How ‘thinking like a marketer’ can help with member engagement

After all the time and money spent on newsletters, statements and webinars, there’s still a nagging question for many pension communicators: are members truly engaged?

That’s according to Genevieve Groat, partner at Fuse Strategy Partners, who was quick to capture the quiet frustration shared by many pension communicators on Tuesday at the Association of Canadian Pension Management (ACPM)’s Ontario Regional Council seminar.

“A lot of governance attention goes to investment management, and rightly so, but there's a lot less focus on pension administration, and even less so on pension communications,” she said. “For us, communications is a big deal. It's a capability that's uniquely positioned to help tackle some of the real challenges we're facing in the industry.”

Groat pointed to the mounting complexity of the operating environment, including rising regulatory demands, shifting member expectations, and the burden of real-time digital responsiveness. These challenges come at a time when Canadians are feeling increasingly insecure about retirement, with 70 per cent saying saving feels out of reach and 57 per cent admitting they’re unprepared, according to last year's HOOPP survey.

That’s why she advocates for communications to be treated not as a support task but as a core strategic function. She pointed to Fuse’s own research, conducted with Angus Reid, which found several holes in awareness. According to the data, 20 per cent of respondents said they had little to no familiarity with their pension plan, and over a third couldn’t identify any of its key features. Meanwhile, 80 per cent of members are interested in learning more about their pension.

Groat also highlighted a disconnect between what plans send and what members remember. Annual statements topped recall levels at 69 per cent, but only 14 per cent of members recalled seeing webinar invitations, suggesting that newer, potentially more dynamic forms of communication may not be resonating. She recommended plan sponsors should focus on making content simpler and more actionable.

“Communications can and must play a larger role in addressing this gap. While communications strategies, tools and investments vary across the industry, our goal is to help plans make smart strategic choices to mature their communications capability. Getting it right can have a huge impact on trust, engagement and ultimately, retirement outcomes. If we want to build trust, drive engagement and support confident decision making, we need to deepen our understanding of the members we serve,” she emphasized.

Fuse’s research shows that although digital engagement is growing, notably as pension websites and member portals now outrank HR departments as go-to sources of information, the human element remains essential. Financial advisors have even outpaced call centers in influence, underscoring members' continued reliance on trusted, personalized guidance.

Groat argues these findings highlight the reason why plan sponsors, specifically pension communicators, should embrace a “think like marketers” mindset if they want to make an impact. Communications, according to Groat has two critical functions: first, to build mental availability, and second, to activate demand.

Mental availability, in Groat’s words, means “making sure the content and the current and the potential members know who you are. They understand your value and remember you when it matters. It's about building trust and familiarity over time.”

The idea is to establish a consistent brand presence, she said, one that makes the pension plan a familiar, trustworthy resource. It’s not just about visibility, but about creating regular, purposeful touchpoints through things like onboarding materials, statements, newsletters, and webinars, she highlighted.

The second function is about prompting action, where performance comes into play. This is when plan sponsors should ensure tools are accessible, calls to action are clear, and the timing is right.

Whether it’s nudging members to update beneficiaries or encouraging webinar attendance, this isn’t separate from the long game of trust-building but rather a continuation of it, Groat emphasized.

Consequently, she likens the balance to fitness.

“Building mental availability is like staying in shape. You can’t measure the impact of one healthy meal, or one single gym visit but over time, that will help you build strength. In communications terms, we want members to trust the plan. We want members to feel supported and keep us top of mind when they need guidance. This builds long term confidence and ultimately better retirement outcomes,” she said.

The human experience

For Jennifer Welch, principal at Eckler’s communication consulting team, the key lies in understanding the full human experience behind each interaction. While technology “is great, it's only a tool,” she said, noting that generational differences mean the delivery method alone won’t solve the issue at hand.

She challenged pension communicators to shift their thinking away from cold, transactional messaging and lean toward something more immediate and emotionally resonant. Notably, because traditional pension narratives, like “save now for tomorrow”, often fall flat especially when members are preoccupied with the stress of daily life.

Instead, she suggested reframing the message to what’s relevant now, not just in the distant future.

“When we think about how the message will be received, even with your value proposition and communication, timing is everything,” she said. “How's it going to make them feel? This has a lot to do with language.”

She cautioned communicators to consider the emotional impact of their language and ask whether their words could unintentionally alienate, exclude, or even instill fear because how members feel can matter as much as what they know or do.

However, as pension communicators are forced to adopt technology and social media effectively, she highlighted several key strategies plan communicators can leverage, particularly for the younger plan members.

She suggests keeping communications under 300 words and use relatable formats like memes, music, and playful, jargon-free language, pointing to a campaign with Lululemon and TikTok.

Pensions could also lean into platforms like TikTok with short, authentic video content and influencer partnerships that feel natural, not forced and tailor tone and visuals by generation, making it dynamic and fun for younger audiences without trying too hard.

Additionally, she emphasized to make the pension’s present-day relevance by framing it as a tool that supports today’s goals, not just future retirement and to be authentic and transparent, aligning messaging with the plan’s real culture and how the workforce communicates.

“Get reacquainted with and audit your value proposition and make sure that you're telling all of the members how it's going to make a difference for them,” she said. “Taking the time to really look at the words that you're using when you're communicating to members is super important. Focus on being human.”