While interest in cryptocurrency has surged, a lack of solutions to help deep-pocketed investors enter these markets with security and confidence remains. This was the problem Two Ocean Trust, a Wyoming-based trust company, sought to solve as it eyed a formal launch in fall 2020. The firm had a forward-thinking wealth management offering that took battle-tested best practices for traditional assets and applied them to crypto investments, in particular taking advantage of the favorable crypto regulatory environment and tax and estate laws in its home state. But Two Ocean knew a successful go-to-market strategy would be crucial to its success, so it turned to Forefront for messaging and media relations firepower.
As we spoke with Two Ocean about its potential use cases, it became clear that a two-pronged launch strategy was necessary to illustrate the value of the offering. First, we had to reach the crypto whales and other investors who had moved heavily into the space or wanted to do so but lacked the expertise to house and grow their portfolios in a way that reflected the unique nature of digital asset markets. Just as important was reaching registered investment advisers, many of which wanted to help their clients enter the world of crypto but had not received regulatory acknowledgement to do so. Two Ocean gave these advisers a channel to recommend to their clients.
With this in mind, we crafted a dual messaging strategy designed to engage both stakeholder groups and a clean, concise narrative. While it would have been easy to become steeped in the nuts and bolts of crypto regulation, we chose to tell a more accessible story about the overall growth of the asset class and the need for solutions with the maturity and scale to match.
We took a building blocks approach to media relations, with each round of placements fueling the next. Upon making the launch announcement, we quickly managed to secure coverage from digital asset journalists; in the weeks ahead, we ramped up to wealth management reporters and ultimately secured top-tier placements including a major story in the New York Times and a four-minute interview on NPR’s Marketplace Morning Report. In addition to communicating the value of Two Ocean, we spent a considerable amount of time educating reporters on the complexities of the space, so we formulated a strategy for communicating the regulatory considerations in a concise, easily graspable manner. This included creating media factsheets, posting compelling content to social media and more.
Following launch, Two Ocean quickly gained traction thanks to the successful media relations push. The company was overwhelmed by new business requests, surpassing initial targets. This momentum led to several invitations to speak at industry conferences alongside some of the most prominent names in the crypto world, providing the ultimate validation of our plan to carve out a niche as the preeminent wealth management provider for the digital asset space.
