MutualFundWire.com: Virtus Debuts its Ad Campaign

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Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Virtus Debuts its Ad Campaign

The folks at Virtus Investment Partners are aiming to boost their brand's visibility among advisors through a newly launched ad campaign. The ads debuted last week on InvestmentNews and will appear on the advisor-centric trade publication until mid-May.

This marks the Hartford, Connecticut-based asset manager's first ad campaign in its current incarnation as Virtus Investment Partners, company spokesman Joe Fazzino told The MFWire.com. Back when it was still part of Phoenix Cos., it did some advertising to promote its mutual funds. Virtus was spun out from Phoenix in December 2008.

The ads, which provide advisors with answers to frequently asked questions posed by investors, were created in-house, according to Fazzino.

He declined to say how much Virtus spent on the campaign.

In a press release issued Wednesday, retail distribution head Jeff Cerutti discussed the timing of the ad campaign.

"With our wide variety of attractive products, strong distribution partnerships, and sales momentum, we felt this is the right time to introduce our brand more broadly into the marketplace," he said.

Last year, Virtus chalked up $4.5 billion in mutual fund sales, representing a rise of 63 percent over 2009, according to the press release.

Virtus decided to place its ads on InvestmentNews "because of the prominence of the publication within the financial advisor community and its loyal readership," Cerutti said.

In addition to appearing in print, Virtus' ads will also run on InvestmentNews' weekly online publication, MarketINtelligence.

Company Press Release

Investors Have Questions and Virtus Has Answers Virtus Launches Ad Campaign with InvestmentNews

HARTFORD, Conn., Feb. 22, 2011 -- Virtus Investment Partners (Nasdaq: VRTS), which operates a multi-manager asset management business that includes the Virtus Mutual Funds, has launched its first advertising campaign designed to help financial advisors answer the questions that advice-driven investors often ask.

"Our goal is to provide financial advisors with comprehensive answers to the investment questions they're most typically asked by their clients," said Jeff Cerutti, executive vice president and head of retail distribution. "Many of the questions featured in the ads – such as 'what's my defense against rising rates?' – have particular relevance to the current investment environment."

The Virtus Mutual Funds are diversified by manager, style, and discipline, and include multiple offerings in equity, fixed income, and alternatives asset classes. Virtus had $4.5 billion in mutual fund sales in 2010, an increase of 63 percent from the prior year.

"With our wide variety of attractive products, strong distribution partnerships, and sales momentum, we felt this is the right time to introduce our brand more broadly into the marketplace," Cerutti added. "We chose to partner with InvestmentNews because of the prominence of the publication within the financial advisor community and its loyal readership."

The campaign began with an ad in the February 14-18 print issue of InvestmentNews. Virtus is scheduled to run one print ad in each edition of the magazine through mid-May. The print campaign will be complemented by placements in InvestmentNews' weekly online publication, Market INtelligence.

About Virtus Investment Partners, Inc.

Virtus Investment Partners (Nasdaq: VRTS) is a distinctive partnership of boutique investment managers singularly committed to the long-term success of individual and institutional investors. The company provides investment management products and services through its affiliated managers and select subadvisers, each with a distinct investment style, autonomous investment process and individual brand. Virtus Investment Partners offers access to a variety of investment styles across multiple disciplines to meet a wide array of investor needs. Additional information can be found at www.virtus.com.