February 2007

IFAP February 2007 Update e-newsletter

Welcome to the first edition of the year of IFAP's Update e-newsletter. You'll see links throughout the newsletter that allow you to find out more about our ongoing campaign, help you to get you involved and, most importantly, ensure that the information we're providing to consumers about your firm through our 'Find an IFA' services is as accurate as possible.

In 2006 IFAP handled a staggering 600,000 requests for details of local IFAs, a 13% rise on the previous year. As always we endeavour to beat our targets year on year and 2007 will be no exception. It has already been a great start to the year - we have received and dealt with over 58,000 enquiries this January alone.

By appearing in a wide range of consumer media and promoting IFAP's 'Find an IFA' service as widely as possible, we will deliver even more leads to member IFAs. To make sure your firm benefits as much as possible from this huge volume of referrals please make sure your database entry is up to date and accurate. If you are authorised to amend your IFA details please click the link from your email.

Just click through on the links on the right hand side to find out the latest news about our burgeoning list of white label 'Find an IFA' deals, information on how to get more out of your firm's online offering and how you could take advantage of our new 'Member Get Member' Online Marketing Package special offer.

Please direct anyone else in your organisation who would like to sign-up to receive future copies of our Update newsletter in their inbox to supply their email at www.unbiased.co.uk/email/

IFA Promotion News

IFAP’s online presence surges ahead with new high profile white label deals
As you know, IFAP undertakes paid for search and natural online optimisation to ensure www.unbiased.co.uk features strongly across all UK search engines. You can see this for yourself by going to Google and typing in 'Find an IFA' and selecting 'UK search' - 80% of the returned links over the first three pages are either direct to IFAP, to IFAP white label searches, links from other sites to IFAP or links from IFAP online editorial mentions.

Separate to this, and signifying the high profile that IFAP’s ‘Find an IFA’ search tool has now achieved, we are pleased to kick off 2007 by announcing that we have recently secured deals to place white labels versions of IFAP’s online ‘Find an IFA’ service on three more prominent and respected websites: Yahoo, the Guardian and AOL all now have the search running on their sites – further extending consumer access to your details.

A full list of websites running white label versions of IFAP’s online search facilities – now totalling 55 - can be found by clicking here. Remember, you could be getting new clients contacting you as a result of them seeing your details on any of these websites - at any time. And obviously this new client contact could be through your website, by e-mail, by phone or simply by someone walking through your door. IFAP has more high profile online deals in the pipeline and we hope to bring you further news over the coming months.

IFAP online advertising campaign now up and running
We have launched a major new online advertising campaign to give IFAP and www.unbiased.co.uk an even greater presence during the key period running up to tax year end. Online adverts, featuring IFAP’s ‘eye’ catching creative, are now running on AOL, the Times and the Guardian, as well as on yell.com.

Urgent reminder – if you haven’t already done so, IFAP needs you to return your Self Declaration Forms now!
Back in December we sent all of our members an email asking them to complete and return a Self Declaration Form, confirming that their ‘independent’ status continued to comply with IFAP’s membership criteria - in order for them to remain on our ‘Find an IFA’ databases. We have yet to receive completed forms back from around half our member firms - and we need these members to act now.

If we do not receive a Self Declaration Form back from your firm we will remove your listing from the database which would mean you no longer receive referrals from us. It would also mean that you would no longer be eligible to use the blue roundel IFA logo on your marketing material or to take part in IFAP’s Media Services or regional Press Clubs.

Therefore if you have not already declared your independence to IFAP – you must act now: to continue to be listed on IFAP's database, you must have at least one adviser authorised to conduct independent investment business based at your firm's address listed on the database. Please click the relevant link from your email to check that your entry correctly lists the product areas you give independent advice on and the names of independent investment advisers based at your branch. Once you have declared the information we hold is correct by selecting the 'Declare' button we will email you a copy of the declaration and no further action will be required.

Remember, we insist that all our members offer whole of market advice and a fees option across all their top eight product areas – including for GI and protection. We believe this to be the best way to ensure an enquirer fully understands the type of adviser we will be supplying details of, thus helping to avoid unnecessary consumer confusion and protecting both IFAP’s and the IFA brands.

If you have any queries about this process please call the member hotline 0870 325 9020.

New Member Get Member scheme for IFAP’s Online Marketing Package
Ahead of the tax year end, the first quarter of the year is always the busiest period for consumers using IFAP to find local independent financial advice. In fact, IFAP expects to be dealing with around 14,000 enquirers a week during this busy period.

