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The Lure of the Brand: Evidence from the European Mutual Fund Industry
Author(s) -
Hazenberg Jan Jaap,
Irek Fabian,
van der Scheer Willem,
Stefanova Mariela
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
european financial management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.311
H-Index - 64
eISSN - 1468-036X
pISSN - 1354-7798
DOI - 10.1111/eufm.12046
Subject(s) - mutual fund , business , brand strategy , advertising , marketing , brand management , finance
We investigate the effect of the fund family's brand on mutual fund flows by using a unique data set that represents a direct assessment of the brand image of European fund providers. A superior brand image increases the sensitivity of flows to good past performance, while it protects against outflows when there is underperformance. Flows of funds of independent providers have a higher sensitivity to past performance and brand image than flows of funds of providers owned by banks or insurers. These findings highlight the importance of marketing and brand in generating growth for the fund families.