In the competitive world of investment management, where the landscape is constantly shifting, and investor attention is a prized commodity, building a global ETF brand is akin to crafting a powerful story and articulating its compelling value proposition.
This story is not just about growth and transformation but is deeply rooted in the brand’s ethos – a commitment to excellence, integrity, and the relentless pursuit of what is right for investors.
It is a brand’s journey of evolving from a local pioneer to a global innovator and competitor, resonating with investors across continents.
A Vision for Global Expansion
Every great strategy is birthed from a vision. For Mirae Asset Global Investments, this vision was rooted in the ambition to expand beyond borders and become a trusted name internationally, known for providing investors with dynamic investment solutions across asset classes.
Within the strategic expansion roadmap, the firm identified and understood the importance that ETFs would have on the industry and for investors. The journey of building a global ETF platform started in 2011, launching its first ETFs outside of Korea on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
That same year saw the acquisition of Horizons ETFs in Canada. In the coming years, we focused on identifying opportunities for organic growth, which were fueled by ingenuity and a deep understanding of emerging trends and investor needs, developing innovative products that catered to investors’ demands, establishing a strong foundation, and showcasing the brand’s commitment to meeting clients’ expectations.
“ Creating a global brand is a strategic journey. An ever-evolving story of growth and identity that resonates with investors across continents.”
Yet, to truly accelerate growth, additional strategic acquisitions and partnerships were essential. The coming years saw multiple key acquisitions and partnerships, with the company swiftly gaining a foothold in new markets. This included the acquisition of Global X in 2018 and a joint venture partnership with Daiwa to launch Global X Japan in 2019.
By adopting deep local market knowledge and strengths with our global framework, Mirae Asset transformed its ETF business and brand, making it locally relevant and globally consistent, aligning the various brands under a unified global identity — a critical milestone in its expansive journey.
By 2024, Mirae Asset’s ETF platform had expanded to more than 600 ETFs across 13 markets. What began as a leading Korean player into the world’s 12th largest ETF provider, with over $140 billion in AUM — an extraordinary 14x growth since early 2017. ETFs now account for approximately half of the firm’s $256 billion in asset management AUM.
The Challenge: Aligning Corporate Identity
As the brand’s portfolio of businesses grew, so did the complexity of maintaining a consistent identity within a layered brand architecture. This is where the benefits and impact of corporate endorsement become crucial.
The challenge lies in aligning newly acquired entities with the overarching corporate brand without diluting the unique qualities that made them successful in their own right. ETF Securities is a recent example of this, where we shortly rebranded them to Global X while leveraging their strengths and past success as a strong foundation to launch the Global X brand in Australia.
It’s akin to bringing diverse characters in a story under one banner, ensuring each contributes to the broader ETF narrative while retaining individuality. Successfully navigating this alignment strengthens the brand’s global reputation and fosters a sense of unity and shared purpose across businesses and teams.
“ The brand evolved from a leading Korean player to the 12th largest ETF provider globally, with $140 billion in assets under management.”
This process necessitates meticulous coordination between local and global teams. In each market, the brand must position itself not just as a local provider and leader but also as part of a franchise with a vast offering of products and solutions. Leveraging the local expertise of acquired companies while consistently upholding the global brand’s values and standards is paramount.
In recent years, we have focused on consolidating brands and streamlining our global ETF presence. Moving from four distinct ETF brands just a few years ago – including Global X, Horizons ETFs, TIGER ETF, and Mirae Asset to now three, with Global X, TIGER ETF, and Mirae Asset, continuing to contribute uniquely to the brand’s global tapestry and identity.
Through this strategic rebranding, key markets like Australia, Brazil and Canada have been unified under the Global X brand, strengthening our global presence and investor recognition.
The Strategy: Integrating Growth across All Fronts
As the narrative unfolds, the brand’s journey is propelled by a holistic approach to growth, integrating product, marketing, distribution, and corporate development across all fronts. It is not enough to execute within each function; purposeful and strategic actions ensure that every move contributes to the larger goal of establishing a robust and resilient global presence.
Envision the brand as a well-oiled machine, where marketing campaigns are finely tuned to resonate with diverse audiences, distribution strategies are optimized to ensure products reach the right markets effectively, and corporate development initiatives that support and enhance both. This integrated strategy ensures that the brand does not just grow—it thrives, becoming a recognized and respected name in the global ETF market.
This approach also acknowledges that markets are continually evolving—ETFs and their use are changing, portfolio construction methodologies are becoming more sophisticated, and access to private markets is expanding. Staying attuned to these developments enables the brand to adapt its strategies proactively, ensuring relevance and competitiveness in an ever-changing financial landscape.
The Digital Arena: Capturing Investor Attention and Advocacy
In today’s fast-paced world, technology evolves at a frantic pace, fundamentally transforming how businesses operate and interact with their audiences. For a global ETF franchise, embracing technology is not just advantageous—it’s essential.
The battle for investor attention has increasingly shifted online, making digital engagement the new frontier. Leveraging cutting-edge digital tools—such as data analytics, targeted content delivery, automation, and artificial intelligence—the brand can engage with investors in meaningful and memorable ways.
