American Investment Council

Private Equity Is Smaller Than You Think

Problem:

Private equity was facing increased public criticism and misperceptions about its role in supporting small businesses.

Solution:

POOLHOUSE launched a bold, attention-grabbing campaign that flipped the script—spotlighting how private equity fuels small businesses across America.

Outcome:

The campaign helped AIC reclaim the conversation, capturing 85% of all relevant search traffic, delivering 30M+ impressions and refocusing attention on how private equity fuels the American Dream.

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Problem

Amid rising media attacks, the American Investment Council needed to defend an industry often misunderstood. Opponents painted private equity as cold and unrelatable, while its real impact—investing in small businesses and creating jobs—was overlooked. AIC needed to shift the narrative with fresh creative that directly connected their investments to the benefits for small businesses and broke through the noise.

Solution

POOLHOUSE built a creative strategy around a powerful stat: 85% of private equity investments go to small businesses. We developed a multi-phase campaign featuring real entrepreneurs whose stories made the issue personal. With video, display, and social content, we helped AIC reframe private equity as smaller, more personal, and more forward-looking than most people think.

Outcome

The campaign delivered more than 30 million impressions and increased traffic to AIC’s website by 125%. At peak, POOLHOUSE content was served to 85% of all “private equity” Google searches in Washington D.C. and New York. The campaign helped AIC regain control of the narrative and highlight private equity’s positive contributions to supporting small business spenders across the country.