TRENDSETTERS: Thomson Reuters Markets' CMO, Lee Ann Daly, talks about marketing in a new era with the global launch of Eikon

Lee Ann Daly, Chief Marketing Officer of Thomson Reuters Markets division, which includes the company's financial services information business and Reuters newswires, is having an all-signals-go year with the aggressive launches of several new global campaigns. Under the tagline of "New Era. New Tools," these efforts also reflect how the company is dramatically changing the way it brings new products to market during a time of financial skepticism when customers are also demanding greater transparency and engagement.

Thomson Reuters has made sure that their launches include key experiential marketing and immersive environments that encourage participation in new conversations. In fact, Lee Ann Daly jokes, "Given some of our programs with street teams in key areas like London's Canary Wharf, you might think our tactics are similar to the launch of a new flavor of Coke! However, to reach our contemporary business customer, we need to employ many elements of strong consumer marketing."

Last month, Thomson Reuters launched its new financial desktop platform, Thomson Reuters Eikon, designed for digital natives or "Eikons" who will influence the future of finance by working smarter, faster and more collaboratively. The global marketing campaign targets 14 major cities in 7 languages. It is the largest campaign in the company's history, and combines traditional print, digital, broadcast and out-of-home advertising with street teams, experiential displays, a car competition, an online game, and Go Live events for customers and key stakeholders.

In fact, one of the Thomson Reuters Markets events is taking place in New York City this evening when Vanderbilt Hall at Grand Central Station will be transformed to a digital space to offer guests a view of the New Era. The company is encouraging customers to help define the New Era by offering a competition to win a chance to accompany Polar Explorer Jason De Carteret in his effort to break the Guinness world record for the fastest overland journey to the South Pole.

Lee Ann Daly says of the event portion of the campaign, "We are marketing to the end user—to the real people who believe in their career, but are dismayed by circumstance. For them, Eikon is a new tool and a new way forward. We want to give those individuals a voice in the campaign, and then give them access to experience the product."

The Eikon product had been in development for three and half years, and the marketing was created alongside it. The focus was to answer the needs of contemporary, tech-savvy customers, while addressing the massive changes in the financial services industry. Eikon was designed to make a difference in how people trade.

Earlier this year, the company also launched a new platform, called Reuters Insider, with a global effort. Insider includes programming from Reuters and 150 content partners, while the video platform enables companies—via their own branded channels—to broadcast research, market commentary and morning calls to Thomson Reuters subscribers.