Media12th November, 2025

The High-Net-Worth Media Shift: Navigating Today’s Complex Ecosystem

Background

High-Net-Worth Individuals (HNWIs) - traditionally reachable through elite print, broadcast, and event-based media - are demonstrating a marked shift away from these conventional channels.

This evolution is being shaped by three core forces:

The pursuit of personalized, data-informed content over broad messaging,
Heightened privacy awareness and preference for low-tracking digital environments, and
Growing trust in credible domain experts over mainstream media brands.

Consequently, financial and wealth management institutions relying on traditional advertising and sponsorships are experiencing declining visibility among their most valuable client segments.

Research Objective

A leading global private wealth management firm partnered with Jasper Colin to study this behavioral migration and design a precision-based targeting framework that sustains exclusivity while expanding digital relevance.

The research aimed to answer:

How do media preferences differ across Legacy, Emerging, and Next-Gen wealth cohorts?
Which digital environments are replacing traditional financial media as trusted information sources?
How can wealth management brands build authority through content and thought leadership rather than traditional advertising?

Generational Segmentation Framework

Segment	Approx. Age Range	Wealth Context	Behavioral Traits
Legacy Wealth	60+	Established wealth holders; often founders or long-term investors	Preference for traditional relationship-based advisory and curated offline experiences
Emerging Wealth	30–50	Actively managing inherited or self-made wealth; includes Millennials and younger Gen X	Digitally fluent, self-directed, and research-oriented; expect transparency and on-demand insights
Gen Z Wealth (Rising Segment)	Under 30	Early inheritors and new earners in tech and creative sectors	Still developing financial maturity; strongly value privacy, digital control, and authentic peer recommendations

Methodology

The project spanned six months and used a mixed-method approach integrating quantitative data analytics with qualitative depth research.

Methodology	Sample / Dataset	Purpose
Digital Consumption Audit	Tracking data from 1,500 HNWIs across North America, Europe, Middle East, and Asia	Measure frequency, duration, and type of media usage across platforms
Psychographic Segmentation	85 HNWIs through in-depth interviews	Understand underlying trust and value signals driving content preferences

Strategic Implementation

The client utilized Jasper Colin’s findings to restructure their communication and media investment approach.

Dimension	Previous Approach	Revised Strategy
Media Allocation	Heavy spending on traditional print and television	Redirected investment to targeted professional platforms and gated digital ecosystems
Content Creation	Broad advertising campaigns	Short-form, insight-led content authored by internal portfolio managers
Audience Targeting	Demographic segmentation	Behavioral and psychographic segmentation by wealth stage
Engagement Model	One-way brand messaging	Advisor-led thought leadership and conversational content delivery

Conclusion

The study highlights how HNWIs now prioritize credibility, privacy, and relevance over mass visibility.

By partnering with Jasper Colin, the client converted these insights into a precise, data-led media strategy-replacing traditional advertising with targeted, expert-led content.

The result: higher engagement, lower costs, and a modernized brand presence rooted in trust and intelligence.