It's not easy for money managers to design brochures that capture the attention of potential clients. But Ariel Capital Management Inc., Chicago, has pulled it off by borrowing from Aesop's fables.
Using the theme "slow and steady wins the race," Ariel has created a brochure that tells how the plodding tortoise challenges the fleet-footed hare to a race and wins. Charming drawings illustrate the race in which the hare gets off to such a flying start, he decides to take a nap in the middle. Alas! While he sleeps, the tortoise keeps plodding along, beating the hare to the finish line.
This approach was the brainstorm of Mellody Hobson, senior vice president and director of marketing at Ariel. "We wanted to do something different," said Ms. Hobson.
Since the firm was founded in 1983 Ariel has always used a turtle holding a loving cup as its logo to illustrate its slow and steady approach to investing.
"We started improvising on Aesop's fables a few years ago, and it all came together for this brochure," she said.
The introduction sums it up: "Chasing the speedy and glamorous, the trendy or hot is not the surest way to reach a goal. Just like the fabled tortoise . . . we value patience and persistence over the fleeting and flashy."
"Slow and Steady" is quite a departure from Ariel's last brochure, which did not include illustrations. It has been getting rave reviews from institutional clients, prospective clients and consultants.
Said Ms. Hobson: "One consultant wrote us that she gets loads of promotional material which usually gets tossed out, but that this one is a real collector's item."
