The confluence of three recent trends have got us thinking about what it might mean to be a ‘star’ fund manager in 2025 and beyond:

1. Interest in Targeted Support. The imminent Advice Guidance Boundary Review could see ‘Targeted Support’ becoming a more popular option, with 50% of financial advisers reviewing their client base for potential segmentation, according to a recent [Dynamic Planner Survey](https://professionalparaplanner.co.uk/half-of-firms-look-to-segment-clients-ahead-of-advice-guidance-boundary-review-outcome/) 
2. The arrival of PISCES (Private Intermittent Securities and Capital Exchange System), the new sandbox market for periodic secondary trading of private company shares.
3. The ascendancy of horoscopes. TikTok has over 4.5m videos tagged ‘astrology’ as of January 2025, and spending on astrology-related products is projected to almost double from $12.8 billion in 2021 to $22.8 billion by 2031, according to [Oxford Brookes University](https://www.brookes.ac.uk/about-brookes/news/news-from-2025/05/expert-comment-why-is-gen-z-looking-to-the-stars-f)

By bringing these three things together, we believe that we can provide ‘Targeted Support’ for people reconsidering their investment strategy, via the medium of Horoscopes.

*Obviously, none of what follows is either advice or guidance.*

__♈ Aries (Ram): March 21–April 19__ - 
Ambitious climbers like you could do well to remember the power of long-term value investing to return mountain-high compounding.

__♉ Taurus (Bull): April 20–May 20__ - 
Bull by name, bullish by nature. Look for those momentum signals to identify potential holdings that will lead the charge.

__♊ Gemini (Twins): May 21–June 21__ - 
Doubling down on your strategy and increasing your exposure to generative AI stocks could lead to significant changes in your fortunes.

__♋ Cancer (Crab): June 22–July 22__ - 
With Saturn in transit consider moving sideways into adjacent verticals and markets in the healthcare space to further diversify your portfolio with additional arms and legs.

__♌ Leo (Lion): July 23–August 22__ - 
Does pride come before a fall? Now isn’t the time to rush to follow the latest tech trends and instead focus on strengthening your core holdings.

__♍ Virgo (Virgin): August 23–September 22__ - 
With mercury in retrograde you need to keep an open-mind about how best to position your portfolio. Don’t rush into any decisions and keep your powder dry.

__♎ Libra (Balance): September 23–October 23__ - 
Rebalancing your portfolio couldn’t come at a better time. Trim your leaders to take some profit and reinvest that in your next growth idea. Don’t forget to review the fundamentals and check for a strong balance sheet.

__♏ Scorpio (Scorpion): October 24–November 21__ - 
It’s well worth exploring options off the beaten path and increasing your exposure to private markets. Just watch out for the potential sting in the tail.

__♐ Sagittarius (Archer): November 22–December 21__ - 
As Venus is in the ascendancy now is the perfect time to be hunting for profit. Consider increasing concentration in your strongest small cap holdings to target potential gains.

__♑ Capricorn (Goat): December 22–January 19__ - 
Although you might be tempted to cut your losses, it’s worth remembering the original motivations for your investment case and remaining stubbornly invested to avoid crystallising the losses.

__♒ Aquarius (Water Bearer): January 20–February 18__ - 
Is it time to consider further diversification, diluting your exposure to markets that look like they may overheat and become steamy?

__♓ Pisces (Fish): February 19–March 20__ - 
Keep an eye out for potentially lucrative floats on the market, and your portfolio certainly won’t flounder.

For a more considered approach to segmentation and Targeted Support, or to discuss other emerging trends you might look to capitalise on, or just to get a personalised star reading, get in touch. 
If you do, I see great things in your future…

As advisers re-think their segmentation to deliver Targeted Support, could Horoscopes be the answer to identifying relevant investment opportunities? Strategy Director Dan Perry thinks… maybe

Star Fund Managers

The 2025 edition of our [For The Better award](https://www.teamspirit.co.uk/for-the-better) is open for nominations. And to help celebrate our 30th birthday this year, we’ve increased the For The Better prize fund to a very tidy £20,000 worth of marketing expertise!

For The Better is our annual award where we give our services, free of charge, to a purpose-led, not-for-profit organisation that’s transforming financial services for the better. You can [nominate](https://www.teamspirit.co.uk/for-the-better) an organisation you work for or just simply admire (although get their permission first!).

All nominations are put before our panel of expert judges (more on them at a later date). They choose a winner and then we get to work. Providing pro bono services across a range of marketing disciplines, from strategy and creative to PR, web design and social media.  You can see what we got up to for previous years’ winners [here](https://www.teamspirit.co.uk/work/vestpod)

__…and better than ever.__

Along with our biggest prize fund yet, we’re also giving more not-for-profit organisations a better chance of winning. We’re opening up the award to any not-for-profit that’s breaking down barriers in finance. Be that boosting inclusion, promoting financial education or driving innovation. Anything that’s helping people think and feel differently about money.

