ETF War Expands to YouTube... Timefolio Also Bets on Content

[Financial News]  The battlefield for asset managers' exchange-traded funds (ETFs) is shifting to YouTube. As the ETF market grows rapidly, competition is expanding beyond products, returns and management fees to content that captures investors' "eyes and time."
According to the financial investment industry on the 25th, Timefolio Asset Management recently launched the official YouTube channel for TIME ACT!VE ETF, entering the ETF content market. The channel offers everything from basic lessons for ETF beginners and explanations of market issues to Shorts that condense key investment points for individual products into one minute.
Major asset managers have already been developing YouTube channels centered on their ETF brands as gateways to attract investors.
Samsung Asset Management's official KODEX ETF YouTube channel had approximately 570,000 subscribers as of this month, with cumulative views surpassing 200 million. Mirae Asset Global Investments' Smart Tiger-TIGER ETF channel had also secured approximately 534,000 subscribers.
KB Asset Management's RISE ETF channel had approximately 187,000 subscribers. Korea Investment Management, meanwhile, has achieved strong viewership. Its ACE ETF channel, ACE Question Solver, surpassed 10 million cumulative views in May. At the time, it had released only 18 videos, but one video on monthly-distribution ETFs came close to 3.3 million views.
Asset managers are investing heavily in YouTube because the nature of ETF competition is changing. As products based on similar indexes and themes continue to emerge, simply listing a product is no longer enough to attract investors' money. The time investors spend with content—from searching for products to understanding market outlooks and investment strategies—has emerged as a new competitive advantage.
Content is particularly useful for active ETFs, whose performance depends on an asset manager's ability to select stocks and adjust portfolios. It can show not only which stocks are included, but also why they were selected and how the manager responds to market changes.
That is where latecomer Timefolio Asset Management sees an opportunity. Its strategy is to extend into content its management strength as the No. 1 firm by market share in Korea's domestic equity active ETF market, according to the Korea Exchange (KRX) as of the 22nd. It is targeting novice investors with ETF Beginners, explaining market issues through T-Time with the Manager, and reaching short-form investment viewers with One-Minute Time.
An industry official said, "As ETF products proliferate, investors are finding it increasingly difficult to distinguish among asset managers based solely on product names and short-term returns. YouTube is becoming a tool for communicating an asset manager's investment philosophy and management capabilities and keeping investors engaged with the brand."
The official added, "The battleground for ETF competition is expanding from product shelves to smartphone screens. With Timefolio joining the fray, competition among asset managers is expanding from managing products well to explaining them well and keeping investors engaged for longer." 
A Timefolio Asset Management official emphasized, "In an age overflowing with information, what people need is not more information but verified experts' perspectives and explanations that are easy and engaging. Based on our expertise in managing active ETFs, we will provide practical investment insights." 

[email protected] Kim Kyung-a Reporter