Branding still equals trust

Select Advisors Institute published its branding guidance on March 20, 2026, crediting May Franco as author and naming Amy Parvaneh as SAI’s leader with “more than 12 years” of experience working with firms that collectively manage over $300 billion in assets. SAI defines “brand identity” as a multi-part system—explicit positioning and messaging, visual identity (colors, typography, logo rules), tone of voice, digital presence, and client experience—rather than a single design element. The institute’s brand-consistency playbook starts with a structured brand audit that inventories website, client portals, proposals, email signatures, social profiles, office signage, presentations and client reports, and adds stakeholder feedback from partners, managers and clients. SAI’s marketing guide lists concrete digital tactics—website SEO, blog posts and white papers, webinars, paid search (Google Ads), LinkedIn engagement, email marketing and marketing automation—as core channels to map to buyer journeys. For wealth and high‑net‑worth niches, SAI recommends thought‑leadership positioning and messaging that emphasize “expertise, protection, outcomes, and relationship,” and it stresses that brand work must scale across advisors, teams and service lines. SAI couples strategy with execution: its guides call for a measurement framework with KPIs and dashboards, plus strategy workshops and templates meant to convert positioning into a documented channel plan, budget, and timeline.