Retiring Inequality through Strategic Channel Selection
Challenge:
For more than 100 years, leading financial services organization TIAA has helped generations of savers prepare for retirement. But in 2022, the company suffered a 10% drop in market share to competitors among its key audience.
TIAA, the No. 1 not-for-profit retirement market provider, needed to boost brand awareness to not-for-profit participants, its most important demographic. The firm would build awareness efforts around its groundbreaking “Retire Inequality” campaign to raise awareness of the retirement savings gap facing underserved populations. By educating and inspiring savers, TIAA aimed to right this inequity and help people retire securely and successfully – delivering on its brand promise to close the retirement gap.
The firm sought a broad awareness strategy to engage the largest audience possible. TIAA called on its performance marketing firm, Tinuiti, a leader in omnichannel awareness campaigns, to amplify TIAA’s inspiring message.
Results:
+7.6 points
overall brand recommendation
+6.8 points
lift in aided brand awareness
+4.3 points
lift in unaided brand awareness
How We Did It:
Tinuiti began by analyzing the demographics and media consumption habits of TIAA’s audience, revealing where they were most active and receptive to messaging.
Tinuiti identified audio, over-the-top (OTT), and CTV (connected TV) streaming services as prime places to air the campaign. These high-impact channels were uniquely promising for two reasons: they were extremely popular with TIAA’s target demographic with the added benefit of being underutilized by competitors. These channels enabled the precise targeting and personalized messaging that would move the needle for TIAA.
Tinuiti continuously monitored performance metrics throughout the campaign and leveraged the data to make real-time campaign adjustments. These modifications ensured placements reached the optimal frequency and were displayed in high-visibility places – both critical pieces in raising brand awareness and sentiment.
The omnichannel strategy yielded impressive results. Audience members flocked to the “Retire Inequality” campaign site, with numbers reaching their highest-ever levels during the active period. Aided brand awareness saw a 6.8-point lift, while unaided brand awareness increased by 4.3 points.
In a post-campaign survey, users in the highest frequency bucket (with more than 10 exposures) reported a 9.5-point lift in recognizing that TIAA “offers products that ensure its customers will never run out of retirement income.”
The campaign’s success underscores the power of an effective omnichannel approach in support of an unwavering commitment to #RetireInequality.
As a brand that has been around for 100 years and meant to serve those who serve others, we are so proud of our Retire Inequality initiative. But we know that if the right people don’t see or engage with it, the mission sort of falls flat. We want to help millions more Americans retire with dignity.
Ambika Pai
Head of Brand, TIAA
See TIAA speak at Tinuiti Live 2024:
