Greenwashing has undoubtedly erased trust in ESG products across all sectors. However, such branding challenges present huge opportunities for organisations which truly act with purpose; organisations like CFA UK for whom “servicing society’s best interests” is the core to its very existence.
Driving the Go-To-Market strategy for CFA UK’s Certificate in Climate & Investing, as the world navigates the climate crisis, and economic and social action focuses on decarbonisation, was a labour of love for our team.
Sign-ups to the Certificate were, of course, our end-game. But the ultimate prize was far bigger than that. By highlighting the impact that investment management can have on climate, we knew we would be able to drive more action, deeper engagement and higher standards across the profession. By arming investment professionals with the skills they need to better-understand the threat and opportunity that climate represents, we can make our investments work harder, smarter and more sustainably.
We ideated the campaign through focus groups which brought together pioneers, academics and industry leaders in the sustainable investing space to debate and define our messaging and purpose. As a result, we were able to create a compelling narrative that underpinned every asset, activation and interaction.
Immersing ourselves in the importance of our work through shared passion, we became an extension of the internal team. We worked together to develop our urgent messaging – “Now is the Time” – anchored by tangible solutions “to sign-up for CFA UK’s Certificate in Climate & Investing.” The need to take action to change the bigger picture was also reflected in our macro/micro creative treatment, which we used to connect with existing and potential customers through the channels of their choice.
Launched through a press release and interviews with target trade press, CEO Will Goodhart set the scene: “There has never been a more important time for investment professionals to understand climate risks and how to integrate climate considerations into a portfolio.”
Subsequent activation left no stone unturned as we drove organic and paid test-and-learn social media campaigns elevated by striking imagery and calls to action; email marketing campaigns and an outreach programme driven by Member firms and industry influencers. By capturing the imaginations and consciences of investment professionals across all levels, we were able to achieve an ROI of +600% in the first 12 weeks, while driving much-needed industry awareness.
As you can probably tell, this is a campaign which we’re very proud of and even more so when it won the Most Effective Content Marketing Campaign 2022 at the Financial Services Forum’s Marketing Effectiveness Awards, helping to bring even more focus to the importance of upskilling in order to become a changemaker.
For more information about the campaign, please visit our homepage or contact us to learn more about our ESG capabilities.
