Challenge
Create and execute a Financial Parenting project designed to teach employees’ children about money management.
Solution
Smith worked with Southern Company and Merrill Lynch to develop an innovative, multimedia campaign targeting children in four distinct age groups.
- Elementary-aged children received a coloring book, featuring “Jimmy,” who walked this young audience through the theme of “Earn, Save, Invest, Spend, Give.”
- Middle-school children could access a website modeled after Instagram. This site included brief videos showing young people talking about financial wellness topics, such as managing an allowance or saving money to go to the movies.
- High school and college students were offered a one-page microsite where users could access various financial topics, including paying taxes.
- Families were provided Dinner Conversation Cards. To help parents have financial conversations with their children, each card has a question and suggested answers, which were divided into beginner, intermediate and advanced to cater appropriately to the child’s age.
This campaign earned a 1st Place, Pension & Investments 2020 Eddy Award in the Financial Wellness category.
