Wealthsimple's Audience Insights Power Viral Campaign
Snapshot; Wealthsimple Foundation’s latest campaign, Money Master Class, is a testament to the power of understanding your audience. The foundation, which supports financial literacy for Canadians, especially those from underrepresented communities, used robust audience research to guide the creation of its YouTube series. This content-first approach resulted in over 1.5 million views and positioned the Foundation as a leader in educational financial marketing.
The campaign was born out of necessity. In-person events, while impactful, lacked the reach to meet the Foundation’s ambitious goals. By conducting surveys, gathering analytics, and hosting focus groups, the team identified 15–24-year-olds as their key demographic and tailored their approach accordingly. Topics like “Money Mindsets,” budgeting, and credit building emerged as top priorities for their audience.
Recognizing that content format matters, the team tested multiple social platforms. YouTube outperformed TikTok and Instagram due to its compatibility with longer-form content, making it the clear choice. The pilot video, “Money Mindsets,” amassed over 800,000 views shortly after its debut.
Wealthsimple Foundation ensured authenticity by partnering with Toronto’s youth-led Underscore Studios to produce the series and hiring young talent who mirrored their target audience. Post-launch feedback confirmed the success of the campaign, with requests for future episodes focusing on taxes and investing.
Wealthsimple’s strategic approach not only maximized ROI but also created content that resonated deeply with its audience. For marketers, this story underscores the value of investing in audience research, maintaining authenticity, and staying agile in response to feedback.
Key Quote: “When we ask our audience for feedback, we see what topics and examples resonate with them most—what they want to hear about,” said Leen Li, Chair of Wealthsimple Foundation. “It’s about centering their experiences in the content and creating material that feels authentic and engaging.”
Full story: Hootsuite