Asset managers boost ETF promotion in North America

ETF promotion accounted for 67% of all asset management advertising in North America during Q1 2026, according to Fundamental Monitor  

The promotion of ETFs accounted for 67% of all asset management advertising in North America in Q1 2026, and while this marks a significant increase from 49% in Q4 2025, it remains slightly below the 75% share recorded in Q2 2025.

The promotion of equities accounted for 20% of advertising, up from 17% in Q4 2025 and a meaningful jump from prior quarters, reflecting renewed interest in equity strategies as markets opened the year. Fixed income accounted for 7% of advertising, down from 13% in Q4 2025.

The promotion of ESG represented just 0.6% of total asset management advertising activity in the region, broadly unchanged from Q4 2025 (0.6%) and consistent with the subdued levels seen throughout the dataset (Q1 2025-Q1 2026). Multi-asset attracted a negligible share at less than 0.1%, continuing its pattern of minimal promotion across the five quarters observed.

When analysing advertising purpose in the region, fund promotion made up 71% of all asset management advertising in Q1 2026, up sharply from 52% in Q4 2025. Brand campaigns accounted for 22% of all advertising, a substantial decline from 40% in Q4 2025, though notably above the 11–18% range seen in Q1–Q3 2025. Thought leadership insights accounted for 7% of advertising in Q1. A very small proportion (well under 1%) was classified as 'other'.

The number of asset managers actively promoting each strategy shifted notably from Q4. ETFs continued to attract the largest pool of active advertisers at 42, down from 48 in Q4 2025 but consistent with the 43–44 seen in Q1–Q3 2025. The breadth of ETF advertising participation underlines the strategic importance of the category to asset managers active in the region.  

Equities attracted 15 advertisers, down slightly from 16 in Q4 2025. Fixed income saw a sharper decline, with active advertisers falling to 14 from 24 in Q4 2025. Multi-asset attracted just three active advertisers in Q1, up from two in Q4 2025, while ESG saw two advertisers in market, down from three in the prior quarter.

Data from Alphix Solutions shows ETF-related content remained the dominant source of market signal throughout Q1 2026, with signal holding in the 12–14 range. However, engagement softened as the quarter progressed, peaking at approximately 14 in late January before easing to around 13 by end of March.  

Fixed income was the standout performer among non-ETF categories, maintaining a steady signal of 3–4 throughout the quarter — a resilience that contrasts with the sharp decline in fixed income advertising spend over the same period. Equities tracked at a similar level. ESG fell sharply from approximately 2.5 in late December to around 1 by mid-January and remained subdued for the rest of the quarter, while multi-asset barely registered above 0.5 throughout.

Below are some examples of the type of campaigns that were in market in North America during Q1 2026:  

Brand – PIMCO:

Fund promotion – WisdomTree:

Thought leadership insights – Fidelity:

About Fundamental Monitor:

Fundamental Monitor is our proprietary digital advertising intelligence tool that tracks the ad campaigns of over 1,000 asset managers and educational institutions across 23 markets globally, giving marketers the competitor insights they need to sharpen their strategy.