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MARKETING STRATEGY

April 2021

Created by Spark, St. Lawrence College


www.sparkslc.ca
Executive Summary 3

Current Situation 4

Brand Analysis 5

Competitors 8

Target Market 10

Goals & Objectives 17

Marketing Strategy 17

Campaign Creative 23

Timeline 24

Budget 24

Next Steps 24

2
Executive Summary
Peter Gilbert has recently assumed the leadership position at Scotia Wealth
Management. Scotia Wealth Management is a wealth management firm based in
Kingston Ontario, servicing high net worth individuals in Kingston and the surrounding
communities by providing customized, boutique investment solutions delivered by a
team of specialists. In preparation for starting his tenure at Scotia Wealth Management,
Peter is looking to develop a lead generation marketing strategy to change the
perception surrounding wealth management and investments and attract new clients.

Scotia Wealth Management’s objective is to deliver exceptional, individualized wealth


management for their clients, focusing on both high returns as well as the individual
experience. This is accomplished by the entire team of specialists at Scotia Wealth
Management working together to provide the best service possible for each client
based on their individual needs and goals.

Current Situation
Background
For almost 100 years, Scotia Wealth Management has been helping people envision and
achieve their financial goals by offering trusted advice and excellent client services.
Scotia Wealth Management offers Investment Management, Private Banking,
ScotiaTrust, Total Wealth Planning and everything else you need to confidently begin
planning for a secure financial future for yourself, and for your loved ones. With a
personalized approach to all financial plans, Scotia Wealth Management Wealth
Advisors will learn all about your current financial profile. Scotiabank Wealth
Management also highlights the importance of women in finance and created “the
Scotiabank Women Initiative”. This initiative empowers women to take charge of their
finances and Scotia Wealth Management is able to help in many different ways, whether
it be Health and Wellness, Lifestyle and Leisure, or Careers. From varying concerns, tax
situations and time horizons, your Wealth Advisor will be there for you every step of the
way until your financial goal is reached and exceeded.

3
Industry Overview
Wealth Management is a service where the advisory team or financial advisor, after
gathering information about the client’s situation, tailors a personalized strategy with a
full range of financial products and services that are appropriate and meet the needs
and wants of their clients. The goal of financial advisors is to grow assets while
minimizing risks and preserving their client’s wealth.

According to “Predictions 2021: Wealth Management Firms Embrace Digital To Thrive” 1,


one of the trends that the Wealth Management industry is facing is digitalization. “With
COVID-19 it’s becoming so difficult to drive client acquisition through the traditional
channels,” says Raghavan. So, with the pandemic, digital tools are going to become
essential to maintain relationships and acquire new clients since there aren't any other
in-person ways to build rapport –which is a sales strategy frequently used by those
professionals. And even with vaccines and the pandemic coming to an end in the future,
this trend can still last longer. Besides benefiting advisors by automating and
digitalizing some of the processes, the digital banking trend is constantly growing so
they need to keep it up to stand out amongst the competitors.

Another market tendency that comes side-by-side with the digitization process are the
wealthtech start-ups such as Wealthsimple and Betterment that are being developed
because of the consumer’s frustration and lack of knowledge when it comes to finance
and investments. With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the changes in the housing
and real estate market, many people that have never thought about investments,
suddenly go through a triggering event such as selling their houses and becoming
millionaires out of the blue. So, now, they are looking for management solutions that will
meet their needs, but without any prior knowledge on the subject it’s hard to trust
someone and decide which is the best option for them. Therefore, those start-ups have
gained great success because they are humanizing that process by showing customers
that investments can be simple and easy to understand, and it can all be done with your
phone or a laptop.

1
https://www.advisor.ca/news/industry-news/wealth-management-has-big-plans-for-2021/

4
Brand Analysis
Current Offerings
Scotia Wealth is a company that provides wealth management for individuals and
families with a collaborative team of professionals who can deliver them
comprehensive and personalized solutions for financial success.

There services include Investment Management which is a highly consultative process


to determine a clients goals and objectives for their financial life, as well as Private
Banking that offers travel management and strategic solutions prioritizing proactivity
and the client’s needs to maximize investment opportunities, with a sense of urgency
that allow the client to act quickly with the support of a private banker and the team.

