Other campaigns stood out for their comprehensiveness.
ABA Retirement Fund (Voya Financial), winner of first place in the pre-retirement readiness category for nonprofit plans with more than 5,000 employees, for example, has created a website for pre-retirees hosting a wide range of resources, including a retirement planning guide, social security information and educational videos. The website was the centerpiece of a campaign to draw attention to the organization’s new retiree investment menu consisting of four funds that retirees often seek out: a capital preservation fund, a Income Fund, an Inflation Protection Fund and a Diversified Growth Fund.
The judges praised the campaign’s comprehensiveness and multi-media approach, which included emails, webinars and website posts. “It was very targeted and tailored to the demographic,” a judge said.
Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (State Street Global Advisors), winner of first place in the nonprofit plan investment continuing education category, also created a campaign that caught the judges’ attention for its comprehensiveness. The campaign consisted of explaining to participants that the three suites of target date funds offered in the association’s 401(k) plan would be reduced to one, saving participants approximately $10 million in annual fees. . As part of outreach, Blue Cross Blue Shield has developed communication toolkits for participants and employers participating in the 401(k) plan. Participants received brochures, postcards, a glossary and other materials, which Blue Cross Blue Shield said were so solid that participants needed little or no additional guidance.
“Bravo,” said one of the judges, adding that the papers provided a “very good explanation of the TDF funds.”
ProHealth Care Inc. (Transamerica) was another first-place winner that took a comprehensive approach to its campaign. The health service provider, which won in the COVID-19 special projects category for business plans with 1,000 to 5,000 employees, used the image of WWII icon Rosie the Riveter to reinforce his message to attendees about “staying strong” — both physically and financially — during the pandemic.
ProHealth Care was looking to “reverse the negative connotation of some of the things our employees experienced during COVID-19,” said Stephanie Barenz, compensation and benefits analyst at ProHealth Care in Waukesha, Wis.
With a modern-day Rosie in personal protective equipment, the campaign urged participants to not only protect themselves against a deadly virus, but also protect their future financial well-being.
Among other calls to action, the campaign encouraged employees to protect their retirement accounts by registering them online and to protect their loved ones by designating a beneficiary.
The judges praised Rosie the Riveter’s clever use of language and image. It was a “creative way to tie the current situation to retirement savings goals,” a judge said.
