ModernAdviso is a robo-advisor that developed an investment management technology that lets users start building wealth with less money and less time. The stakes for fintech startups are always high, competing for a small media landscape not only with each other but traditional banks, so we made sure ModernAdvisor had one more avenue to the table that most startups don’t begin to think about: the social innovation conversation. We’ll let the numbers speak for themselves.
THE CHALLENGE
Where tech and social innovation meet, we shine. In our consultation with ModernAdvisor, we recommended delaying the launch by another month to build out a responsible investment offering, to strengthen their position as the first robo-advisor to do so with a socially responsible investing portfolio. Hot on the heels of their launch, we developed the Springboard program which simulates investment management for users to try robo-advising. Media relations were all supported by social media and digital marketing efforts. Finally, we embarked on the creation of a mascot, knowing that commodities like financial services live and die by their brand.
THE SOLUTION
Finance, tech and business media warmly welcomed ModernAdvisor’s initial launch, and with a few newshijacking opportunities that came up, resulted in coverage in the Financial Post, Globe and Mail, Investment Executive, Advisor.ca, Techvibes, and an episode in BNN’s The Disruptors to name a few. Once we built up ModernAdvisor in media consciousness, the mentions came on their own – Canadian Press included them in a roundup alongside other industry leaders like Wealthsimple and Nest Wealth.
THE RESULTS
Yulu also secured bylined articles in Techcrunch and Huffington Post in our focus on sharing Navid’s visionary founder story. By the end of our engagement, media were seeking out Navid’s opinion as an established and respected voice for the online wealth management and financial advisor space. Sometimes, being socially innovative in a profit-driven industry like finance can trigger a positive chain reaction. Three months after ModernAdvisor launched an SRI portfolio in Canada, so did the the largest player in Canada. The media relationships Yulu cultivated came to fruition as socially responsible investing trended as a national business story. We anticipate seeing other FinTechs follow suit, introducing their own forms of social and environmental benefit offerings.
Style and substance are both important when you’re in financial services, with style often put on the backburner. To put a friendly face to ModernAdvisor’s algorithm, our creative department proposed that we create a mascot to humanize and showcase ModernAdvisor’s offering, who would become the foundation of social media and advertising campaigns. We’re now putting the finishing touches on our little robo. Check back later!
Yulu Pr Stastistics
We’re most proud of the change we’ve made with ModernAdvisor:
75
Media results
86
Brand impressions
17
Million reached