Name
Title: Co-founder
Company: Seven Group
Web address: www.thesevengroup.com
Alex Cavalieri is the co-founder of Seven Group, a New York-based marketing technology firm. Seven Group offers financial advisors services which pair marketing technology with a consultative approach. The Seven Group program consists of three phases: Unpacking the advisor’s challenges and opportunities, delivering an integrated marketing roadmap and providing access to digital resources, content, and automation tools.
How did you personally become involved in fintech?
For the better part of my career at BlackRock, I worked on the digital product and user experience side of things – so when it came down to build Seven Group, the path was clear. We saw a clear gap in the marketing technology space for advisors – a lot of advisors were throwing things against the wall hoping they would stick, they had no north star or marketing strategy. It was a sea of broken funnels and automated campaigns that weren’t rooted in any strategy, so we’re aiming to help fix that. As much as we focus on providing advisors with the tools they need to execute their marketing, our goal is to create a cohesive strategy for them and train them up on the different channels and tactics within the marketing world. This way, they have a north star and know the actual impact each channel is having on the business.
What does your firm do/offer within the fintech sector?
The best way to describe Seven Group is we’re part consulting firm, part technology firm with one goal in mind: help advisor market their practice better, period. If an advisor signs up for our subscription, they go through a specific program which consists of three phases - (1) unpacking their challenges and opportunities, (2) delivering a fully integrated marketing roadmap, and (3) providing them access to exclusive digital resources, content, and automation tools. Before they dive into the tech and hit the go button, we want to build a strategy with them, so that everything they’re doing, it’s rooted in a clear set of goals.
Once we’ve aligned on a strategy and path forward, they then get the keys to the kingdom which is where the tech comes in – our platform covers content, training, and progress tracking. We have FINRA-reviewed pieces that they can leverage across investing, retirement, tax planning, and more. We have over 100 video-based training modules to help them get smart on marketing. This includes anything from how to run LinkedIn ads to getting your brand messaging right. Then we have progress tracking, so things they need to tackle each week to continue moving their marketing program forward. This is paired with ongoing consulting calls, so we keep them on track. We also have some really cool features coming out in the next few months that I think will kick things up a notch for all of our clients.
What fintech leader do you admire the most and why?
My old boss, Scott Roen, the Global Head of Digital at BlackRock. He taught me pretty much everything I know about leadership – the guy is an incredible leader. He’s led such a transformation at that company it’s mind-boggling to think how much change he’s influenced. Everything from transforming their digital experiences, to how the organization operates.
How do you feel consumers (or if more relevant for your firm – businesses) are adapting to the facet of fintech that your company operates within?
I think advisors are realizing that the cookie-cutter programs won’t work long-term and they really need to take a step back and built the right foundation and processes in order to build a marketing program of value. Marketing is an evolution that requires a continuous change in tactics, messaging, and cadence based on investor behavior – so your program has to change with it. There’s no set it and forget it.