Then there is Scotiatrust. This service works with the relationship manager, they offer
specialized services tailored to meet personal objectives and offer estate planning,
estate administration and trust management, philanthropic advisory, custody services,
personal office and help develop a plan. They also provide Total Wealth Planning
wherein the client is working with the team of specialists and an advisor, they create a
plan that will guide the client’s financial decisions to ensure continued financial
success. Lastly, there is the Scotiabank Women Initiative which is a program that
inspires and empowers women to take charge of their financial futures through
education, advice and access to wealth services.

Unique Selling Point


Scotia Wealth is a team of experts responsible for tailoring customized and unique
wealth management solutions for each client by mitigating risks, producing better net
returns and generating greater efficiency through financial and estate planning.

5
SWOT Analysis
Strengths Weaknesses

● The Scotia bank group is well ● Lack of educational content


established and known ● Low social media presence
● Solutions developed with a team of (LinkedIn has around 1 post per
professionals week only)
● Personalized and unique strategies ● Too focused/dependent on
for each client traditional channels for client
● The brand also have banking options acquisition
which allow clients to have all their
finances managed in one place
● Well design and professional
website

Opportunity Threats

● Embrace more advanced ● Changes to Canadian mortgage


technologies to interact with clients rules could have a significant
● Innovate to reach a younger clientele impact on bank business
● Increase informative content in ● Strong competition from other
order to educate your target Canadian banks could lead to
audience lower profit margins
● Increasing Inflation
● Cyber security risk
● Attachment to the Scotia Bank
brand can have some limitations
and bureaucracies

6
Competitors
TD Wealth Management
TD Wealth Management is a service by TD Bank. They offer investment solutions for
Individuals, families, business owners and also retirement plans. There are four ways to
invest.

The first is TD GoalAssist. This is a new app that allows you to start investing with no
minimum amount. The client simply sets their goals, invests, and tracks their progress.
They have 3 account types under that plan that allow you to build your investment
tax-free, start planning for retirement or a personal account for more control over your
investments. Then there is TD Direct Investing. Through direct investing, TD reaches
self-directed investors with innovative tools, education and personalized support to take
care of their financial needs. They have plans for those who are new to investing or are
experienced investors.

Next there is the Personalized Wealth Advice which is a private wealth management
plan that allows the client to work towards achieving their goals through a financial
strategy tailored to them by a TD Wealth advisor. Lastly, there is the Savings & Investing
Products option. They have registered plans and investing products, and with
personalized advice they offer Mutual Funds, GICs, Registered Plans and Precious
Metals.

Manulife Private Wealth


Manulife Private Wealth follows a collaborative approach by working with the client
across a broad range of health management needs that require specialized expertise.
They offer three types of services. The first is Invest management. By developing unique
investment strategies for each client, they provide professional support for all the
clients’ goals, needs and objectives. Then there is Private banking that is made for
different stages of the wealth cycle, so the client can consider how their cash and credit
needs are managed and they can conveniently consolidate all-in-one accounts to
maximize savings. Last is the Wealth and estate services that are made for complex
needs from increased wealth. They provide wealth strategies for high-net clients and
also private company advisory services as required.

7
Investors Group
Investors Group Wealth Management prides themselves on providing a holistic
approach to financial planning that is comprehensive and goes beyond traditional
investment advice considering all aspects of the client’s life. On their website, they also
have a blog section dedicated to advice about wealth management.

Some of their current offerings include:

● Investment Planning
● Retirement Planning
● Home Ownership
● Estate Planning
● Tax Planning
● Insurance Plans
● Cash Management
● Business Ownership

CI Assante Wealth Management


CI Assante Wealth Management was founded in 1995 and boasts over 900 professional
advisors throughout Canada, making it one of Canada’s largest financial wealth
management firms. Their promise is to advise their clients through a comprehensive
and integrated approach with peace of mind being their top priority.

CI Assante Wealth Management offers a range of services based on a variety of


financial situations and concerns, such as:

● Early Retirement Planning


● Family Financial Security Plans
● Tax Scenarios
● Investment Portfolios
● Unique Financial Plans

8
RBC Dominion Securities
Founded in 1901, RBC Dominion Securities has helped over 400,000 clients worldwide
and is also used by the Royal Bank of Canada for brokerage services (mainly in
Canada). RBC Dominion Securities promises to help individuals, businesses, families
and organizations to build and maintain their wealth.

