You are here: Home > Media > Press releases > IFAs highlight benefits of unbiased.co.uk subscription, as IFAP passes funding milestone

• Print Page

IFAs highlight benefits of unbiased.co.uk subscription, as IFAP passes funding milestone

IFA Promotion Ltd (IFAP) which runs the consumer facing brand unbiased.co.uk today passed an important milestone in its ongoing strategy to attract a broader base of funding for its award-winning IFA lead generation and promotional campaigns.  Just three years since embarking on this strategy, IFAP today announced that it is more than 50% funded by IFA advertising and that the range of IFA sector supporters contributing to IFAP’s efforts continues to expand. 

Karen Barrett, Chief Executive of unbiased.co.uk, said: “We are pursuing a strategy which steadily phases out our dependency on product provider sponsorship, replacing it with more representative and sustainable sources of funding.  Of course, provider firms will still be able to contribute to the campaign alongside other stakeholders, in return for specific IFAP services such as continued access to our unrivalled IFA database.”   

“By deploying a wide range of cost-effective marketing strategies to generate around half a million well-matched consumer leads for IFAs each year, we have already been able to attract half of our annual funding via sales to IFAs of our enhanced advertising package.  In return, IFA subscribers - who in effect are helping fund the campaign for the whole sector - quite rightly receive enhanced prominence and features across our consumer searches, resulting in them receiving a larger share of the leads we generate.”

A range of IFAs, large and small, have publicly acknowledged the benefits of supporting IFAP through subscription to its enhanced advertising package [see quotes below], and IFAP is urging IFAs yet to take advantage of this marketing opportunity to visit the IFA section at unbiased.co.uk.

In addition, as the drive to professionalism gathers pace, IFAP has seen a surge in enquiries from organisations keen to strengthen their relationship with IFAs via IFAP’s ‘Professional Connections’ referral service.  IFAs can join this service if they are subscribing to the enhanced advertising package. 

Barrett continued: “We are well progressed with a number of further initiatives to attract funding for IFAP, and are confident that our objective of becoming self-funding will be achieved.  We are also clear that we will not enter into any activity which could in any way compromise or damage the integrity of our business, nor the confidentiality of consumers’ search details, both of which remain important to IFAP’s ongoing success.

“Over the last 20 years, IFAP’s sponsors have made significant and valued contributions to our campaign. This has enabled us, in partnership with many thousands of hard-working IFAs, to build the independent brand into the ‘gold standard’ proposition it represents today, standing shoulder to shoulder with accountants and solicitors.  These product providers remain among the greatest champions of today’s professional IFA sector, and are determined that IFAP continues to thrive for the benefit of IFAs, consumers and our industry.” 

David Graham, Chairman of IFA Promotion added: “The major changes which are taking place in our industry confirm that we took the right decisions three years ago with regards to moving towards self-funding. It is the only way to ensure that IFAP continues to be of positive influence and value both to consumers and to independent financial advisers.”

ENDS

About the ‘find an ifa’ search

Unbiased.co.uk’s 'find an IFA' search is a service that enables people to confidentially search for details of independent financial advisers (IFAs) close to where they live or work from around 8,000 IFA locations UK-wide. Consumers and businesses can confidentially search by location, area of advice specialism, payment options, qualifications and gender to find the right IFA for their needs.  Unbiased.co.uk has put 2.5 million consumers in touch with an independent financial adviser over the last five years.

IFAP’s database of IFAs is inclusive – meaning that IFAP makes no charge for a free listing on the unbiased.co.uk website and for use of the blue roundel logo.  IFAP endeavours to provide a valued set of services to those supporting the promotional campaign through the enhanced advertising package through media services (helping IFAs connect with the media), Professional Connections (helping IFAs connect with other professional advisers) and delivering quality leads through the consumer searches run on unbiased.co.uk and 65 white label sites.

More information on setting up an enhanced advert can be found at www.unbiased.co.uk/find-an-independent-financial-adviser/ifa/advertising-on-our-find-an-ifa-service

IFA testimonials

Below is a selection of IFA comments on the benefits of subscribing to the unbiased.co.uk enhanced advertising package.  More testimonials can be found in the IFA section at www.unbiased.co.uk:

“At all events the cost in my view is modest when all IFAP does is taken into account, but it was recouped within about two weeks as a result of the increased interest and activity generated. This has continued unabated, much to my surprise. I now have a problem as a result - I have around a 4 week lead time for any new client who wishes to have an initial consultation! I have noticed that the 'hits' on my own website have also increased exponentially.”

Harry Katz
Norwest Consultants

“In the (almost) 2 years since I started my firm I have been using unbiased.co.uk as a source of new clients. On various IFA forums and in the trade press I have commented favourably about the value for money we have got from the service. Apart from our existing clients and contacts we have not done any other marketing (until this month) because we have been receiving a steady stream of quality clients through the unbiased site.

“Of course, unbiased.co.uk doesn’t turn an enquiry into a client, we have spent a lot of time, effort and money on having an attractive website which turns the browsing visitor into a face to face meeting, and also our proposition is compelling. However, without unbiased we would have to find alternative ways to drive the merely inquisitive internet user into a real enquiry. On that basis unbiased has got to be the most cost effective and time effective marketing tool we have used.”

Dennis Hall APFS AIFP Chartered Financial Planner
Yellowtail Financial Planning Limited

“We are very pleased with the results so far, with a marked increase (up around 70%) in the number of leads we are receiving. We currently have five on the system and we are in the process of adding a further three IFAs. It has proven for ourselves to be a very cost effective way of raising our brand and profile in the IFA market, not to mention the benefits from additional clients and sales opportunities.”

Ian Pealin
Mercer & Hole

“I was unsure about subscribing to the Enhanced Advertising Package but then took the view that for £24pm it would only take one enquiry which progressed to business to pay for the annual fee, therefore decided to proceed. In less than a week of my upgrade I had enquiry for mortgage funding which has resulted in commission of £700 so I can only be positive about the benefits from now on.”

James McLaughlin
Thistle Financial Management

“This is to let you know that IFA Promotion has surpassed all expectations with both the number and quality of enquiries generated since Holden and Partners took up membership just over two months ago. I would thoroughly endorse it to any IFA.”

Steven Pyne
Holden and Partners

“We are reticent about spending money on marketing but decided to try an enhanced listing with the Unbiased website. We have been very pleasantly surprised at the number of clients who have contacted us through the site. I am a single IFA practice and have had an average of one appointment a week with local clients as a result of our listing. This has been the most cost effective marketing we have ever undertaken and I would recommend an enhanced listing to any IFA practise.”

Ion Tsakalis APFS Chartered Financial Planner
Sage Roxborough Limited

For more information please contact:

Karen Barrett, Chief Executive, unbiased.co.uk: 020 7833 3131

Anna Schirmer/Anna Moulds/Charli Scouller, Lansons Communications: 020 7294 3682

For expert commentary or case studies from over 150 media-friendly IFAs, journalists should visit www.unbiased.co.uk/bluebook.

IFA Promotion, the organisation behind unbiased.co.uk, is now in its 21st year, and was set up to promote the benefits of independent financial advice to consumers.  IFAP is sponsored by the following companies:

Registered Office: unbiased.co.uk is the consumer brand of IFA Promotion Ltd, 90 St. Vincent Street, Glasgow G2 5UB. Registered in Scotland: No. 114606