Content area
Full Text
Van Kampen American Capital plans to launch a Global Franchise Fund, the first of its kind, that will invest in companies that have strong business franchises based on brand name, copyrights and patents. Fund pros say the fund's investment strategy is used by many large-cap growth funds, but it will be an easy sell for brokers looking for a unique story to sell funds in a cluttered market. "The product is perfectly positioned for a commission-based selling environment where a broker only has about 60 seconds to pitch a fund," said one marketer at a rival firm, who described the product as a "theme" fund. Van Kampen is giving marketing pizzazz to an existing concept of investing in companies that dominate their particular field, he said.