Their website offers a comprehensive overview of the services they offer, as well as
insights and educational tools to learn about a variety of different financial topics, such
as:

● Estate Planning
● Tax Planning
● Understanding Insurance
● Understanding RRSPs
● Charitable Giving Guide
● Business Ownership Guide
● Commodity/ Financial Futures
● Retirement Planning

Target Market
Our target market research has largely focused on Kingston and the surrounding area,
as Peter Gilbert has stated that his ideal client would be within the city of Kingston and
within a 20 minute drive of the city. The data listed below is specific to the city of
Kingston and surrounding areas. Unfortunately due to the recency of the COVID
pandemic there was no tangible data found on the impact of COVID on in-migration to
Kingston or changes in wealth due to capital gains of the housing market heating up.

According to the latest data (2016 census), 21.8% of households in kingston had a
median after tax household income of $100,000 or greater. Kingston’s median after tax
household income was $59,567, and the provincial median was $65,285. There was no
further breakdown of after tax income in the $100,000 or greater earnings range
provided in the report. 21.8% of the 53,255 households (in 2016) means that there were
approximately 11,600 households making over $100,000 per year. If we follow the
Pareto Principle and that 20% of the households hold 80% of the wealth that would
mean roughly 2300 households have the highest net incomes in Kingston.

9
Service and knowledge based sectors comprise approximately 69% of Kingstons
employment base with Healthcare and Social Assistance, Public Administration,
Educational Services and Accomodation and Food Services being the fastest growing
sectors. While Manufacturing, Information and Cultural services had the greatest
decline in employment in Kingston between 2001 and 2016.

Trends in Kingston’s population compared to the rest of the province:

● The City of Kingston has a slightly higher (18% of total population) number of
those 65+ than the province of Ontario (16% of the total population).
● The age group 20 - 54 in Kingston and the province of Ontario are of similar size
and composition.
● The City of Kingston has a slightly smaller population of children and youth 0-19
than the provincial population (20% vs 22%).

Environics Analytics Prizm profiles reveal five distinct market segments with
approximate household net wealth that line up with the desired investable assets stated
by Peter Gilbert ($500,000). These segments are:

Wealthy and Wise (02) - 14 postal codes in Kingston2


Stats
● Average household income: $257,777
● Average household net worth: $2,984,843
● Residency: Own
● Education: University
● Occupation: White Collar
● Diversity: Low
● Urbanity: Urban
● Family Life: Older Families & Empty Nests
● Home type: Single Detached

This is the second wealthiest lifestyle in Canada and is home to older and mature
families and couples whose incomes are nearly two-and-a-half times the national
average. They tend to own expensive single-detached houses in established

2
These numbers are approximate and the neighbourhoods may contain households that do not meet the
minimum requirement of investable assets.

10
neighbourhoods. As one of the most educated segments —a majority hold a university
degree—members earn lofty incomes as managers and white-collar professionals.
Many are first- and second-generation Canadians who have lived at the same address
for years. Their leisure activities reflect the presence of older children, most between 10
and 25. These families enjoy going to film festivals, the theatre, and museums. They are
able to afford most luxury items,and maintain they are willing to pay more for
environmentally friendly products.

How They Think

● “I feel that I am more a citizen of the world than a citizen of my country.”


● “I consider myself to be sophisticated.”
● “I am prepared to pay more for products that are a bit different from those one
sees all over.”
● “Compared to other people I know, I feel that I have a lot of energy.”

Common Patterns of Behaviour in this Segment

● Leisure Activities - Attend sporting events


● Shopping - Shop at Apple online and retail stores
● Media - Read Maclean's magazine
● Digital - Listen to podcasts
● Financial - Do will / estate planning
● Food and Drink - Drink whole bean coffee
● Restaurants - Dine at Italian restaurants
● Health - Consult with an eye specialist
● Automotive - Drive imported luxury vehicles

Turbo Burbs (04) - 8 postal codes in Kingston


Stats
● Average household income: $212,649
● Average household net worth: $1,483,649
● Residency: Own
● Education:University / College / High School
● Occupation: White Collar / Service Sector
● Diversity: Low
● Urbanity: Suburban

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● Family Life: Middle Age families
● Home type: Single, Detached

The wealthiest suburban segment, Turbo Burbs is a haven for middle-aged families
enjoying the fruits of their labour. Found in the outer-ring subdivisions of large cities, the
segment mostly contains families with children between the ages of 10 and 25. More
than 90 percent of households live in recently built houses, often graced with gardens
and decks. The adults have parlayed mixed educations into well-paying jobs in finance,
education and government. Many spend a lot of time in their cars to commute to work
and chauffeur their teenage children to after-school activities. While these families live
well, participating in outdoor sports and travelling extensively, they also give back to the
community, volunteering their time and donating freely to charities.

