Empower Aims to Reach More Millennials and Gen Z With New Social Media Campaign

Empower Retirement has expanded its social media strategy to reach Generation Z and more Millennials.

The firm has launched video campaigns on Snapchat, a mobile messaging application widely used by young adults, as well as Instagram Stories. Both campaigns speak directly to young adults ages 18 to 34 about the idea that it’s never too early to start saving for their future financial freedom.

The first campaign features five new animated videos, developed by Empower, that have some fun with a “rare artifact” theme. The videos will run nationwide now through the end of February. The second campaign provides financial “pro tips,” and allows users to “swipe up” for additional educational content. Longer videos will be featured on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Empower Retirement says it is among the first retirement services firms in the nation to take its message to Snapchat, which reported 186 million daily active users in the third quarter of 2018. According to the recordkeeper, Pew Research Center reports that 78% of 18- to 24-year-olds use Snapchat and 71% visit the platform multiple times per day.

“Empower wants to be in the spaces where young employees congregate and discover new ideas,” says Stephen Jenks, Empower Retirement senior vice president and chief marketing officer. “Snapchat is a terrific platform to start a conversation with young adults about planning for their future financial success.”

Empower reports it has had previous success in connection with younger generations on social media. In its last Snapchat campaign the number of users in the 18- to 34-year-old age range watching the entire video was nearly double the completion rate of other social media platforms.