The investment world is changing, especially as a result of new sustainability regulations. In this constantly changing world, it is crucial for financial operators to know their customers well and understand the best ways to guide them. The topic was discussed during the “Investors’ Choice panel. To be or not to be Green” at the Salone del Risparmio, attended by the CEO of BancoPosta Fondi SGR, Stefano Giuliani.
Investment rules at the Salone del Risparmio
The new investment regulations came at a rather difficult time for the financial markets. In mid-2022, the issue of sustainability also became fundamental in the relationship between production, placement agent, network and customer, at a time when this aspect needed serenity in order to be managed at its best. One of the key words in the investment business is indeed gradualness and the process at hand is quite complex: regulation is crucial, as are timing and clarity. Poste’s effort is to support the placement agent network and therefore it needs time, investments and skills to take care of customer assets. These are issues that have to be dealt with upstream, from the regulator and the legislator down to the customer
Customer preferences
Poste has long been monitoring customers’ preferences with respect to the market through surveys and has also asked customers which factors within the world of sustainability are most important to them. Here are the top five: animal abuse, vices, fossil fuels, weapons and employee mistreatment. It is also evident from this research that young people are much more sensitive than older customers. The element of sustainability also appears to be a more important and burdensome factor for those with a more advanced financial background than for those who are completely unfamiliar. What is difficult is to find different keys to talk to different types of investors of various ages. Having different targets only on the topic of sustainability implies in fact a very deep knowledge of one’s customer base, with segmentation of various kinds: therefore the marketing process must be quite evolved and depends on the nature of the customer.
A common effort
The world of ESG investments should be seen as a cultural journey, a world towards which all actors could move in agreement. Otherwise, there is a risk of too high investments, which will increase everyone’s costs, to be compliant with regulation. These are costs to which one must add the research and in-depth work, which not everyone has the resources to do. The solution is to study and build collaborative engagement, which can bring results. However, this takes time, investment, resources and training. If the ESG world remains a marketing brand, the risks balance the opportunities. If, on the other hand, the process is managed well, both Poste and its customers and companies will enjoy the benefits.
