Talk Money To Me

Challenge Underserved by banks and the financial system at large, Canadians are, more often than not, apprehensive about openly discussing finances with their loved ones. To address this, Coast Capital wanted to show up as a real financial partner, specifically one that understands the growing pains of life. In 2021, Coast Capital launched its new brand platform – We’re for Real. But it’s one thing to say “we’re for real” and another to actually prove it. It’s even more difficult to convince audiences to shift loyalties when going up against the deep pockets of the Big Five banks. To stand out and connect with Canadians, Coast Capital partnered with Citizen to start unexpectedly human conversations about money and advocate for financial openness in relationships.

INSIGHTS Launching straight into the planning process, Coast Capital wanted to understand how, when, and what people were talking about with their significant others when it came to money. While Gen Z and Millennials are proud of how openly they discuss sex, politics, religion, and mental health with their loved ones, there’s one topic they still avoid: finances. We endeavored to facilitate honest conversations about finances and break down the final taboo in relationships — money — with Talk Money to Me.

IDEA Anchoring the campaign for financial openness, Coast Capital launched Talk Money to Me, a Q&A-style card game with provocative prompts, in branches across B.C. and online. Leveraging Valentine’s Day as a relevant cultural moment, we helped Coast Capital cut through the noise with a fresh perspective on financial transparency.

To gauge Canadians’ comfort levels on having the money talk in relationships, we conducted a study on the Angus Reid Forum which revealed that 45% of Canadians feel uncomfortable being honest about money with their partner. To add a unique twist, we took the game to the streets of Vancouver with rising TikTok personality and the city’s best-known street interviewer, Daniella Atinkson, engaging real couples in a street-style interview series that proved talking about money really is the final taboo in relationships. We executed targeted media relations, utilizing our tailored outreach approach and collaborated with key reporters and producers, leading to more intentional storytelling that resonated with our target audiences. We extended the social conversation through collaborations with three diverse influencers at different places in their relationships to showcase how the game can benefit couples no matter if it’s your first date or you’re married with kids.

RESULTS The campaign drove top-tier earned media coverage, including the Toronto Sun, with national syndication across Postmedia, and Corus Radio’s nationally syndicated finance show “For What It’s Worth with Rubina Ahmed-Haq.”