Challenge
Vanguard, a 10-year TMK client and disruptor in the financial services category, grew to be one of the largest mutual fund companies in the world based on reputation alone. As primary competitors continued to outspend in advertising support and the space became more cluttered with new companies like Betterment and RobinHood stealing share of wallet, we recognized digital advertising could drive incremental value and provide a fresh brand presence among competitors. Insight 98+% of Vanguard's acquisitions occur online, the bulk of which were from millennials. A digital-first media strategy paired with an advanced tech stack would align with the media consumption habits of new investors and provide an ecosystem of measurable and ad-attributable results that could be optimized, scaled and repeated.
Solution
Pivoting from the traditional go-to-market approach to Signal Planning - identifying customers based on the signals they release in-market - allowed us to capture latent demand and identify the need-state of consumers to best determine where the next dollar should be spent. Developing a modern, Vanguard-specific tech stack provided transparency into every aspect of the media plan and determined the value driven specifically by advertising. Implementing a channel mix (search, programmatic, site direct, content, social and more) that prioritized measurability and flexibility allowed for nimble optimizations that were channel agnostic at the most granular level - by keyword, placement and targeting strategy
Results
72% Decrease in Cost Per Acquisition 800% Total Acquisition Increase(including A50+) Campaign was so successful, 2019 ad budget doubled + Included Vanguard’s 1st Brand Campaign
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