How they Think

● “It is important that the country should hold a strong position in the world.”
● “I would never buy products from a company if I knew that they tested their
products on animals.”
● “It is important to try new products, new places for vacation or new foods, just for
the pleasure of the novelty.”
● “I have my favourite brand and I normally stick to it.”

Common Patterns of Behaviour in this Segment

● Leisure Activities - Belong to health clubs


● Shopping - Shop at Lululemon Athletica
● Media - Watch Sportsnet
● Digital - Use smart speakers
● Financial - Invest in RESPs
● Food and Drink - Eat organic fruit
● Restaurants - Visit pubs / sports bars
● Health - Are satisfied with their job
● Automotive - Spend $40,000+ on vehicle

First Class Families (05) - 6 postal codes in Kingston


Stats
● Average household income: $186,272

12
● Average household networth: $1,227,636
● Residency: Own
● Education: University / College / High School
● Occupation: White Collar / Service Sector
● Diversity: Low
● Urbanity: Suburban
● Family Life: Large Diverse Families
● Home type: Single, Detached

An upscale suburban lifestyle, First-Class Families features sprawling families—more


than 40 percent of households contain four or more people—living in close-in suburbs.
In these established neighbourhoods, the parents are middle-aged, the children are over
10 and nearly 90 percent of households live in pricey, single-detached houses. With their
solid educations, the adults hold white-collar jobs in management, education and
government, and earn incomes nearly twice the national average. One quarter of
households contain second-generation Canadians, many reporting Italian, Polish, Greek
or Mandarin as their mother tongue. These active families enjoy many team sports as
both participants and spectators. Many reserve weekends to shop, dine out, visit a
theme park or relax in their hot tubs.

How They Think

● “I can't imagine life without the Internet anymore.”


● “I have already taken steps to ensure that I have sufficient income for my
retirement.”
● “I always keep informed about the latest technological developments.”
● “I am willing to pay more for brand-name products.”

Common Patterns of Behaviour in this Segment

● Leisure Activities - Watch family movies


● Shopping - Shop at Home Depot
● Media - Watch CBC News
● Digital - Purchase sporting event tickets online
● Financial - Spend $5,001+ / month on credit cards
● Food and Drink - Spend $250+ / week on groceries
● Restaurants - Dine at fast casual restaurants
● Health - Use herbal supplements for joint health
● Automotive - Own three vehicles

13
Mature and Secure (07) - 3 Postal Codes in Kingston
Stats
● Average household income: $165,530
● Average household networth: $1,494,174
● Residency: Own
● Education:University
● Occupation: White Collar
● Diversity: Medium
● Urbanity: Urban Fringe
● Family Life: Older Families & Empty Nests
● Home type: Single Detached

Emblematic of Canadian’s aging society, Mature & Secure consists of older and mature
couples and families aging in place in urban fringe neighbourhoods. More than half the
maintainers are over 55 years old. About 80 percent of this segment’s households live in
Canada’s largest markets. Many contain first- and second-generation Canadians, and
one in eight residents is Jewish—11 times the national average. University educated,
those still in the workforce earn upscale incomes from management and white-collar
positions. Financially secure, they tend to own stylish houses and duplexes, solid
investment portfolios, vacation homes and imported luxury cars. Many have the time
and money to attend arts, cultural and professional sports events; they particularly like
watching tennis, golf and hockey matches.

How They Think

● “It is important that the country should hold a strong position in the world.”
● “I feel that people get what they deserve.”
● “I consider myself to be sophisticated.”
● “It is acceptable that an industrial society such as ours produces a certain level
of pollution.”

