Case Study: Age of Responsibility

The UK pension landscape has undergone profound change in recent years, with changes in regulation and a decline in defined benefit. Concerned about a pension crisis, Lord Hutton of Furness and independent investment consultant Redington collaborated on a report to explore how the UK should encourage people to save for retirement – entitled The Age of Responsibility. As Redington’s retained communications agency, the consultant further entrusted KL Communications to raise nationwide awareness of this report and spark ongoing debate.

Objectives

• Engage primary target audience of national, trade and consumer publications
• Raise awareness on national scale around the report’s key findings
• Spark debate on education and policy measures surrounding pension saving in the UK
• Position Redington as a thought leader in the field of pensions and long-term investment
• Further educate the public around the issue of saving for retirement

Strategy 

• Identify and distil key points of the 133 page report into digestible key messages. This included setting a national savings target at the centre of the communications strategy
• Acted as a sounding board to Lord Hutton and Redington, while advising on the most impactful channels to deliver the key messages
• Organised a successful media launch event where Lord Hutton addressed the national, investment and consumer press
• Devised a campaign on social media, using the hashtag #TheAgeofResponsibility, which encouraged tweets and live interaction from the event
• Engaged with press to ensure continued high-profile coverage in the period following publication

Results 

• Quality press exposure on a national scale, raising the profile of the report
• Started a national conversation around UK pensions policy and reform, primarily through the positioning of the 15% savings target
• Ensured Redington is seen as a thought leader and key commentator on the issue of national savings

Mitesh Sheth, Director of Strategy, Redington

“The Age of Responsibility report was centred on raising national-wide awareness of the important issue of saving for retirement. Our report engaged a number of pensions stakeholders and proposed a discussion on a new UK savings target. The KL Communications team was instrumental in constructing and implementing our media strategy. The team’s input, as well as execution, firmly put the Age of Responsibility report on the UK national news agenda and sparked an important debate.”

Selected coverage

The Telegraph
This is Money
IPE
Citywire | New Model Adviser
Money Observer