A century ago, aspiring investors relied on brokers for sound advice and insights about the market, with little guarantee of its accuracy. Brokerage firms were the gatekeepers—and investing was a game for the wealthy and well-connected. The subtext: investing was reserved for men.
But long gone are the days of exclusivity in investing. Today, anyone with a smartphone—notably 85% of Americans—has access to a wealth of information about the stock market, with the ability to invest only a click away. Popular apps like Acorns, Betterment, and Robinhood allow everyday people to make trades at a low cost, or even commission-free.
Now, a new kind of financial advisor makes it even easier to build wealth and invest—with the rise of AI investing and robo-advisors. These digital financial services automate the investing process, creating a personalized investment portfolio driven by algorithms. Beginners don’t have to spend hours researching or analyzing the market anymore. An AI-driven interface understands their goals and accounts for risk tolerance in just a few swipes, and robo-advisors make investing hands-off.
One of the leading voices in the AI-investing space is Ellevest—a company focused on raising “financial feminists” in an industry that has long excluded women. While all genders are welcome, Ellevest empowers the next generation of financially savvy women with brand messaging that is confident, uplifting, and supportive of the unique financial challenges women face. Learn how Ellevest is fighting the she-cession and prioritizing women’s interests—while teaching marketers a thing or two along the way.
“The only investing tool built by women, for women.”
In 2014, CEO and founder of Ellevest, Sallie Krawcheck, decided enough was enough. Financial products weren’t serving women—and as a result, women invested less often—and less aggressively—than men. She launched Ellevest with a specific and well-defined mission: to educate women on their finances, provide them with resources to build their wealth, and close the gender pay gap by making financial literacy accessible to everyone.
Ellevest differs from other robo-advisors in that its audience is immediately discernible. Its tagline? “Ellevest was built by women, for women. The financial industry wasn’t.” While anyone can open an account, the company’s messaging is specific to women’s financial needs, accounting for higher life expectancies, lower incomes, and fewer raises. According to Ellevest, women retire with two-thirds as much money as men do, but live six to eight years longer. This has huge implications on finances—and this problem was only exacerbated by the pandemic.
Ellevest factors these gender-specific salary curves and longevity data into their algorithms to create more precise and helpful investment portfolios. Value-driven messaging is built into their language—and beyond that, their approach to meeting women’s needs. For marketers across industries, this is a powerful lesson. It’s not enough to talk the talk, you also have to walk the walk. A successful company is one that sincerely believes in its mission and implements it consistently across its brand.
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“Our mission is to get more money in the hands of women — starting with you.”
While advocating for women’s financial needs, Ellevest and its robo-advisors also understand that every individual has their own goals, interests, and future plans. Therefore, they go the extra mile to address you, too. Your goals, age, debt, retirement plan—you name it. The idea is to educate and advise women in the way they need it most.
No matter what you market, one size rarely fits all. Ellevest’s success lies in understanding how women have been disproportionately affected in the financial world, without categorizing all women as the same. Everyone is different—and everyone learns at their own pace. This supportive messaging invites further engagement by meeting people where they are and supporting their long-term journey, no matter what that is.
“Start where you are.”
Ellevest represents everything that the investment world was missing a century ago—accessibility, empathy, and education. It doesn’t matter if you have no understanding of the market or zero experience investing. AI investing and robo-advisors means anyone can pick up their phone and start learning how to build wealth, even if they only have a dollar.
Through value-driven, data-supported, and personalized messaging, Ellevest reminds marketing professionals that success lies in sincerity. If your values are sincere and substantiated, your audience can feel it—a new wave of female financiers certainly can.
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