Reaching members across every touchpoint has become central to pension marketing, with firms increasingly focused on delivering content and solutions that resonate across diverse audiences.
Opening the discussion at FP Live! 2026, Alistair Welham, now:pensions’ director of marketing and communications, said improving engagement requires bringing pensions into clearer view through the right channels.
“When you think about a bank account or an insurance policy, they are visible and front of mind. The challenge is how we bring pensions in front of people in the same way, so they can engage more easily,” he said.
Echoing this, Victoria Panormo, head of client relationships at Aviva, emphasised the need for a fully integrated approach.
“Our approach has to be omnichannel. We need to meet customers on the channels they already use and be present as a trusted source that employers can confidently direct them towards,” she said.
Panellists agreed that pension marketing strategies are shifting towards more direct, accessible communication, with social media playing an increasingly important role.
However, content must be tailored carefully to each platform and audience. Robert Cochran, workplace savings engagement and innovation specialist at Scottish Widows, highlighted the importance of relevance and familiarity in communication.
“It’s about speaking to audiences in the way they want to be spoken to, and using voices they recognise,” he said. “What might surprise people is that our most popular organic TikTok video is about the state pension.”
“There’s a significant life stage community, particularly on Facebook, which remains the preferred platform for more mature audiences. It comes down to being in the right place, on the right channel.”
Ultimately, pension providers are shifting towards omnichannel, audience-guided engagement strategies, using entertaining, targeted content to meet members where they are.
