Planning Ahead
It’s Gotta Be A CFP ® CFP Board’s Public Awareness Campaign
drives home that expertise matters, especially when it comes to finances.
BY LYNN MCNUTT
AN UPBEAT SURGEON greets his smiling patient, “Hey there, Brenda.” Her smile fades as she corrects him, “It’s Carol.” Un- fazed, the doctor asks, “So, which leg are we operating on?” Her face sinks further as she responds, “You mean arm.” The surgeon brushes o ff her mounting panic with, “It’s all connected.” Terrified, the patient finally asks, “Are you sure you’re an orthopedist?” He casually responds, “Actually, I’m a Sagittarius.” The punch- line lands as a voiceover delivers the takeaway: “Asking the right question can greatly impact your future, espe- cially when it comes to your finances.” So begins CFP Board’s 2024 commercial in the Public Awareness Campaign, “It’s Gotta Be A CFP® CFP Board’s Public Awareness Cam- paign educates consumers about the value of working with a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL
PLANNER ® professional. This bold cam- paign featured television, radio and digital advertising and airport and train station takeovers during the inaugural CFP Board Connections Conference. The campaign helped generate the highest numbers ever tracked in awareness of CFP® certification and preference for CFP® professionals among the target audience. In its second year, “It’s Gotta Be A CFP®” achieved record results in ad- dressing what CFP® professionals tell us should be a priority for CFP Board: raising awareness about the value of CFP® certification among consumers. Groundswell of Support In 2008, CFP Board had a new CEO: Kevin R. Keller, CAE. The organization had moved from Denver to Washington, D.C., to strengthen its voice with policymakers.
Keller was hiring sta ff for the new head- quarters and traveling the country meet- ing certificants to hear their perspective about CFP Board’s priorities. “Everywhere we went, we kept hear- ing from people, ‘I’m really proud of hav- ing my CFP® certification,’” said Keller. “I just wish more of my prospective clients — and even current clients — knew what it meant.” During these meetings (See Certifi- cant Connections Townhall Meetings , page 35 ) , certificants told Keller that raising awareness should be a priority for CFP Board. When Keller asked if certificants would be willing to pay more to fund the direct expense of an ad campaign, their response was a resounding “yes.” And so, in 2011, CFP Board launched its first Public Awareness Campaign. Since its inception, CFP Board has
spent $160 million on the Public Aware- ness Campaign. Driving results Before the campaign began, Un- aided Awareness of CFP® certifica- tion among the target audience was 17%. Unaided Awareness measures whether the audience can call to mind a brand without prompting. That means that only 17% of the most rele- vant prospects for financial planning could call to mind CFP® certification without prompting. There was a clear need to generate awareness for the profession among consumers. In CFP Board’s most recent brand tracking research, Unaided Awareness has grown from 17% to 44%. In 2024, To- tal Awareness, the measure of Unaided Awareness and Aided Awareness, reached
The Public Awareness Campaign includes advertising on broadcast television, streaming
The television commercials emphasize the feeling of confidence and security that come from working with
TAKE ACTION Update Your Find a CFP® Professional Profile With the 2025 public awareness campaign’s media strategy guaranteed to generate at least 1.3 billion impressions, now is a great time for CFP ® professionals to create or update your “Find a CFP ® Professional” profile on LetsMakeAPlan. org. Our recent consumer research found that it is important to include a photo in your profile . Consumers viewed profiles with a photo as more trustworthy, and they were more likely to contact CFP ® professionals who provided a photo. If you are not currently featured on the tool, log into your CFP Board account today at cfp.net to review how to be included. If you are already featured and want to review your information, log into your directory profile in your CFP Board account to review and make any updates.
platforms, print, digital, radio and social media.
a qualified profession.
THE STANDARD
A LOOK AT 2024
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