So get nominating! The deadline for entries is Friday 20th June. For more information, visit our [For The Better page](https://www.teamspirit.co.uk/for-the-better). And, in the meantime, good luck!


For The Better: Now bigger…

I was recently invited to speak at the Digital Accountancy Show, in an expert panel session on how client feedback can best be used to drive revenue and profit growth.

Key take-aways for the marketing and communications professionals attending were:
- __Feedback needs to be embedded as part of organisational culture, not as a bolt-on__. We discussed how client feedback has most value as part of a wider client-centric approach that incorporates all business touchpoints and propositions.
- __One size doesn’t fit all.__ In structuring a client feedback methodology focused on growth, there’s a need to design for distinct client typologies, based on sector, services purchased to date, value and more. This enables a more granular means of qualifying the risk and potential axes.
- __Qual. and Quant.__ Cross-tabulating big picture quantitative feedback with individual qualitative work is a powerful enabler of where potential and cross-sell opportunities lie.
- __Identifying both recognized and latent needs.__ Interrogating data using qual. and quant. also allows you to identify more than what clients say they want.  Many don’t yet know their needs or what services you could deliver for them, enabling innovation and higher value service tailoring, aligned to their specific business goals.
- __Validating your point of difference.__ Research can help identify whether the primary points of difference your business thinks separate it from competitors match what your customers believe. And, if not, use that data to re-align the two.
- __Benchmark your ‘how’ over your ‘what’.__  Many companies focus overly on the latter, while it’s the ‘how’ that clients remember, value and retain you for.
- __Internal barriers need to be overcome;__ client leads being sometimes reluctant to explore and embrace the findings from client feedback.

A big thank you to Liz Hobkinson of VerityRI for inviting me to speak at the event, and to my panel partner Gregor Angus from AAB. If you’d like to discuss how our experience could help you drive understanding and growth, please contact me @ [eevans@teamspirit.co.uk
](mailto:eevans@teamspirit.co.uk)

How do you turn client  feedback into growth? And what are the most common barriers to adopting findings?  Here’s our view, delivered at the Digital Accountancy Show

Using client  feedback as a driver for growth

Wallflowers don’t get to dance. In saturated marketplaces, such as financial services, where B2C and B2B products and services regularly blur into a sea of sameness, harnessing the standout power of brand personality is crucial. It’s no longer enough to have a quality product; how a brand shows up and engages is what truly sets it apart. 

In our overpaced world we’re at a point of filtering out the noise – with exposure to 4,000 to 10,000 ads daily[1] and making 35,000 decisions a day[2]. Which is why brands need to be memorable. Audiences aren’t just looking for features – they’re seeking meaningful connections. 

In the helter-skelter chase for growth, financial services brands will continue the innovation charge – from self-directed investment platforms; to new ETF wrappers; to on-demand managed portfolio services; and IFA-accredited influencers. But product and service innovation isn’t enough. The brands have to be badges of trust and meaning. Awareness is only half the battle. And in a world with budgets increasingly heading towards performance-led activity[3], the need for brand-building behaviour that creates stature and esteem remains evergreen.

Never has the risk of ‘blanding’ been more pronounced than now.  

In our report ‘[NoticeMe!](//downloads.ctfassets.net/sxw14dxmazhg/3f5Ii0cJv8Dxd1x76biHyq/8f3217202291e6c5e2a6be8f395d2349/9988_TS_Notice_Me_Report_2025_RGB_UK_AW4_MO.pdf) Why financial services need fame’, you’ll find our view on why financial services need to unashamedly chase fame; our definition of what we mean by fame; a host of noteworthy examples from within and outside the sector; and how to create it.

[Yes.  I want a copy of NoticeMe! please](//downloads.ctfassets.net/sxw14dxmazhg/3f5Ii0cJv8Dxd1x76biHyq/8f3217202291e6c5e2a6be8f395d2349/9988_TS_Notice_Me_Report_2025_RGB_UK_AW4_MO.pdf)

## Sources:

1. [https://colorlib.com/wp/advertising-statistics/](https://colorlib.com/wp/advertising-statistics/)
2. Cowry Consulting. Memory EQ. 
3. [Ebiquity and the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) report](https://www.marketingweek.com/advertisers-focus-performance/)


Financial services firms need fame more than ever.  Find out why and what’s cutting through by downloading our report: ‘Notice Me!’.

NoticeMe! Why financial services need fame

Nationwide is working with Yahoo Storytellers to create a [12-month campaign](https://www.finextra.com/newsarticle/29565/nationwide-heads-to-tumblr-to-educate-millennials-on-money-matters) on Tumblr to educate young people about managing their money day to day.

The building society wants to help the younger generation learn how to make, manage and save their money, so is developing a range of videos, graphics, Q+As and articles that specifically target 13-24 year olds.

We think it’s an interesting and bold approach by Nationwide to take its message into the online millennial space, where its audience lives and feels comfortable, rather than relying on an advertising campaign to try and drive people towards the building society’s own website or microsite.

Nationwide is taking its message to millennials

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