Guggenheim
The CEO of a storied investment firm made several transformative acquisitions beyond its fixed income roots to build a diversified financial services powerhouse.
With a legacy dating back to the 19th century, when eight Guggenheim brothers joined forces to form an investment firm, Guggenheim Partners had developed a reputation for shrewd investing, particularly in fixed income. Guggenheim’s CEO wanted to leverage this foundation to create something new: a 21st century global firm known for investing acumen across all types of securities. Several significant acquisitions, including Security Benefit, which offers ETFs and includes an insurance company, along with organic growth, began to turn this vision into reality.
Through interviews with the firm’s clients and its senior leaders, we learned that Guggenheim was appreciated for two seemingly different—even conflicting—attributes. Its people were seen as innovative investors, always one step ahead of trends. At the same time, the firm’s traditional values of integrity and trust—dating back to its founding 150 years earlier—were highly regarded at a time when such qualities seemed to be in short supply.
We resolved this apparent dichotomy in a brand that celebrates both. The brand idea, “Innovative Perspectives. Enduring Values.” squarely positions Guggenheim’s future-focused investing within the context of the traditional values that once defined many of Wall Street’s preeminent firms. “We embrace unconventional thinking to continually develop innovative solutions to complex challenges. Our success results from our unwavering commitment to protecting and advancing the strategic interests of our clients. We find opportunity in complexity, relentlessly pursue excellence in everything that we do, and challenge ourselves to innovate continually and with confidence.”
Brand communications and visual identity juxtapose Guggenheim’s future focus with the firm’s deep roots in tradition, contrasting bold, full-color imagery of the industries they invest in with black-and-white, photojournalistic imagery of Guggenheim’s people hard at work, to emphasize the true driver of the firm’s investing success: it’s legacy of a values-driven culture.
With the support of the new brand, Guggenheim’s CEO realized his vision, nearly doubling assets to more than $320 billion through an expanded suite of offerings that, together, demonstrate that Guggenheim has achieved the right allocation of forward-looking innovation and the traditional values that have fueled their growth for more than a century.
They’re reliable, smart, and creative—always coming up with great ideas and out-of-the-box solutions.