Engaging employees in saving for the future, especially when different segments have different needs and motivations, can be a challenge. To satisfy differing tastes, White Castle’s #FeedYourFuture campaign mixed an exciting new recipe for success: human insights, creative strategy, and meaningful interactions. Starting with stakeholder and population analysis, we partnered with White Castle to educate team members and drive up enrollment in their 401(k).
The #FeedYourFuture campaign addressed two key groups: leaders/managers and all other 401(k)-eligible team members. Challenges included varying education levels, diverse job skills, and a multitude of geographic locations. What’s more, most team members did not have computer access at work, and their long hours made it difficult for them to find time to log on at home. Finally, over half of the team members are Millennials, bringing their own financial preferences and mindset to the mix.
Marketing Strategy
Given all these factors, White Castle’s campaign had to address many perspectives while leveraging multiple communication channels. To encourage comprehension—so behavior change was possible—White Castle developed a marketing strategy that leveraged both live and digital channels, including email announcements, face-to-face meetings, digital signage, an educational microsite, newsletter articles, and other print communication.
One challenge was balancing rich content with a captivating first impression, without isolating disparate groups. The campaign had to be both compelling and relevant to all types of team members, while accommodating all education levels. That’s why the team crafted #FeedYourFuture with the power of the White Castle brand while finding new and interesting ways to express it to their specific audiences. White Castle also knew local leaders/managers would be influential, primary sources for benefits information, so the communication strategy was designed to gain their buy-in and support and to engender a sense of personal responsibility for the campaign’s success.
As a result, 25% of non-exempt and 60% of exempt team members enrolled in the new program, exceeding White Castle’s expectations.