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Meet and ‘tweet’ the CEO in new Putnam ad campaign

Starting today, advisers and investors will be able to “tweet” all the way to the top of the C-suite at Putnam Investments.

As part of a new ad campaign, Putnam is introducing a Twitter page for the firm and its president and chief executive, Robert Reynolds.

“We’ve got to make sure we meet our customers where they want to be met,” said Jeffrey Carney, head of global marketing, products and retirement at Boston-based Putnam.

“Twitter is a powerful way to do that.”

The social-media component is one element of the ad campaign, which officially launches next week with several print and online ads that will run through July.

“This is Putnam Today” will focus on the firm’s new hires, improved fund performance and other changes instituted by Mr. Reynolds, who took over the helm on July 1, 2008.

“The campaign is meant to highlight the changes that Bob [Reynolds] has implemented,” Mr. Carney said.

“Part of the story is that he recruited a number of industry veterans to manage money for us. The ads show the quality of their work and what they have been able to deliver since they’ve been here.”

The first ad focuses on the firm’s six large-cap equity funds’ performance and managers, some of whom were hired since Mr. Reynolds took over.

Indeed, the firm reported that its five largest large-cap funds had an average performance in the 16th percentile for the one-year period through June 30, according to rankings from Lipper Inc. of New York, Putnam reported.

A year ago, the funds averaged in the 83rd percentile.

The ads are designed to focus not just on a single fund.

“Across broad based strategies, we’ve seen dramatic improvement in performance,” Mr. Carney said.

The ads may be updated and run again in September, he said.

The firm is also communicating to advisers through its wholesalers, Mr. Carney said.

Putnam had $102.8 billion in assets under management as of June 30.