Common Patterns of Behaviour in this Segment

● Leisure Activities - Attend ballet / opera / symphony performances


● Shopping - Shop at Hudson's Bay
● Media - Watch TV golf

14
● Digital - Access restaurant reviews
● Financial - Purchase travel insurance
● Food and Drink - Drink Canadian wine
● Restaurants - Dine at Italian restaurants
● Health - Use private plan insurance for prescription medications
● Automotive - Plan to spend $40,000 on vehicle

Boomer Bliss (09) - Approx 40 postal codes (Kingston,


Amherstview, HWY 15, Gananoque)
Stats
● Average household income: $139,963
● Average household networth: $1,068,980
● Residency: Own
● Education:University / College
● Occupation: White Collar
● Diversity: Low
● Urbanity: Suburban
● Family Life: Older Families & Empty Nests
● Home type: Single Detached

Boomer Bliss consists of older couples and families found in suburban neighbourhoods
surrounding many large cities. Nearly two-thirds of are over 55 years old, and
households include both retirees and those still in the labour force. With their university
and college educations, those still employed hold white-collar positions. Their
upper-middle-class incomes allow them to own comfortable single-detached houses
graced with pools and patios. Many have paid off mortgages and show little interest in
leaving their empty nests. They take advantage of their proximity to both city centres
and small towns, enjoying the arts—theatre, art galleries and concerts—and outdoor
activities like golfing and fishing. Going out may mean dinner at a pub, sports bar or
casual family restaurant.

How They Think

● “It's very important that the country should hold a strong position in the world.”
● “I do not feel uncomfortable living with the uncertainties and the unexpected in
life toda.y”

15
● “I am prepared to pay more for an environmentally friendly product.”
● “I believe I have a personal responsibility to help those worse off than me.”

Common Patterns of Behaviour in this Segment

● Leisure Activities - Play golf


● Shopping - Shop at Home Hardware
● Media - Watch HGTV
● Digital - Respond to online classified ads
● Financial - Donate $1,000-$5,000 to Canadian charities
● Food and Drink - Eat specialty breads
● Restaurants - Dine at Montana's
● Health - Visit a physiotherapist
● Automotive - Own two or more vehicles

Goals & Objectives


Business Goals
Creating a sustainable system for generating news leads for the business using digital
channels.

Marketing Objectives
The campaign approach is to become an educational and thought leader for high
networth individuals. To do so we recommend using a digital content marketing
strategy built around using educational and helpful content to build trust between
prospects and ScotiaWealth.

Marketing Strategy
Long-form educational platforms
Blogging

Blogging is an effective means of building an audience and increasing online presence


through improved SEO and better search traffic acquisition. While not a lead generation

16
strategy per se, blogging is an effective, low cost traffic generator. One of the challenges
Peter faces is the lack of trust from consumers of the financial services industry.
Regularly publishing blog posts that educate and help readers solve their investment
problems (or raise awareness of problems they have, but aren’t aware of). This helps
establish trust between prospects and Scotia Wealth Management and start to bridge
the trust gap that currently exists.

Benefits of blogging:
● 80% of individuals identify as blog readers3
● 60% of consumers use blogs as a resource early in the buying process. 4
● Companies that blog generate up to 60% more leads
○ For SME that blog generates 126% more leads than comparable
businesses that don’t. 5

Key success factors for effective lead generation from a blog:


● Having one or two clear calls to actions.
● Creating content that helps the reader solve or take steps to improving their
situation.6
● Long form, in-depth content performs better than short blog posts.
● Creating content for different stages of the buying process (awareness,
consideration, decision).
● Gating exclusive gated content (pdf guides, e-books) behind a lead capture form
● Ad retargeting visitors to the blog page.

Video Production (YouTube, Social Media)

Video is one of the most in demand forms of content from consumers. Similar to blogs,
well crafted video content that attracts and educates viewers are effective
communication channels to build brand awareness and authority. No longer as cost
prohibitive as in previous years, video content is highly effective at building connections
with audiences.

Benefits of video production:

3
https://neilpatel.com/blog/convert-blog-readers-to-leads/
4

https://www.oberlo.ca/blog/blogging-statistics#:~:text=Summary%3A%20Top%20Blogging%20Statistics
%20You%20Need%20to%20Know%20in%202021,-There%20are%20currently&text=The%20average%20blo
g%20post%20today,to%20produce%20a%20blog%20post.
5
https://neilpatel.com/blog/convert-blog-readers-to-leads/
6
https://databox.com/how-to-generate-leads-from-your-blog

17
● YouTube has over 2 billion monthly active users who consumer over a billion
hours of video a day.7
● Facebook users watch 8 billion videos a day
● Video has the highest form of organic engagement on Facebook at 13.9%
● Videos are shared 1200% more than links and text posts combined on Facebook.
8

● Video on landing pages are capable of increasing conversions by 80%9


● 93% of businesses reported getting a new customer on social media because of
videos
● Videos now impact SEO rankings as Google now displays YouTube videos in
search results.

