The Financial Advisors Association of Canada aims to change millennial mindsets about money.
By Christopher Lombardo
The Financial Advisors Association of Canada, also known as Advocis, has developed new online and podcast content for Financial Literacy Month in November to make learning about finances more fun and informal.
Advocis’ new, more consumer-friendly website is designed to teach millennials about financial security and how they can achieve it. It highlights the main theme of Financial Literacy Month – “Take Charge of Your Finances” – and offers four weekly sub-themes: starting a budget, setting goals, being a smart consumer and borrowing wisely. It centres on an interactive “30-Day Challenge,” which urges users to order a free copy of their credit report, take stock of their recent spending and find ways to cut back.
On top of that, new podcast episodes focus on making finances less of a taboo subject, enforcing that financial goals are attainable with open discussion and a shift in mindset.
Julie Martini, VP of public affairs and marketing for Advocis, says these initiatives were an opportunity to put a new spin on old topics, like savings and creating a budget.
“We felt strongly that we had to create something that stood on its own, that wasn’t lost or buried in industry lingo,” Martini says. She adds that while Advocis members are financial professionals, this initiative is about supporting both them and their clients, hence the “for all” positioning of the website and podcast.
“We have to adapt to help millennials do better and overcome challenges, and to connect with them in ways that are different and digestible” Martini says, and jokes that personal finance discussions are like laundry: you know you have to do it but you put it off as much as you can.
Advocis first launched the “Financial Advice For All” podcast last year, with 26-year old portfolio manager Devin Cattelan as a guest, who was selected as a relatable figure to reach the millennial target. Martini says developing more episodes was driven by demand, as both clients with questions and subject matter experts have reached out with suggestions for future topics. She adds that it isn’t a “launch it and leave it subject,” but that the intent is to keep the audio content going throughout the year.
“We try to leverage channels that don’t require a huge spend,” Martini says. She says the organization, as a nonprofit, tries to get as creative as possible in-house, and the group does content-driven PR through print and trade publications, as well as social. The content is also used and promoted through Advocis’ 13,000 members in 40 chapters across the country.
