Objective
As a leader in the reverse mortgage industry, Finance of America Reverse (FAR) set out to redefine its brand and transform financial retirement services in the U.S. through a new mission: to be the most beloved brand for people who want to make their finances work in retirement. We leveraged our strategy, creativity, and analytics expertise to innovate FAR’s approach—supporting them in revolutionizing reverse mortgage messaging and meeting tough goals in a highly competitive market.
Already a dubiously murky industry, the challenge was made more difficult by the target personas of the market - American retirees and those soon to be retiring. Instead of relenting like competitors in the same category, we leveraged deep insights into these consumers' desires, dreams, and wishes. We discovered they were very active on social media channels like Facebook and enjoyed watching content on YouTube. Many of FAR's customers were successful in business and life but wanted something different for their second act of retirement. These folks wanted to travel, spend time with family, write novels, and enjoy the fruits of their labor.
Solution
One way we could parlay copy to activate these customers was to understand that to get them into the consideration phase, we had to target them well before their career and financial lives hit that traditional "retirement" when reverse mortgages typically become an option. We coined several terms, like this one, to label this new era of life when they could begin winding down from working a bit too much to one in which they could work a bit less.
Instead of delivering traditional options for each discipline, we tailored an integrated model to "fuse" their brand with our ecosystems across all marketing functions. Together, we seamlessly reimagined FAR's customer acquisition model—creating a nurturing, long-term path to conversion. We listened to the needs of retirees to explore messaging that’s empathetic and not just informative. We connected with retirees’ lifestyles, offering storytelling centered on empathy, hope, and inspiration.Human modernized FAR’s message with an inviting design, intriguing copy, and an industry-changing film.
What resulted were landing pages that explained product offerings in simple terms, social media posts that showed real people and real lives, and, in many cases - profiles of customers who overcame challenges. In one campaign, "Letters," we spent time with FAR customers who had taken the time to write letters to explain how their lives changed drastically. One family lost their Montecito home to mudslides, another was diagnosed with a serious medical condition, and another remodeled her family home, keeping it in the family.