WHZ Strategic Wealth Advisors, Dunn Marketing Win 2025 Communicator Award for Financial Services Marketing Effectiveness
WHZ Strategic Wealth Advisors and its agency of record, Dunn Marketing, have been honored with a 2025 Communicator Award of Distinction1 in the Financial Services Marketing Campaign Effectiveness category for WHZ’s "Absolute Confidence. Unwavering Partnership. For Life." campaign, competing alongside industry giants including American Express, Bank of America, and AllianceBernstein.
The Communicator Awards remains one of the largest and most competitive programs honoring excellence in marketing, communication and creative work. This season, the 31st Annual Communicator Awards celebrated the various human connections forged through communication with the theme, “Communication is Connection.” Thousands of entries were received from across the United States and around the globe. The awards are judged by the Academy of Interactive & Visual Arts (AIVA), an invitation-only body of over 500 industry leaders from top brands and agencies, including Google, Smithsonian, Microsoft, Digitas, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Publicis, Spotify, Johns Hopkins, and many more.
"What really sets our firm apart from other wealth management firms is our truly personal approach in partnering with clients to help them realize their dreams over the long term, and this campaign has really done a beautiful job of bringing that forward across all our marketing and communication efforts," said James Zahansky, Senior Partner, Chief Strategist at WHZ. "Our work with Dunn Marketing continues to reinforce our person-centric philosophy and helps us connect with more people who can benefit from having a truly strategic financial partner," he said.
Not only a beautiful job, but an effective one as well. According to Dunn Marketing CEO and Chief Brand Strategist Laura Dunn, at the time of the award submission the campaign had been running for just over six months and had already garnered a 75% increase in brand searches, a 31% increase in website users, and a 23% lift in prospective client inquiries for the firm.
"We're thrilled to receive this recognition for our work with our friends and partners at WHZ," said Laura Dunn, CEO & Chief Brand Strategist at Dunn Marketing. "Our empathy-driven brand-building process is based on the truth that long-term success is dependent on how well a business serves their clients, not just sells to them. Working with WHZ is a joy because they understand and employ that approach so well with their clients already. So bringing that to life in their marketing provides a really authentic and engaging introduction to the brand for prospective clients, and that is what’s key to marketing success," Dunn said.
The award-winning campaign employed Dunn Marketing's signature six-step Empathy-Driven Brand Building™ process to create an omnichannel campaign strategy, supported by creative developed in collaboration with creative partner Artemis Design. The campaign reinforces WHZ's commitment to providing each client with "Absolute Confidence. Unwavering Partnership. For Life." through hyper-personalized financial planning and wealth management services.
The campaign's success builds on Dunn Marketing's and WHZ’s previous marketing communications recognitions. Most recently, the pair won a 2024 Gramercy Institute Financial Content Marketing Award in the Personal Investing, Business-to-Consumer category, where they tied with industry giant Vanguard.
WHZ Strategic Wealth Advisors is an independent investment and fiduciary asset management firm serving individuals, families, business owners, executives, and not-for-profit institutions in 25 states from its offices in Pomfret and Tolland, Connecticut. Founded in 2006, the firm offers more than 65 years of combined experience in the wealth management and financial planning industry. Learn more at whzwealth.com.
Dunn Marketing provides brand development and omnichannel marketing services to businesses and organizations in life service industries including healthcare and human services, education, finance, and law, as well as small businesses. The agency employs its own “Empathy-Driven Brand Building™” process to craft and execute marketing campaigns that connect, inspire, and convert, to fuel the success of good people doing great work. To learn more, visit dunnmarketing.com.
The Communicator Awards is sanctioned and judged by The Academy of Interactive & Visual Arts, an invitation-only organization consisting of top-tier professionals from acclaimed media, advertising, and marketing firms. The Academy's mission is to advance the arts and sciences of traditional and interactive media through educational, cultural, and professional programs. To learn more, visit communicatorawards.com.
Pictured above, l. to r.: Dunn Marketing VP, Client Services Marci Seney; WHZ Strategic Wealth Advisors Managing Partner, Client Experience & Relationships Kate Pitts; WHZ Senior Partner, Chief Strategist James Zahansky; Dunn Marketing CEO & Chief Brand Strategist Laura Dunn
1. 2025 Communicator Award of Distinction – Financial Services Marketing Campaign Effectiveness, created by the Communicator Awards. This award is based on the effectiveness of a marketing campaign, as judged by the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts and not specific to financial services provided and does not imply an endorsement, recommendation, or reflect the performance of the advisor.
About WHZ Strategic Wealth Advisors
WHZ Strategic Wealth Advisors (WHZ) is an independent investment firm and partner of Commonwealth Financial Network®, a Registered Investment Adviser. Founded in 2006, WHZ offers more than 65 years of combined experience in the financial industry and offers wealth management services using a strategic process that encourages clients to Plan Well, Invest Well, and Live Well™. The firm offers portfolio management and financial guidance to individuals, families, business owners and executives, and not-for-profit institutions in 25 states. They practice at 697 Pomfret Street, Pomfret Center, CT 06259 and 392-A Merrow Road, Tolland, CT 06084. They can be reached by phone at 860-928-2341. Securities and advisory services offered through Commonwealth Financial Network®, Member FINRA/SIPC, a Registered Investment Adviser. For more information regarding wealth management and customized financial planning with WHZ Strategic Wealth Advisors, please visit www.whzwealth.com.
About Dunn Marketing
Dunn Marketing exists to fuel the success of good people doing great work through Empathy-Driven Brand Building™ that connects, inspires, and converts. The agency developed a six-step process for person-centered brand development, which it uses as the foundation for crafting and executing omnichannel marketing campaigns for clients across a variety of life services industries including healthcare, human services, education, finance, law, and the nonprofit sector. To learn more about Dunn Marketing, visit dunnmarketing.com.