ETF advertising reaches record high in Europe in Q2 2026

ETF promotion accounted for 25% of all asset management advertising in Europe during Q2 2026, according to Fundamental Monitor

The promotion of ETFs accounted for 25% of all asset management advertising in Europe during Q2 2026, according to data from Fundamental Monitor, up from 13% in Q1 2026 and the highest share recorded across the five quarters of data. This is also the highest figure recorded since analysis began in 2020.

ESG was the next most-promoted strategy at 11%, followed by fixed income (3%), equities (2%), and multi-asset, which represented just 1% of overall advertising activity.

The number of asset managers actively promoting each strategy also shifted from Q1. ETFs saw the highest number of advertisers in market with 26, up from 23 in Q1 2026, while equities fell from 27 to 21. Fixed income rose to 14 active advertisers from 12, and ESG attracted eight, up from six in the previous quarter. Multi-asset saw four advertisers, down from six in the prior quarter.

Ad purpose: brand campaigns lead as thought leadership surges

When analysing ad purpose in the region, brand campaigns accounted for 47% of all asset management advertising during Q2, up 7% from Q1 2026. Thought leadership insights campaigns made up 35%, up 11% from Q1 2026, while fund promotion accounted for 16%, down 19% from Q1 2026. A small proportion (2%) was classified as 'other'.

ETF content strongest early in Q2, as equities and fixed income build momentum

Data from Alphix Solutions shows that ETF-related content on European asset managers' websites carried the strongest market signal through the first half of the quarter, climbing to a peak of approximately 15% in late April before declining sharply to around 6 by mid-June. Equities tracked at a similarly elevated level for much of the period, fluctuating between approximately 12% and 15% and finishing the quarter strongly.

Fixed income built steadily throughout Q2 2026, rising from around 6% to a peak of approximately 9% by mid-June and moving above ETF as the second strongest signal as engagement in the latter fell away. Investment Strategy – ESG saw a brief lift in early-to-mid May before reverting to its baseline, while multi-asset attracted the least engagement across the entire period, with signal remaining flat throughout.

Returning to advertising campaigns, below are some examples that were in market in APAC during Q2 2026:

Brand – Pictet Asset Management

Thought leadership insights – WisdomTree:

Fund promotion – Baillie Gifford:

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.