Podcasting
Podcasts are a form of content that is popular with the Wealthy and Wise demographic
and is a popular form of media consumption that can function as an effective marketing
communications tool over time. An effective strategy for growing a podcast audience is
networking and having on guests who also have podcasts in related fields, this expands
the reach of the podcast beyond the brand quickly and can quickly establish Peter as a
trusted leader in the field of wealth management.

Podcast statistics:
● 45% of podcast listeners have an annual household income of $250,000.00 or
more. 10
● 54% of podcast listeners report considering buying products advertised on
podcasts.
● 82% of podcast listeners spend more than 7 hours a week listening to podcasts11
● It is 64% more likely for podcast listeners to have a post-graduate degree.12

Short form educational channels

7
https://blog.youtube/press/
8
https://www.skeletonproductions.com/insights/what-is-video-content-marketing
9
https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/video-marketing
10
https://www.smallbizgenius.net/by-the-numbers/podcast-statistics/#gref

11
https://www.oberlo.ca/blog/podcast-statistics
12
https://www.smallbizgenius.net/by-the-numbers/podcast-statistics/#gref

18
Social Media

The use of social media is constantly growing and despite being usually known for their
popularity amongst a younger demographic, Gen Xers and young Baby Boomers are
constantly growing their presence on certain channels. There are several different
benefits to combine your marketing strategy with social media such as increasing brand
awareness, expanding your reach and also strengthening your branding positioning.
It is important to be mindful that each of the following mediums have different features
and characteristics, so it is recommended that you tailor your content specifically to the
social media of your choice for better results and engagement.

Facebook
● Highly targeted ads, ideal for local businesses
● Facebook Audience Insights provide useful data of your audience such as
interests, age, location, gender, etc
● Most-used and engaged-with platform
● Seniors citizens are the US fastest growing group
Twitter
● Largest age group: 30-49
● A lot of community though leaders and professionals are in the platform
● Reach local audience by the use of hashtags
● Generate leads to website by promoting your blog posts and website content
there
Linkedin
● 45% of LinkedIn users are in upper management
● Largest age group: 46-65
● Higher-educated and higher-earning audience

Advertising support

Due to the longer term strategy of a content marketing campaign, strategically paying
for advertising can accelerate the ability to reach new audiences. Due to the digital
nature of the campaign running paid advertising online on social media channels,
pay-per-click advertising (both search ads as well as banner ads) as well as remarketing
(displaying ads to visitors who visit specific pages on the website) can all drive both
traffic to the website as well as to lead capture points.

19
Social Media advertising (Facebook, Instagram, etc), Google ads and remarketing all
provide the tools necessary to target our desired audience based on the interest,
behaviours and attitudes outlined previously in this report.

Lead Capture Points


The two primary locations for lead generation are going to be social media, the
ScotiaWealth Management website and any dedicated landing pages that are created to
support the content campaign.

Call to action links and buttons in blog posts can point to either a generic contact us
page, or a custom landing page designed with additional content to convert prospects
who are on wavering on the edge of adding their contact information.

An effective strategy for capturing contact information is to offer something in


exchange for the contact information. Offering an e-book, pdf guide or some other
exclusive content is a common practice in the realm of B2B marketing as well as some
areas of B2C marketing.

Networking
Networking is an important part of the job to build your reputation, trust and increase
your referral base. To do so, you’ll need to grow your network and go beyond your
current social circle to develop relationships with different people.

● Consider joining entrepreneurs/business/business owners local associations


● Social sellers outperform peers who don’t use social by 72%.
● There is 33% less churn from customers acquired via social selling.

SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

Ranking high in Google is extremely valuable for your business since it’s considered a
form of “free advertising” and it works 24/7 by showing your website to potential
clients. All of the digital strategies mentioned above are also going to help your SEO as
a long-term strategy so you can drive targeted traffic to your website and increase brand
awareness and trust.
It is important to remember that SEO requires ongoing attention and is definitely not a
one-time thing. To keep a high ranking on search engines we recommend you

20
continuously improve your website by creating valuable and high-quality content to your
audience.