As a way to kick start the New Year, and to encourage more IFAs to reap the benefits of this increased consumer demand, IFAP has introduced a series of special features to encourage even more of its membership to make use of the invaluable enhancements available through IFAP’s Online Marketing Package (OMP). It’s perhaps worth noting that around 3,000 members (a third of our total membership) already subscribe to the OMP, which is specifically designed to make it easier for enquirers to find and view member’s details online.

New special offer: if a subscribing IFAP member introduces a member IFA who is not currently subscribed to the OMP, the introducing IFA will receive a month's free OMP subscription (month's free subscription will be awarded on receipt of new members first payment).

This new OMP introduction could be a sister branch, branches that are part of the same network as you or even a friendly competitor! Plus with our winter sale in full swing new subscribers can get 15% off the usual price until the end of February and 10% off until the end of March. Please call the member hotline on 0870 325 9020 for further details of IFAP’s new 'Member Get Member' OMP scheme or visit www.unbiased.co.uk/advisers for more information.

IFAP’s new free published Web Directory

By now you should have received your personal copy of IFAP’s new published Web Directory, the bible for getting online and building your web presence. Inside the directory you will find the contact details of the e-commerce experts for each of IFAP’s sponsors who will be able to advise you on how best to develop your web offering.

Also inside is a directory of firms offering a range of web-based services that are directly relevant to IFAs’ businesses. The online revolution has already happened and we cannot stress enough the need to embrace it fully.

Currently 92% of IFAP’s total fulfilments are carried out online (up from 32% in 2000). Having an online presence is vital. Members with little or no web presence are inevitably missing out. If you need additional copies of the guide, you can download it free by clicking here.

Get involved – free branded merchandise now available

IFAP’s brand design is carried online, in adverts and across all marketing material. This creative campaign is currently shortlisted for Money Marketing’s Consumer Campaign of the Year. It is easily recognisable and resonates with consumers and IFAs alike. Currently all IFAP merchandise is available to member IFAs free of charge. This is for a limited period only, whilst stocks last and postage costs sustainable.

• Posters – Members have access to a wide range of posters that can be displayed in your window or office to attract consumers looking for independent financial advice and to strengthen IFA brand awareness.
• IFA Guides – IFAP provides guides for member IFAs to help with different aspects of marketing and promoting your IFA business.
• Consumer Guides – IFAP provides guides for consumers to help with different aspects of personal finance - as a member IFA you are also entitled to utilise copy from these guides. However, if you do use it in your own material (either online or offline), please remember that you are responsible for your own compliance sign off.
• IFA carrier bags – If your clients are taking information away with them, then perhaps you would like to provide them with a carrier bag displaying the blue pound sign roundel?

Please use the blue pound sign roundel – it’s your badge of independence
IFAP research shows that 52% of consumers (ABC1 25-64) recognise and view the blue pound sign roundel as the badge of independence. As an IFAP member you are entitled to use the logo in any way you choose. I would urge you to not only use the signage on your stationery, business cards and to help make your office stand out on the High Street, but also to use it on the virtual high street – on your website, particularly the home page of your website.

With more and more consumers using the web as their research tool of choice, I cannot stress enough the importance of using this ‘independent’ branding on your home page, your business cards, email footer and wherever else consumers navigate across your website. You can easily download logos to use on your website and in your e-mail footer by clicking here.

UK Social Investment Forum online training

The UK Social Investment Forum (UKSIF) will shortly launch a free online training course on green and ethical investment, building on its ‘Responsible Investment Toolkit for Financial Advisers’. IFAs who successfully complete the online training course by the end of April 2007 will be entered into a competition, with the winners promoted in the local and regional media.

The training course will be accompanied by “The Financial Adviser’s Guide to Going Green” to help advisers to be more credible to the growing number of clients concerned about green issues, as well as doing their bit for the environment. The Guide will cover practical tips such as how to choose greener cars, buy recycled and pick the best way to offset carbon emissions. Both new services will be available on www.uksif.org.

PR campaign round-up

IFAP New Year’s resolutions PR campaign
In December 2006, IFAP ran its annual New Year’s Resolution campaign, which looks at people’s good intentions for the year ahead. It specifically pointed out that 8.9 million people planned to confront their finances in 2007 either through spending more wisely, paying off debt or saving for the future.

The survey based campaign has been covered across all media with two national articles, 10 regional and online, as well as on Sky News. We also recorded a series of interviews with eight regional radio stations which ran between the Christmas and New Year period.

At the end of January, we issued a follow up story highlighting the fact that a quarter of people who made New Year’s resolutions have broken them after just one month. In this the core message was to urge people to visit a local IFA to discuss their financial goals, and achieve a long-term personal financial strategy.

