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How Ninety One Transformed Fast for a World of Change
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How do you help a South African founded company claim their space in a 200-year-old market dominated by mostly Western businesses? And do it in under a year?

We partnered with Investec Asset Management to transform them into Ninety One, creating a new digital experience platform and brand identity that positions them as a different type of asset manager, and gives them the flexibility to keep changing into the future, fast.

Client

Ninety One

Services
Strategy & Consulting
Customer Experience & Design
Technology & Engineering
Product Management
Industry
Financial Services

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The Imperative for Change

Investec Asset Management was formed in 1991 in South Africa, during challenging social and political times. When the decision was made in 2018 for Investec Asset Management to become an independent firm, it meant they would need a new brand and a new digital experience.

Their previous, custom-made platform had degraded over time, resulting in a slow site and a poor experience. In addition, it was cumbersome and time intensive to develop new digital solutions or products quickly enough to react to new business scenarios.

The Transformative Solution

Named after the momentous, and sometimes turbulent, year in which they were founded, the firm was rebranded as Ninety One. Their new slogan: ‘Investing for a world of change.’

The divestment created the opportunity to completely reimagine their digital experience platform. By moving onto an enterprise-grade CMS—Sitecore 9—the new experience could be both ownable and consistent at all levels. Every touchpoint is now unmistakably Ninety One. With the new CMS, they can meet current and future audience needs. It’s a flexible and modular solution that can flex quickly and easily to different business scenarios. And it provides meaningful insights to the business by integrating with wider sales and marketing architecture (like Salesforce, Pardot and Seismic).

"We had to work at tremendous pace to deliver for our business – so the ‘one team’ mindset, and open ways of working meant we could move fast without taking any shortcuts. As a result we have a new brand and digital experience platform that is not only authentic to who we are, but gives our business the foundations for ongoing success in the coming years."
Courtney Waterman
Courtney Waterman, Head of Creative Marketing, Ninety One

The Business Impact

The new digital experience platform resulted in improved site performance globally. Now, future investment can go into new features and enhancements, rather than reducing technical debt. Importantly, the platform has the complete front-end design flexibility for each country to tailor their site to specific regulatory and business challenges. The platform also enables personalization, making Ninety One’s content more relevant over time. A clearer connection between content and product will enable clients to get the best information for them, fast.

Ninety One's clients also responded immediately to welcome the new brand as ‘fresh, lively and energetic.’ The new positioning of ‘Investing for a world of change’ has never felt more relevant.

03/16/20
Ninety One successfully launched as a dynamic new firm, with a dual listing in London and South Africa, bucking the trend in a world of change.
27...
websites for 27 countries ready on launch day, able to tell the story of Ninety One’s product and thought leadership.
“Working with Publicis Sapient for our digital and brand transformation meant we considered our transition to Ninety One holistically. It is the ability to have this complete point of view - and deliver on it fast - that made the impact of this project so high for us.”
Nigel Smith
Nigel Smith, Chief Marketing Officer, Ninety One

Award–winning Work

  • Ninety One & Publicis Sapient: Best Website
  • Ninety One & Publicis Sapient: Mobile/App Design
  • Ninety One & Publicis Sapient: Websites & Mobile Sites: Financial Services/Banking
Bradley Gamage
Bradley Gamage
Senior Client Partner

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