J.P. Morgan launches augmented reality tool for advisers

J.P. Morgan Asset Management Inc. announced Monday the launch of a mobile-based augmented reality experience for advisers to discuss market insights with clients. 

The smartphone and tablet-enabled platform takes J.P. Morgan Asset Management’s Guide to Markets content that is typically displayed via a slideshow, and opens access to an immersive experience that works in a web-browser on iOS and Android smartphones with no app required to download, according to the announcement.  

The company gave InvestmentNews an advanced demo of the new tool, and advisers can access the augmented-reality experience via a sharable link that will direct users to scan a QR code using their smartphones. The platform then directs the user to engage with a holographic version of Dr. David Kelly, chief global strategist at the firm, who delivers quarterly analysis based on major economic themes impacting markets and investors, even using interactive visualizations of charts and data tables. 

The firm decided to develop the AR experience last year at the height of the pandemic as record levels of client engagement with content, said Kathryn Ferrero, chief marketing officer of Asset Management Americas and Global Head of Brand Experience, in an interview.

“When you think about the next generation of advisers, the next generation of clients, this is just another tool in their toolbox to be able to communicate content in a way that may resonate differently,” said Ferrero. “PowerPoint works for some people, and it doesn't work for others. So for us, it's about creating content in different ways so advisers can find the right thing that works for them and their clients.” 

More than 275,000 financial professionals receive the Guide to the Markets at the beginning of each quarter, which is designed to inform client decision making by simplifying complex market topics. The content is updated daily online and includes the weekly Insights Now and Notes on the Week Ahead podcasts hosted by Kelly. 

Guide to the Markets was launched in 2004 and Kelly joined J.P. Morgan in 2007. Upon his hiring, the Guide was made available in seven different regions and 12 languages across 42 countries, said a company spokesperson. 

This fourth-quarter iteration examines the key themes that are shaping the investment environment, including the pandemic, fiscal policy, economic growth, jobs, inflation, profits, federal reserve and interest rates and risks.

“As client needs and ways of digesting information evolve, so too will the way we engage our clients,” Kelly said in a statement.

“We know that advisers value new technology and formats when it comes to consuming economic investment insights, and believe making the Guide available in multiple formats, whether that be podcast, video, through Alexa voice skill, or now through an AR experience, allows us to truly meet and engage with investors where they are,” he said.