Horizon Software:

Messaging, Marketing, and PR for electronic trading tech

Horizon Software (now Horizon Trading Solutions), a French FinTech company focused on electronic trading technology, engaged with Moonlight IQ (MIQ) in 2014. The company was in existence for 10 years and was looking to differentiate itself and gain visibility within the market. The aim of the collaboration was for MIQ to run a messaging workshop and offer marketing and PR support as the company continued to expand. The partnership was long-term, resulting in MIQ working with the company for 6 years.

Problems:

Horizon was an established company, but with limited visibility within the markets and a challenge to pinpoint the product’s USPs and value. The benefits of Horizon’s offering needed to be articulated for traders and its messages be put in front of its target market, distilling jargon into easy to ingest key communications. The company needed to promote the new messaging and change the outdated perception. Because of the nature of Horizon’s solutions, it was imperative to collaborate with a marketing and PR company that already had pre-existing knowledge of the sector.

Solution:

MIQ identified that a messaging session was needed as a first step to uncover the company’s USPs. Following this, which included a thorough competitor research and content analysis, we were able to recommend how to position the brand to highlight its main differentiators and how the company can respond to market trends. We also created a tagline to encapsulate and communicate the difference, value, and benefits, which was used for the next 10 year until its rebrand in 2024.

Due to the niche nature of Horizon’s products, MIQ endeavoured to strike the right balance between a high-level business message and detailed technical communication. This led to a marketing strategy focused on press coverage through interviews and press releases, as well as entering Horizon for specialist industry awards to build credibility for the product and the company. To compliment this, we offered support in client retention marketing by creating case studies, newsletters, client surveys, and more.

Results:

With our deep expertise of the FinTech sector, we were able to position Horizon as the best choice for electronic trading. In the 6 years of working together, MIQ was able to get the brand in front of its target audience, gaining brand visibility and recognition for Horizon.

• 100 interviews secured with trade press, including WatersTechnology, FOW, Euromoney, Best Execution.
• Over 300 pieces of coverage from expertly written and positioned press releases, with coverage including FTF News, HedgeWeek, Finance Magnates, The Trade and more.
• Over 15 award wins and shortlists, including FOW awards, Trading Tech Insight Awards and FStech.