Online Brokerage Firm

The company needed to differentiate itself from its online brokerage peers and survive in an increasingly competitive and volatile landscape. Our challenge was to help the company position itself as a clear leader in the brokerage industry. We also needed to elevate the firm's relevancy and standing as a viable consideration and advocate for individual investors against much bigger and more diversified companies such as Charles Schwab and E*Trade.

We worked closely with the public company's corporate communications team and the company's executive management committee to identify, analyze and develop the appropriate positioning for the company and its executives. We created a corporate message platform for all senior executives. We developed communications programs and messaging for the company's various product launches; and organized analyst relations meetings with financial and industry analysts to deliver the company's vision to Wall Street. In addition, we developed communications strategies for several landmark mergers and acquisitions; and elevated the visibility of the company and its executives through speaking roles at leading conferences including Money Magazine's annual conference, Wharton Business School, Kellogg School of Management and Business Week. We also developed strategic communications plans to highlight timely events like earnings, the strength of Ameritrade's charismatic CEO, and the outstanding performance of the company's retail and institutional divisions.

Through these communication programs, we kept the company's name in the press and top of mind for media, analysts and industry experts, and helped the company become the industry leader in media mindshare. Media coverage included outlets such as AP, Bloomberg, Business Week, CNBC, CNNfn, Financial Times, FOX News, Investor's Business Daily, New York Times, Reuters, USA Today, and the Wall Street Journal. Coverage of the CEO included a feature in Fortune, Investor's Business Daily, SmartMoney, and the Sunday New York Times. Features on the Company's new CIO appeared in CNet News.com, eWeek, InformationWeek, and Institutional Investor. The company won several awards including Barron's 2003 Online Broker Survey, Forbes "Best of the Web"; and "Top Choice" Internet Broker by The Wall Street Journal.