s study, titled �Putting Life Into Investor Insight,� provides a compelling observation at how investor behavior, life-stage motivations and affluence come together to influence investment interests and actions.

�Understanding where investors are in their lives now and where they are headed enables marketers to anticipate, rather than react to, the needs of consumers,� said Tate Olinghouse, Acxiom industry executive for Financial Services. �If you know the life-stage challenges investors face, you can tailor your messages and offerings to their unique combination of needs, assets, risk tolerance and stage of life.�

Acxiom�s study finds an investor-centric approach can help investment firms:

  • Retain and grow current customers by conducting regular reviews of their current life stage to forecast potential transitions and events that support their individual and household investment needs
  • Capture new customers by connecting with their investment goals, limitations, strategies and current investment partners at a time when they are ready to hear the message
  • Develop the best marketing message, theme and content appropriate for the investor�s current life stage and for potential life changes
  • Anticipate when investors will be open to changing investment relationships, modifying investment choices and changing advice dependency

The Investor Services Consumer Dynamics Study analyzed 70 lifestyle segments across the United States using Acxiom�s PersonicX� market segmentation system. Investor-behavior traits and general mindset motivations revealed 12 distinct investor life-stage segments. Based on this segmentation model, marketers can define and anticipate primary triggers that lead from one life stage to the next as well as prevalent life events that occur within each life stage.

The study, for example, identifies which consumer segments have the highest net worth; which will be shopping for newer and better investment options; which are more likely to begin trading online; and which are ready to speak to � and pay for � a financial advisor. A few key findings include:

Affluent Couples & Singles represent more than 10 percent of the U.S. population but account for 36 percent of new parents in the United States as they migrate to Affluent Families. This segment possesses 7 percent of the population�s total net worth. Eight percent of these new Affluent Families will migrate into the Wealthy segment within two to four years after their first child is born.

Affluent Families make up nearly 20 percent of the U.S. population, with 8 percent of these households becoming empty nesters this year. More than 3 percent of the segment will migrate into the Wealthy segment within four to seven years, and 80 percent will seek advice during this transition period and modify their investment position. These households are also three times more likely to begin trading online at the point of transition to Affluent Pre-Retired to catch up and grow their investments as some move to the Wealthy segment.

Affluent Pre-Retired comprises nearly 7 percent of U.S. households, and almost half have become empty nesters within the last year. Their investment lifestyle is short, with many decisions to be made, and 77 percent are looking for advice to either confirm their financial plans or to create new ones. That equates to 4.7 million households that are ready to speak to a financial advisor, and 20 percent of those are willing to pay for the service.

While the Wealthy segment accounts for only 8.4 percent of U.S. households, their net worth is 67 percent of the total population�s net worth. One portion of this segment will be shopping for newer and better investment options based on planning a family, giving birth to their first child (7 percent will have their first child within the next year), and seeing that child enter kindergarten. Conversely, nearly one-fourth became empty nesters over the last year, putting $118 billion into play. A full 72 percent will seek financial advice during this time, and more than 8 percent are willing to pay for these services.

�Pinpoint targeting and anticipation-based marketing form the basis for marketing campaigns with focused and well-timed messages that resonate with investors,� said Olinghouse. �Investment firm marketers can confidently promote products or services they know will be most relevant to investors based on where they are in life now as well as their potential next steps.�

To download a free copy of the Investment Services Consumer Dynamics Study go to www.Acxiom.com/invservcondyn, or call +1 888.3ACXIOM (888.322.9466).

About Acxiom

A global leader in interactive marketing services, Acxiom connects clients with their customers through deep consumer insight, powering effective and profitable marketing initiatives and business decisions. Our consultative approach spans multiple industries and incorporates decades of experience in consumer data and analytics, information technology, data integration and consulting solutions for effective marketing across digital, Internet, email, mobile and direct mail channels. Founded in 1969, Acxiom is headquartered in Little Rock, Ark., and serves clients around the world from locations in the United States, Europe and Asia-Pacific. For more information about Acxiom, visit www.acxiom.com.

Acxiom and PersonicX are registered trademarks of Acxiom Corporation.

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