Activating a brand story with a post-COVID year-in-review
In collaboration with CAAT Pension Plan
See how we modernized a year-in-review to engage readers through an emotive and interactive experience.
Challenge
After one of the most tumultuous years in recent history, CAAT saw an opportunity to share the story behind its resilience in a compelling way.Solution
A modern, interactive experience helped convey a stronger brand story, supported with photography, first-person stories and animated stats.Deliverable
Content strategyUX
Design
Development
Results
The digital review exceeded all original KPIs, nearly doubling its total views and surpassing webinar sign up goals. In a follow-up survey, 89.5% of respondents rated the experience as useful, easy to navigate and understand.The context
After the emergence of COVID-19, global stock markets were volatile. Many Canadians experienced financial hardship. CAAT Pension Plan knew that many members—particularly those close to retirement—would be worried about whether their lifetime retirement income was secure.
CAAT Pension Plan knew that many members—particularly those close to retirement—would be worried about whether their lifetime retirement income was secure.
Traditionally, CAAT Pension Plan releases its annual financials to stakeholders as a report. However, these conventional annual reports tend to be dry and dense and only had limited exposure to investors and other stakeholders seeking out specific information.
This year, CAAT wanted its annual report to be engaging and accessible for everyone. After a year that had been unique in so many ways, CAAT needed to reassure members that their pension remained strong and secure despite the crisis—and why that was.
“The digital year-in-review was amazing: very slick, clearly presented facts in a scroll-down, user-friendly format. Please do this again next year!”
— CAAT member
Adopting a digital, user-centric format would expand CAAT’s reach to a broader audience and tackle three objectives:
1. Engage pension plan members
Although pension plan participants understand the benefits of having a pension, many weren’t familiar with CAAT, its features and why the pension plan is designed to stay strong and sustainable.
2. Inform stakeholders on year-end results
CAAT has a responsibility to be transparent and accountable to its stakeholders. The digital piece would serve as a summary of key highlights, providing quick, at-a-glance information about the year.
3. Serve as an outreach tool
By positioning the brand story in a compelling way, the piece could also serve as a tool to engage prospective members and employers.
A compelling story unfolds with long-scroll format
Pension plans are, ultimately, about people.
Pension plans are, ultimately, about people. The bilingual digital year-in-review offered a user-friendly, accessible overview of CAAT’s innovative approach. It explained how its pension plan offered secure, predictable lifetime retirement income. More importantly, the digital year-in-review made the content accessible; it was easy to read, easy to understand and easy to scroll through.
“I am very pleased with The CAAT Plan, how it is designed and managed. In these turbulent times, it is very reassuring that my pension remains secure. The content and style of The CAAT 2020 annual report were excellent. Thanks for the continued fine work.”
– CAAT member
A user-controlled slides-based format integrated bold colours, emotive photography and client testimonials alongside animated graphs and key stats in a compelling, easy-to-understand narrative. The site incorporated clear section navigation and specific considerations for desktop and mobile users, as well as an opportunity for members to share feedback or learn more.
Authentic stories and animation draw the reader in
To help users better understand the significance and insights of key dollar amounts and charts, we used subtle animation that draws the reader in. We also leveraged authentic testimonials throughout the piece, being mindful to represent the different regions, company sizes and sectors CAAT serves.
The advantage of a digital report is that you can also engage audiences further. The report linked to a survey and webinar registration—this provided additional metrics and valuable data to measure and benchmark against future reports.
“Thank you for your fantastic work on our digital year in review. Your team was innovative, responsive and a pleasure to work with.”
– Russell Evans, VP Communications, CAAT Pension Plan
The digital year-in-review was launched with positive accolades. The report surpassed its targets and our clients were able to collect meaningful feedback from members to inform future communications. For us, we took pride in a successful collaboration with clients who embrace an innovative, forward-thinking approach.
