Skip to main content
MENU
Subscribe
  • Login
  • My Account
  • Logout
  • Register For Free
  • Subscribe
  • Topics
    • Alternatives
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • CIOs
    • Consultants
    • Defined Contribution
    • ESG
    • Face to Face
    • Hedge Funds
    • Industry Voices
    • Investing
    • Money Management
    • Partner Content
    • Private Credit
    • Pension Funds
    • Private Equity
    • Real Estate
    • Regulation
    • Special Reports
    • Washington
    • White Papers
  • International
    • U.K.
    • Canada
    • Europe
    • Asia
    • Australia - New Zealand
    • Middle East
    • Latin America
    • Africa
  • Rankings & Awards
    • 1,000 Largest Retirement Plans
    • Top-Performing Managers
    • Largest Money Managers
    • DC Money Managers
    • DC Record Keepers
    • Largest Hedge Fund Managers
    • World's Largest Retirement Funds
    • Best Places to Work in Money Management
    • Excellence & Innovation Awards
    • WPS Innovation Awards
    • Influential Women in Institutional Investing 2024
    • Eddy Awards
  • Resource Guides
    • Active Thematic Global Equities
    • Retirement Income
    • Fixed Income
    • Pension Risk Transfer
    • Pooled Employer Plans (PEPs)
  • ETFs
    • Latest ETF News
    • Fund Screener
    • Education Center
    • Equities
    • Fixed Income
    • Commodities
    • Actively Managed
    • Alternatives
    • ESG Rated
  • ESG
    • Latest ESG News
    • The Institutional Investor’s Guide to ESG Investing
    • ESG Sustainability - Gaining Momentum
    • ESG Investing | Industry Brief
    • Innovation in ESG Investing
    • ESG Rated ETFs
    • Divestment Database
  • Defined Contribution
    • Latest DC News
    • The Plan Sponsor's Guide to Retirement Income
    • DC Money Manager Rankings
    • DC Record Keeper Rankings
    • Innovations in DC
    • DC Plan Design: Improving Participant Outcomes
  • Searches & Hires
    • Latest Searches & Hires News
    • Searches & Hires Database
    • RFPs
  • Research Center
    • The P&I Research Center
    • Earnings Tracker
    • Endowment Returns Tracker
    • Corporate Pension Contribution Tracker
    • Pension Fund Returns Tracker
    • Pension Risk Transfer Database
  • Careers
  • Events
    • View All Conferences
    • View All Webinars
  • Print
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. MONEY MANAGEMENT
June 06, 2022 03:36 PM

BlackRock debuts ad campaign to burnish image as it faces ESG scrutiny

Bloomberg
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Reprints Print
    Blackrock_Screen_i.jpg
    SOPA Images/LightRocket

    BlackRock, facing political scrutiny over its stance on environmental, social and governance investing and its outsize influence in business, is on a mission to reintroduce itself to Washington.

    On Monday, the world's largest asset manager is launching an advertising campaign in the U.S. capital dubbed "About BlackRock" — to emphasize how it helps investors, including by managing retirement plans for more than 35 million Americans.

    The firm, which oversaw $9.6 trillion of client assets at the end of March, will begin by running ads in Washington media markets and may expand the campaign nationwide.

    "This initiative will be a sustained effort over the coming weeks and months aimed at telling our story to a broader audience to help them understand what BlackRock does," Dalia Blass, global head of external affairs, and co-Chief Marketing Officer Alex Craddock said in a memo to staff.

    Related Article
    BlackRock won't back climate shareholder proposals it considers too prescriptive
    Larry Fink: High oil, gas prices will push consumers to green alternatives

    CEO Larry Fink has become an increasingly prominent voice in business over the past decade, urging companies to think about more than just profits. His annual letters on "stakeholder capitalism" have drawn criticism from conservatives who say he's pandering to "woke" values.

    Republicans in some energy-rich states are challenging the firm over its views on climate change, with Texas threatening to limit how much business it does with New York-based BlackRock. In Florida, the company has faced criticism for its dealings in China, and former Vice President Mike Pence said in recent speech that large investment firms are pushing a "radical ESG agenda," taking aim at BlackRock specifically.

    The backlash has come in Washington, too. Republican Sens. Dan Sullivan of Alaska and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania are among those sponsoring a bill seeking to curb voting powers of large asset managers at shareholder meetings.

    The ads debuting Monday also emphasize low-cost investment products BlackRock manages as well as $20 billion in investments the firm makes in U.S. roads, bridges and transportation, according to the memo. Mr. Fink and senior executives, meanwhile, have made a point of meeting with corporations and civil society groups this year, especially on climate and energy issues.

    The firm is already well-known in the corridors of power and has hired former senior government and regulatory officials over the years. The Biden administration tapped BlackRock executives for high-level roles in the White House and Treasury Department. When COVID-19 upended markets, the Federal Reserve sought out BlackRock to help manage the response.

    Still, the media campaign shows that even with its Washington connections BlackRock sees the need to strengthen its advocacy efforts — especially as the firm is thrust into the middle of hot-button social issues, including abortion rights and gun control.

