This month, Account Director Klaudia Wierzbowska speaks with Ashlee Thomson, the Senior Vice President leading marketing and communications at industry powerhouse Pacer ETFs. Pacer ETFs is the leading US issuer in free cash flow ETFs and one of the fastest-growing issuers in the industry. Pacer rings in its 10th anniversary this month, commemorating a decade of leadership and innovative product launches. Its breakout suite of Cash Cows ETFs is at the forefront of Pacer’s growth, accounting for over $30B of the firm’s $46B AUM. Below, Ashlee shares how she leads the charge to communicate Pacer’s success story and unique differentiators in an ever-expanding and competitive market.
Pacer ETFs is one of the fastest-growing issuers in the industry, led by its innovation in free cash flow-focused strategies. What key factors have contributed most to your firm’s rapid growth in the ETF space?
Our growth has been driven by our team working together towards a common goal. From product creation—designing solutions that meet investor and financial advisor needs and complement what they are already doing—to wholesalers partnering with financial advisors to understand their business, their clients, and how to help them across various market environments. Our marketing team plays a key role by creating material that is well-designed, easy to understand, and helps investors and financial advisors see where our solutions fit.
The ETF industry is incredibly fast-paced, with new funds launching constantly. 2024 was a record year for launches, with over 700 new ETFs on the market. 2025 is already on pace to surpass this record. In a marketplace oversaturated with options and imitator issuers copycating strategies, how can marketers ensure their fund offerings stand out and capture the attention of investors and their advisors?
That is the big challenge. There are so many products out there, and really big issuers with an established footprint in the industry. The obvious answer is getting in front of as many people as possible, multiple times, but it’s also about helping people really understand the ETF strategy and being confident in how the strategy works across varying market environments.
We’ve seen heightened conflict across the investment landscape, with economic concerns and market swings significantly impacting portfolios and fund flows. With investors’ attention focused on headlines around tariffs, interest rates, and a potential recession, how can ETF issuers address investors’ anxieties and support inflows during times of volatility?
Staying consistent and present. It’s easy to be active when things are going well. It’s much harder when they’re not, but that’s when investors/FAs need to hear from you the most.
Tapping into an audience of financial advisors can be pivotal for an ETF issuer’s growth. What strategies or tactics have been most effective for Pacer in building relationships and trust with the advisor community? Can you share an example of a successful advisor-facing campaign or initiative that helped drive awareness or adoption of a fund?
Again, it’s about consistency over time. Pacer has a large group of external and internal wholesalers whose job it is to be present with FAs and share our best ideas. These meetings are supported by providing the FAs with the resources they need to help educate their clients and build their practices. We really believe in the FA model and the value of an FA to an investor.
If you had to offer one best practice or guiding principle for other ETF marketers, what would it be?
Be clear in your brand identity and differentiate yourself.