A well-timed promotion

This month, Waltham, Mass.-based Commonwealth Financial Network sent out "The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Kit," containing a compass, whistle and tips ranging from "how to break down a door" to "how to jump from a building into a Dumpster" to financial advisers across the country.

The tongue-in-cheek kit was part of a marketing campaign based on the theme of practice management, said Andrew Daniels, managing principal of field development for the company, and was conceived as a "colorful way of showing that [Commonwealth] can support advisers in any situation."

True, it wasn't exactly a bull market when the kit was on the drawing boards this summer, but by the time it hit advisers' desks, the market was flat-out crashing.

"We didn't anticipate this would be the situation," Mr. Daniels said.

Nonetheless, he has no regrets.

"At the end of the day, it still tells a very significant story about Commonwealth," Mr. Daniels said. "In a confusing world, Commonwealth is not only surviving but thriving."

Last year, Commonwealth reported $500 million in sales.