Host learning experiences

With the ongoing pandemic, in-person events are rare and harder to develop, but you can
still leverage the same benefits with online events such as webinars and livestreams. By
providing a content useful to your audience, you will show value to your services, it will
promote your expertise and establish and reinforce your branding positioning. We
recommend you invite other experts as well so you can expand your reach by attracting
the guest’s clients and networks.
Webinars are also great to find high-quality sales leads. You can get the attendee’s
contact information by the time they sign in so you can retarget them later on and get in
touch with them to showcase your products and services.
You can also use this webinar to create other types of online content. You can post the
recording or you can turn it into blog posts or articles with some of the questions you
got from your audience.

Alternative Strategies
To overcome the lack of trust you face within the target audience we suggested
additional strategies that could help you expand your reach in the community, create
stronger relationships with your audience and build your brand.

Charity

Getting involved with your community by supporting a charity or volunteering is a great


way to find potential clients and also connect with your target audience since charity
work is also a part of their lives. It will give you a positive image by showing that you
care and are truly involved with your community. It can also be used for other types of
promotion, such as content creation for social media with posts and photographs, press
releases and word-of-mouth.

Personalized gifts

21
Since your positioning involves customized solutions and you have a limited number of
clients you can take, we also suggest you send personalized gifts to make them feel
exclusive and special, increasing your chances to be referred to their friends and family.

● Send simple but exclusive treats for your clients when they archive a milestone
such as start doing business with you, buy a house, birthdays, etc
● Shows that you care and that you’re not just “another wealth advisor”
● Box of chocolate, good quality pen with their name engraved, handwritten letter,
birthday card

Campaign Creative
Look & Feel
Since Scotiabank is a well-known and established brand worldwide, you should follow
the brand colours and visuals not only for your website but also on social media and
other channels for a consistent and cohesive look and feel.
We recommend that you keep the design clean, with lots of white, writing in dark grey or
black and a touch of red. The use of pictures is also recommended, you can ask the
marketing team for pictures and resources that are available to you, but there are also
websites that offer professional and stock photography for free such as Unsplash and
Pexels. You should focus on pictures that you can visualize your target audience on so
they can immediately relate when they see them.

Focus on pictures that:


● Show people –avoid landscape/background types of pictures
○ Preferably, look for pictures that people look like older than 40-45 years old
● Show people together with their partner, children, family
● People are happy and smiling
○ Only use pictures of people upset when you are talking about a pain point
of your target audience, that will portray your services as the “hero
product” that can help them in that situation
● Shows diversity, people from different ethnic backgrounds, ages, skin colour,
gender, etc.

Tone of Voice

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Having a distinct tone of voice that shows your values can humanize the company,
make you stand out amongst the competition and also help you connect with your
target audience.

When setting a tone of voice it’s important to put yourself in the shoes of your audience
and think of the feelings you want to portray, the purpose of your messaging and who
you are writing to. By having an established and consistent voice throughout all your
brand’s touchpoints you’ll build trust amongst your audience because they’ll feel you are
familiar, reliable and human.

We recommend that you follow a voice that is:


● Professional
● Conversational
● Knowledgeable
● Informative
● Friendly
● Trustworthy
● Ambitious

Since you are focused on customized and unique solutions for your clients, we believe
that by having those traits as a guide for your communications you’ll be able to
establish yourself as an advisor that is both a professional and a trusted friend at the
same time.

Timeline & Budget


The strategy outlined above involves a multi-channel content marketing approach and
will need a balance of advertising and content creation in order to drive traffic in both
the long and short term. The nature of this strategy document is to provide a high level
direction as to who the ideal client for Scotia Wealth is, what their preferences are and
how best to reach and communicate with them. Should you choose to continue working
with Spark to execute on elements of the proposed strategy, a budget and timeline can
be provided for the specific deliverables and campaign.

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Next Steps
Thank you for choosing to work with Spark. We hope this document is a valuable
resource for you when moving forward with your future marketing strategies.

Upon your review of the Marketing Strategy and recommendations, Spark can work with
Scotia Wealth Management on prioritizing a list of executable tactics. Based on the
agreed-upon tactics, Spark can provide a customized quote and timeline to move
forward with the execution of any requested deliverables.

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