NASDAQ is Bullish on Branding

NASDAQ is well-known for its "Visionaries" advertising campaign in which the CEOs of leading brands (think: JetBlue, Intel, Sun Microsystems, Staples) talk enthusiastically about "the need for speed" and the advantages of an electronic marketplace.  The FCS was honored yesterday to welcome one of NASDAQ's own visionaries, John Jacobs, as the guest speaker at our March luncheon.

Mr. Jacobs is the chief marketing officer for NASDAQ OMX, where he plays a key role in the strategic development and implementation of the company's branding and messaging. Working out of offices in Maryland and New York , he manages the team  responsible for the full spectrum of NASDAQ OMX's brand marketing, including advertising, marketing communications, market research, public relations, and media relations targeting NASDAQ OMX customers and audiences in the U.S. and abroad.

Mr. Jacobs is also the head of NASDAQ OMX Global Financial Products, responsible for business strategy, new product development and worldwide product licensing.

Mr. Jacobs spoke to the audience about the history of NASDAQ, which acquired OMX in February 2008 and adopted the brand NASDAQ OMX.  He presented the evolution of the firm's branding strategy – from the genesis of "the need to brand" as demanded by the firm's clients, up to the current state of the firm's market leadership.  He stated that through an effective media relations strategy, "NASDAQ today is as relevant as the Dow [Jones Industrial Average] and the S&P [500]," when daily market statistics are reported by the press.

Playing a half dozen television spots for the audience, Mr. Jacobs first illustrated how NASDAQ established its brand as "the stock market for the next 100 years."  Mr. Jacobs noted, "When you're #2, especially a distant #2, you always have to try harder to be creative."  Then, leveraging the greater brand equity of its most famous clients, NASDAQ earned equal footing by, in Mr. Jacobs' words, "building our brand on the backs of our best clients."  The "Visionaries" ad campaign ultimately evolved into the current "Trade Up" campaign, seen in broadcast, print and out-of-home.

During the Q&A session that followed his presentation, Mr. Jacobs noted that he is asked on a daily basis whether "we've reached the bottom yet."  In commenting on the current state of the financial crisis in the country, Mr. Jacobs said: "It's very important to pay attention right now.  What they're doing in Washington is going to affect us, our kids, and our kids' kids."

The marketplace should pay attention to important brands like NASDAQ, because it will take leadership – and a willingness to lead – to help turn around the economy.  Patience is a virtue, but action is critical.  Mr. Jacobs replied to a question on individual investing, "You need to be active in the market."  So should marketers.