IFAP Advice Drivers quarterly report PR campaign
Advice Drivers is the litmus test for IFAs and product providers on what their potential future business could be. In the fourth quarter of 2006, IFAP handled 123,216 requests for details of local IFAs, representing a 3% rise on the same time last year. IFAP’s data reveals that retirement planning is still by far and away the most sought after advice. In fact, the proportion of consumer enquiries requesting advice through IFAP on personal retirement planning increased in every month of the last quarter of 2006, to a 9-month high of 31% in December.

This is the sixth of our Advice Drivers reports, compiled from the comprehensive data on the selections people make when requesting a local IFA via IFAP. Considering that the search for advice is the first link in a chain which ends in specific product sales we recommend you keep an eye on our monthly Advice Drivers update chart, which we post here on our website every month.

IFAP Get Saving! PR campaign launch
We are days away from launching our 2007 Get Saving! PR campaign – our annual campaign which looks at the nation’s attitude to saving, borrowing and spending. The campaign, now in its fourth year, is well received by the media who particularly look forward to our quarterly Savings Brake update – the ratio of borrowing to spending. The first story from this year’s campaign looks at spending and saving typologies across Britain.

As with all our campaigns, we would like as many of you to become as involved as possible. We are particularly focusing our efforts online, in order to drive as many consumer leads as possible to our members though the online search facility, as well as providing our audience with useful interactive tools and information via the campaign microsite, www.unbiased.co.uk/getsaving/. A campaign email will be hitting your inbox shortly.

IFAP TaxAction 2006 PR campaign update
The longest running industry campaign, TaxAction, has once again been an enormous success and the final story from the 2006 campaign is due to be issued shortly.

The brand new 2007 campaign is then being kicked off at the end of February so watch this space! Visit www.unbiased.co.uk/taketaxaction/ to find out more about our ongoing PR campaign and how you can get involved.

Press Clubs report

IFAP’s regional Press Clubs work with local media, forging strong relationships with regional newspapers to help promote independent advice and local IFAs.

IFAP members who have not read about or experienced the benefits of belonging to a Press Club, should read our guide - "The essential guide to raising your IFA business profile with local media" – download a copy now.

News from around the country

Southampton & District: Members in this area will have recently received details of a proposal to form a Press Club in the area working with the Echo newspaper group. The paper has produced an interesting format which will allow members to mix and match from the various titles within the group. It is also hoped to link this to the paper’s website and in turn create opportunities for direct access to members own websites. If you missed our recent e-mail broadcast please contact Regional Press Officer James Sharp for details – james@ifap.org.uk.

Newcastle upon Tyne: Following a successful year, the Club has decided to mount a further 12 months campaign which will commence in February. Any member interested in participating in this should contact the Regional Press Officer as soon as possible.

Edinburgh: This Club continues to publish a six page financial supplement in the paper on a quarterly basis and a new 12 month campaign has recently been agreed.

Midlands: Members in Staffordshire, Warwickshire, West Midlands, Birmingham, Worcestershire, Shropshire & Herefordshire who are interested in working with a “County” style magazine will be pleased to hear that negotiations have recently been held with the Archant group. During the year opportunities will arise for a small number of IFAs to provide copy in magazines published in these areas. If you are interested in this idea, please contact james@ifap.org.uk.

Bournemouth: Members will be pleased to learn that following a successful recruitment campaign, the Club is now producing two features a month in The Echo.

Belfast: It was encouraging to see IFAP Media Services working well following a request from the paper at the end of the year. A programme of articles was arranged via IFAP Media Services IFAs and these will be appearing in the paper over the next few weeks.

Scotland: Members in Scotland will be pleased to learn that we are proposing to run another 12 week campaign with the Scottish Daily Mail. This initiative provides members in areas where it is not possible to form a Press Club to gain some excellent PR and promote themselves at a rate that provides excellent value for money. Please watch out for the information on this via e-mail broadcast.

Members who are unable to participate in Press Club activity but would like to contribute to their local papers with articles and information are reminded that the www.unbiased.co.uk website contains details of all IFAP fact sheets, articles, press releases and research material.

For information about any of the above please contact IFAP Regional Press Officer James Sharp on 01902 850053 or email james@ifap.org.uk

Recent and forthcoming Press Club meetings

• January 24th Glasgow
• January 25th Aberdeen
• February 1st Southampton
• February 13th Bournemouth
• February 14th Leicester
• February 20th Newcastle upon Tyne
• February 22nd Edinburgh
• February 27th Ipswich
• March 13th Dundee

Plus additional meetings at Cambridge & Southampton to plan the campaigns for the potential new Press Clubs.