As digital assets continue their transition from speculative conversation to financial infrastructure, marketing strategies are evolving just as rapidly.
The language of disruption is increasingly being replaced by the language of trust, governance, interoperability and real-world application.
According to Oliver Otto, Head of International Marketing at Broadridge, the industry is moving into a far more disciplined and institutional phase where credibility, operational resilience and measurable use cases matter more than hype.
Speaking to Financial Promoter, Otto said the past 12–18 months have marked a significant turning point in how firms position themselves within the digital assets ecosystem.
“Marketing in digital assets has become much more disciplined, much more institutional, and far more outcome-focused,” he said.
“The strongest brands are now leading with themes such as tokenised real-world use cases, governance and interoperability.”
That shift, he explained, is reflected not only in messaging, but in the kinds of announcements gaining traction across the market.
Partnerships between traditional financial infrastructure providers and blockchain-native firms are increasingly shaping the narrative around adoption.
Otto pointed to collaborations involving Broadridge, including its work with Galaxy on on-chain governance for tokenised equities and with Ondo to bring shareholder voting capabilities to tokenised securities, as examples of how the conversation has evolved from experimentation to integration.
“These are not about innovation in theory,” he said. “They are about integration in practice.”
Institutional credibility takes centre stage
One of the clearest indicators of this transition was visible at Paris Blockchain Week, where institutional adoption dominated discussions across the event floor.
According to Otto, conversations focused heavily on tokenisation, settlement infrastructure, shareholder governance and operational efficiency rather than broad debates around the relevance of crypto itself.
“The tone was far less about ‘why crypto matters’ and much more about ‘how digital assets fit into financial markets at scale’,” he said.
For Otto, this reflects a broader maturity in brand positioning. The firms gaining the greatest credibility are no longer presenting themselves as outsiders challenging the financial system, but as enablers of a more efficient and modernised version of it.
Specificity, he added, has become a defining characteristic of successful communications strategies.
“The brands that stood out were the ones speaking clearly about practical use cases – tokenised funds, collateral mobility, liquidity, settlement efficiency and operational simplification,” he said. “In today’s environment, specificity demonstrates credibility.”
Regulation becomes part of the brand
The increasing institutionalisation of digital assets has also elevated the importance of regulation within communications and marketing strategies.
Otto said regulatory frameworks such as the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets regulation (MiCA) and the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) are now shaping how firms are perceived by clients, investors and counterparties.
“Compliance and operational resilience are no longer back-office issues,” he said. “They have become part of the brand.”
As institutional participants enter the market, crypto-native companies are facing a more demanding set of expectations around scalability, governance, integration and security.
“The market is rewarding firms that position themselves as bridges rather than disruptors,” Otto explained. “Institutional counterparties want to know whether these solutions can integrate into existing infrastructure and operate at scale.”
Beyond social media: the rise of integrated marketing
While social media remains an important component of digital assets communications, Otto believes the most effective strategies now rely on a far broader and more integrated approach.
“It’s no longer enough to simply be active online or appear at industry events,” he said. “The strongest strategies combine executive visibility, thought leadership, media engagement, targeted relationship-building and close alignment with sales.”
For institutional audiences in particular, Otto identified several formats proving especially effective:
- Executive panels and keynote appearances
- Curated private events and hospitality
- High-quality earned media
- Research-led thought leadership
- Digital amplification tied closely to commercial strategy
Research-driven content is becoming increasingly valuable as firms seek to establish authority around themes such as digital transformation, tokenisation and artificial intelligence.
“As the market matures, educational and insight-led content is generating stronger engagement because it supports both credibility and commercial dialogue,” he said.
Why in-person events still matter
Despite the digital-first nature of the industry, Otto believes in-person events have become more important than ever.
He described conferences such as Paris Blockchain Week as “ecosystem moments” where visibility, education, relationship-building and business development converge simultaneously.
“These events create a rare environment where collaboration, debate and strategic alignment can happen in real time,” he said.
However, Otto stressed that simply attending events is no longer enough.
“Success comes from showing up with clear messaging, the right executive access and a structured follow-through plan across media, clients and sales,” he said.
The next phase of growth
Looking ahead, Otto expects the next stage of digital assets marketing to be shaped by five key trends: more institutional storytelling, greater emphasis on real-world use cases, collaboration-led positioning, closer alignment between marketing and commercial strategy, and experience-led brand building.
Ultimately, he believes the sector’s future will favour firms capable of bridging the innovation of digital assets with the trust and governance standards of traditional finance.
“The strongest brands understand that the story now is about bridges, not silos,” Otto said.
“The next phase of growth will favour firms that are clear, credible and able to operate confidently across both worlds.”