Citywealth Leaders List, 60 seconds interview – Sam Emery, Quill PR
This week’s 60 seconds Citywealth Leaders List interview is dedicated to Sam Emery, Managing Director at Quill PR.
Tell Citywealth readers about your role and the brand you represent.
Quill Communications is approaching 26 years of providing proactive PR consultancy services to the wealth and investment management community. This is the only area we work in and we are all specialists. While I do spend time managing the business, I am completely involved in the day-to-day account management for our clients, as are the entirety of our senior team. Senior-level strategic counsel and media relations best sums up Quill.
What does a typical day look like for you?
A typical day for me is working with our PR clients on any strategic matters, as well as media relations activities, including securing profiles, guest articles and comments, generally building our clients’ media presence. Sometimes crises do occur for and we are there to help our clients manage that process from an external communications perspective.
What recent campaign, rebrand or initiative are you most proud of?
We recently became the strategic media partner of City Hive – an independent think tank and advocacy group. City Hive is on a mission to raise standards across the investment management industry. We love to partner with organisations that want to make a difference in the financial services sector. We have also worked for a number of years with the Independent Investment Management Initiative (IIMI) which aims to give its boutique investment and wealth members a louder voice in the industry.
What are the biggest marketing challenges facing private wealth firms today?
Firms need to stand out from the crowd and show their expertise. We often see content that would sit well on a website rather than actually educating and informing clients and a wider audience. Cut-through content, sharp, incisive commentary and strong relationships are going to define the brands that make a difference in the years to come. Companies need to speak to their clients and potential clients, not just each other.
How do you differentiate a private wealth brand in a crowded and often conservative market?
Companies need to communicate at times when most firms shy away from any media. The Iran war is a great example of this – many firms won’t want to discuss it, but you can bet their clients are, and those same clients want reassurance that their wealth managers are on top of it. The perception of burying your head in the sand in difficult times can be hugely detrimental. It’s all about finding an angle that educates and treads the right line. It’s about informing end-clients rather than shouting for the sake of it. What’s happening, what’s the impact on clients, how can we help them – that’s what we should always be asking.
What metrics matter most to you when measuring success?
Good-quality coverage in good-quality publications is the best measure of success. It’s not about sheer volume. It is about showing the best qualities of our clients, and their expertise should be at the forefront of every PR programme. Experience tells us this often drives traffic to clients’ websites and increased incoming enquiries.
What do you consider to be the most important attributes for a marketing leader?
Someone who listens and knows their audience. Not everything will fit each target audience. Companies who understand this difference will succeed in marketing and this will help PRs get their job done well.
Who or what inspires your creative thinking?
Everything – it could be something I have read in the papers, a thought that hits me while I am out for a walk, a conversation with a contact or working collaboratively with the team or journalists to form a story. Ideas really fly when you have an enthusiastic team wanting to make them come to life.
Where was the last place you travelled for work or inspiration?
Glasgow – it was my first time there so while I was travelling for work, it was also inspiring.
If you were not in private wealth marketing, what would you be doing?
I used to enjoy treading the boards, but I was never good enough. I would have been interested to train as a private client wealth manager combining planning and investment, while still working with people face to face.
How do you relax after a busy campaign or event?
There’s rarely time to relax as our work is always-on for clients, but after a big campaign or event it’s good to have a few days of getting out and catching-up with journalists or industry contact more informally. It’s amazing what can come out of a chat over coffee.
Which private wealth brand do you think is getting it right, and why?
Bentley Reid is doing a great job with a good mix of industry discussion, podcasts and videos, social media and market views. We’re seeing a lot more attention on what they’re doing.
Quill PR’s Citywealth Leaders List profile
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