News

May, 2011 - In a national review of top financial services firms, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney’s new client account statement has earned the nation’s top ranking for clarity, content and appearance.

The Morgan Stanley Smith Barney statement won its first–place ranking and designation of “Excellent” from DALBAR, Inc., the leading independent research agency that specializes in critical review and analysis of customer statements and communications for the financial services and health care industries.

“We congratulate Morgan Stanley Smith Barney on this prestigious achievement and applaud DALBAR’s research efforts in establishing a national standard for client communications,” said Ed Lanigan, senior strategist with Addison.

Working with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, Addison – a brand strategy and communications design firm – conducted a design process that entailed intensive fact–finding interviews with key stakeholders, tight wireframes to establish flow and specific content, production and usability testing of prototypes and the application of best practice information design. And Addison successfully met, through a detailed set of specification documents, the challenge of translating a design from the highly flexible world of prototypes to the more restrictive world of development platforms.

“Over the past year, the Morgan Stanley Smith Barney client statement has been transformed into a very meaningful communication that will enhance its clients’ understanding of the status of their investment assets. While many brokerage competitors seek to produce more meaningful statements, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney is recognized as an industry leader,” said Kathleen Whalen, Managing Director at Dalbar.

Addison Design Director Robin Grunder noted that “the success of the project is a testament to Morgan Stanley Smith Barney’s commitment to quality, and its willingness to reconsider its entire statement, end to end.”

For more information, please contact:
James Rutherford
Addison
(212) 229-5077

DALBAR, Inc. develops standards and measurement systems that improve the quality of communications, service, compliance and Web sites for the financial-services and health care industries. DALBAR’s research, ratings and rankings measure intangible factors in investor behavior, customer satisfaction, service quality, financial-professional ratings within call centers, communications and Web sites.

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, a global leader in wealth management, provides access to a wide range of products and services to individuals, businesses and institutions, including brokerage and investment advisory services, financial and wealth planning, credit and lending, cash management, annuities and insurance, retirement and trust services.