    As a top-five shareholder of almost every company in the S&P 500, BlackRock regularly faces pressure over its votes during annual shareholder meetings. This year, for example, investors of big-box retailers were asked to vote on whether companies should report on the risks to employees if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade.

    "BlackRock's business and impact are felt across the globe by an expanding universe of stakeholders: from clients, shareholders and employees to the communities where we operate and society at large," Ms. Blass and Mr. Craddock wrote. "We have made a concerted effort to tell the story of who we are and what we do."

    Related Article
    BlackRock targets 75% of assets in net-zero investments by 2030
    BlackRock AUM recedes from $10 trillion high
    Recommended for You
    Etihad Towers and Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi at dusk.
    Fortress Investment appoints head of Middle East as it opens new office in Abu Dhabi
    Headshot of Michael Chang
    Eastspring Investments Berhad appoints head of investments
    Headshot of Ryan Gordon
    Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners names head of APAC
    Sponsored
    White Papers
    The State of Lifetime Income Report
    The Next Wave of LDI Evolution
    Retirement security to future income wins, TIAA brings you the latest financial…
    U.S. Public Funds Top Performers: Q2 2024
    Generative AI Investing: Opportunities at a Key Tech Inflection Point
    Research for Institutional Money Management: Advancing Physical Risk Modelling,…
    View More
    Sponsored Content
    Partner Content
    The Industrialization of ESG Investment
    For institutional investors, ETFs can make meeting liquidity needs easier
    Gold: the most effective commodity investment
    2021 Investment Outlook | Investing Beyond the Pandemic: A Reset for Portfolios
    Ten ways retirement plan professionals add value to plan sponsors
    Gold: an efficient hedge
    View More
    E-MAIL NEWSLETTERS

    Sign up and get the best of News delivered straight to your email inbox, free of charge. Choose your news – we will deliver.

    Subscribe Today
    October 23, 2023 page one

    Get access to the news, research and analysis of events affecting the retirement and institutional money management businesses from a worldwide network of reporters and editors.

    Subscribe
    Connect With Us
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • LinkedIn

    Our Mission

    To consistently deliver news, research and analysis to the executives who manage the flow of funds in the institutional investment market.

    About Us

    Main Office
    685 Third Avenue
    Tenth Floor
    New York, NY 10017-4036

    Chicago Office
    130 E. Randolph St.
    Suite 3200
    Chicago, IL 60601

    Contact Us

    Careers at Crain

    About Pensions & Investments

     

    Advertising
    • Media Kit
    • P&I Custom Content
    • P&I Careers | Post a Job
    • Reprints & Permissions
    Resources
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
    • FAQ
    • P&I Research Center
    • Site map
    • Staff Directory
    Legal
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Request
    Pensions & Investments
    Copyright © 1996-2025. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • Topics
      • Alternatives
      • Artificial Intelligence
      • CIOs
      • Consultants
      • Defined Contribution
      • ESG
      • Face to Face
      • Hedge Funds
      • Industry Voices
      • Investing
      • Money Management
      • Partner Content
      • Private Credit
      • Pension Funds
      • Private Equity
      • Real Estate
      • Regulation
      • Special Reports
      • Washington
      • White Papers
    • International
      • U.K.
      • Canada
      • Europe
      • Asia
      • Australia - New Zealand
      • Middle East
      • Latin America
      • Africa
    • Rankings & Awards
      • 1,000 Largest Retirement Plans
      • Top-Performing Managers
      • Largest Money Managers
      • DC Money Managers
      • DC Record Keepers
      • Largest Hedge Fund Managers
      • World's Largest Retirement Funds
      • Best Places to Work in Money Management
      • Excellence & Innovation Awards
      • WPS Innovation Awards
      • Influential Women in Institutional Investing 2024
      • Eddy Awards
    • Resource Guides
      • Active Thematic Global Equities
      • Retirement Income
      • Fixed Income
      • Pension Risk Transfer
      • Pooled Employer Plans (PEPs)
    • ETFs
      • Latest ETF News
      • Fund Screener
      • Education Center
      • Equities
      • Fixed Income
      • Commodities
      • Actively Managed
      • Alternatives
      • ESG Rated
    • ESG
      • Latest ESG News
      • The Institutional Investor’s Guide to ESG Investing
      • ESG Sustainability - Gaining Momentum
      • ESG Investing | Industry Brief
      • Innovation in ESG Investing
      • ESG Rated ETFs
      • Divestment Database
    • Defined Contribution
      • Latest DC News
      • The Plan Sponsor's Guide to Retirement Income
      • DC Money Manager Rankings
      • DC Record Keeper Rankings
      • Innovations in DC
      • DC Plan Design: Improving Participant Outcomes
    • Searches & Hires
      • Latest Searches & Hires News
      • Searches & Hires Database
      • RFPs
    • Research Center
      • The P&I Research Center
      • Earnings Tracker
      • Endowment Returns Tracker
      • Corporate Pension Contribution Tracker
      • Pension Fund Returns Tracker
      • Pension Risk Transfer Database
    • Careers
    • Events
      • View All Conferences
      • View All Webinars
    • Print