Public Awareness Campaign: Spring 2019 Advertising Update

Beginning this week, CFP Board's Public Awareness Campaign TV ads and other advertising are back in the field for a Spring 2019 flight! We are pleased to share with you the following updates on the campaign, which continues this year to raise awareness of CFP® certification.

As we reported last September, the latest iteration of our ongoing campaign was developed with insights from market research conducted by Heart + Mind Strategies and CFP Board. In our research, we found that consumers who work with a CFP® professional feel more confident, optimistic, secure and at ease. The peace of mind that comes from having a plan from a CFP® professional in place is powerful – and no two plans look the same. Our ads have told the stories of “Shelley” and “Cal and Val,” and in the Spring 2019 flight we introduce a new story with “Jen and Maya.” 

We saw strong results from the Fall 2018 campaign. Total awareness of CFP® certification is a healthy 84 percent among the target market – known as Mass Affluent Initiators -- and preference for and intent to use a CFP® professional reached all-time highs. Unaided awareness also experienced a lift among this target market.

This year, as in most years, our primary advertising and communications efforts focus on the spring tax season, when finances are top of mind among consumers.

Here are highlights of our Spring 2019 Public Awareness Campaign activities:

• TV (February 11-April 12): Our “It’s all possible with a CFP® professional” ads will air on national cable television networks including CNN, MSNBC, Golf Channel, Fox News and Food Network among many other. We will continue our partnership with CNN and add CNN Airport to add reach and complement our TV buy. The weeks of April 1st and April 8th, there will also be national broadcast spots on CBS. The TV ads include three 30-second spots (the “Shelley,” “Cal and Val” and “Jen and Maya” stories reference earlier) and two 15-second spots (“mash-ups”). Videos of the TV ads are available for viewing and sharing at www.CFP.net/PAC.
   
• OTT (Over the Top): With the ongoing shift from cable to streaming video channels like Smart TVs, Roku, Apple TV etc we will extend the reach of our cable buy through this channel. The top networks/apps are similar to the cable networks. We have also established premium partnerships with Turner/CBS’ live streaming of March Madness and with CNNgo.
   
• Print: We will continue our presence in print publications from the lifestyle category. These include The Atlantic, Conde Nast Traveler, Bon Appetit, Travel + Leisure and Golf Digest.
   
• Radio (February 11-April 12): Radio ads and sponsorship messages will air on popular NPR shows such as "Morning Edition" and "All Things Considered," NPR podcasts like “Planet Money” and “How I Built This” as well as on ESPN radio – including Golic and Wingo, Dan Lebatard with Sutgotz and live sports – and Sirius radio. Through Sirius we will also leverage the spring sporting events as a sponsor of March Madness on Play-by-Play networks and through PGA Tour radio.
   
• Online (Throughout the year): Online banner ads and online videos will display on popular websites where consumers get news and information about current events, finances, sports and entertainment through the prime campaign period. Paid search engine marketing (Google and Bing), which is always active, will be increased during the campaign period to deliver a target of 1.8 million impressions.
   
• Social Media (Throughout the year): Organic social content is ongoing on our Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn pages. Paid social media advertising during the campaign period will include Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Twitter. We are also leveraging the reach of a wide variety of finance and lifestyle influencers in Blogs and Instagram.

All of the campaign's advertisements and communications lead to our consumer website, LetsMakeAPlan.org, where consumers can find financial planning information based on where they are in life and search for and contact a CFP® professional. The website continuously is updated with new content every Wednesday with blog posts written by our dedicated team of CFP Board Ambassadors.

Thank you for your support of CFP® certification and CFP Board's Public Awareness Campaign. We look forward to reporting on the campaign's continued success later in the year.