In 2025 and beyond, a firm must navigate the digital landscape cleverly, analyzing investor behaviours through sophisticated data analytics to craft strategies that effectively capture attention in a crowded marketplace. AI-powered tools enhance marketing efforts’ efficiency and creativity, enabling more dynamic and responsive interactions with investors.
In an industry where trust and expertise are paramount, becoming a thought leader is vital to differentiating the brand and building deeper relationships with investors. By utilizing AI and big data, investment managers can generate insightful market analysis, research & insights to position themselves as trusted authorities.
This digital acuity is a pivotal aspect of the brand’s journey, demonstrating its ability to evolve and remain relevant amidst technological advancements that impact not only the technical aspects of marketing and distribution but also the qualitative facets, such as storytelling and brand engagement. Through technology, the firm can amplify its voice in the industry, setting the agenda for future trends and becoming a go-to source for insights, thereby solidifying its status as a global thought leader in investment management.
“ The battle for investor attention has increasingly shifted online, making digital engagement the new frontier.”
The Identity: Building and Supporting Brand Personality and Consistency
As the brand grows and adapts, its personality becomes more defined and distinctive. Mirae Asset and Global X have evolved into a formidable competitor known for their innovation, boldness and unwavering commitment to their customers.
However, with expansion comes the challenge of maintaining message consistency across diverse and dynamic markets.
Imagine a brand that speaks multiple languages yet maintains one cohesive voice. Whether in New York, Tokyo, or Sydney, the brand’s core message remains consistent, while its delivery is adapted to resonate with local cultures and investor behaviours.
Recognizing that investors’ habits and behaviours are continually changing—influenced by how they search, research, and select products—the brand’s communication strategies must be flexible and insightful.
Achieving this balance between consistency and localization solidifies the brand’s identity on the global stage, ensuring it is recognizable and relatable, no matter where the story unfolds.
Streamlining Global Synergies and Asset Gathering
As the narrative progresses, the focus shifts to effective execution—streamlining asset-gathering processes and fostering global synergies. Here, the brand’s accumulated experience and insights are leveraged to ensure operations are as efficient as they are effective.
Visualize a brand that operates cohesively across regions, sharing best practices and success stories to enhance performance universally.
The development and promotion of products become a global strategy rather than a regional effort, driving growth and building investor trust worldwide. This collaborative sharing of knowledge and strategy is crucial for sustaining momentum and maintaining a competitive edge in a rapidly evolving market landscape.
The Heart: Supporting Local Teams and Integrating Vision, Culture, and Image
At the heart of this journey are the people—the local teams who bring the brand to life in various markets. Supporting and empowering these teams is essential as they adapt global strategies to local contexts, ensuring effective and authentic implementation on the ground.
It’s also about cultivating a strong, unified culture. The brand’s vision, philosophy and image must be seamlessly integrated, creating a cohesive identity that resonates with internal and external stakeholders. This unified culture fosters collaboration, innovation, and shared purpose, underpinning the brand’s success and resilience.
The ability and willingness to evolve are fundamental, both at the organizational and individual levels. Encouraging a culture that embraces change and continuous learning ensures that the global teams and people can adapt proactively to emerging trends, challenges, and opportunities, sustaining long-term growth and relevance.
The whole is indeed greater than the sum of its parts. When local teams are supported and empowered, their insights and expertise enhance the global strategy, creating a more robust and dynamic brand presence.
Each local market contributes its unique strengths and perspectives, which, when integrated with the global framework, produce results far greater than what could be achieved by isolated efforts. This synergy between global vision and local execution drives the brand’s success and builds a cohesive and unified identity that resonates with investors worldwide.
Establishing Global Brand Leadership and its Potential
As the journey matures and progresses, Mirae Asset and Global X stand as a well-integrated, globally recognized ETF provider, having adeptly navigated the complexities of expansion, digital transformation, and brand consistency. A strong global presence, robust investor trust, and a reputation for innovation and excellence mark this success.
Yet, this achievement is not a final destination but a noteworthy milestone. The brand must continue to adapt, innovate, and uphold its core values to maintain and enhance its position. This involves anticipating and responding to future market shifts, evolving investor behaviours, and rapid technological advancements.
By staying preemptive and forward-thinking, Mirae Asset can continue to fuel its growth and solidify its position as a leading ETF provider in the global market, unlocking its full potential and expanding its influence across diverse regions.
The Ever-Evolving Story
The journey of building and honing a global ETF brand is an ongoing narrative of growth, adaptation, and relentless pursuit of excellence. By maintaining a clear vision, fostering a strong and adaptable corporate culture, and ensuring consistent and resonant global messaging, a brand improves its chances of securing its place amongst global leaders, earning enduring trust and loyalty from investors across continents.
In the ever-changing landscape of ETFs and asset management, your brand is not just a business asset; it’s the narrative that defines your place and impact in the market. It’s the sum of all interactions with your business – products, advertisements, client servicing, and thought leadership. It’s important to remember that every decision, every strategy, every message, and every interaction contributes to the enduring legacy of your brand.
[**Full disclosure: The views and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author. They do not reflect the views or opinions of any organisation or entity.]
