Campaign comprising video, print and online tool urges consumers to plan for retirement by contacting a NAIFA member

FALLS CHURCH, Va. – As American workers become increasingly insecure about their ability to save for a traditional retirement, the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors has launched a “Trust a NAIFA Advisor” ad campaign to tell consumers that affordable and informed financial advice is well within reach. The multimedia campaign includes video, print and web placements to urge consumers to plan for retirement by contacting a NAIFA member.

“NAIFA is pleased to invest in this campaign to help raise consumer awareness of NAIFA members’ services while providing consumers with an online tool to locate an advisor in or near their hometown,” said NAIFA Chief Executive Officer Kevin Mayeux, CAE.

Video and print ads direct readers to a web page,  advisorsyoucantrust.org, that includes a link to NAIFA’s “Find an Agent” tool where users may search for a NAIFA member by name, state or zip code. A second search filter allows users to find members by products and practice specialty. The campaign also incorporates digital ads for use on social media platforms, and Search Engine Marketing (SEM) via a Google ad word/phrase buy of more than 200 keywords related to insurance and financial advice.

“We recognize that consumers are relying more on the Internet to research different types of insurance and financial products, but they still need to connect with agents and advisors to help them make informed choices and purchase decisions about their financial future. The ‘Find an Agent’ tool will facilitate their ability to locate a professional who follows ethical business practices and is located within their local market,” Mayeux said.

The campaign includes the following placements between December 2015 and March 2016:

• :30 second NAIFA commercial to air on CNN Airport Network (reaching 59 million viewers) and Bloomberg TV (60 million viewers)
• :90 second commercial to air on American Airlines Network, reaching 180,000 passengers
• Print ad published in the New York region of The New Yorker magazine (4.5 million readers)
• Use of all creative elements by NAIFA executives and leaders throughout the NAIFA Federation (600 state and local association websites and social media platforms).

Campaign materials for your use in reaching consumers can be found here.

Consumer Education component

Studies show American households are critically unprepared for retirement. The ad and social media campaign is designed to educate consumers about the current state of retirement savings in the U.S. while raising awareness of NAIFA members’ ability to provide affordable advice to those who need it most. The campaign cites the following statistics:

• 84 percent of Americans say saving enough for a “traditional retirement” is unrealistic; just 22 percent of workers are “very confident” they will have enough money in retirement (Employee Benefits research institute, 2015).
• The median retirement account value for Americans aged 35 to 44 is just $42,700, while the median value for Americans aged 55 to 64 years old is $103,000.
• 45 percent of workers have no retirement savings at all.
• The average retiree had annual household expenses of $43,000 in 2014.

Value of a Financial Advisor

• Retirement savers who sought investing advice through their 401(k) plan enjoyed a median annual return almost 3 percent higher than those who did not (Aon Hewitt, 2011).
• People with financial plans accumulate 250 percent more retirement savings (HSBC, 2011).
• Financial professionals help consumers earn 1.59 percent in additional returns, which over time leads to 22.8 percent more income in retirement (Morningstar, 2013).

“NAIFA is pleased to offer our members the potential for greater exposure to their practices in the financial services marketplace,” Mayeux said. “Our members’ in-depth knowledge of the complexities of the retirement products and services available to consumers and small businesses is more important than ever.”