Bijl PR activates young adults to think about their Money for Later in life

How often do you think about retirement? Weekly? Monthly? Yearly? Or maybe… never? It’s no surprise that retirement isn’t top of mind for many people – especially younger generations. In fact, research shows that only 13% of 25- to 35-year-olds actively think about their retirement. The remaining 87% hardly ever, or never, consider it.

And that’s a missed opportunity. Because there are key life moments when it’s actually crucial to think about your future finances – such as in relationships (moving in together, starting a family), career changes (a new job, working more or less), or moving house (renting or buying). The choices you make during these moments can significantly affect your money for later.

To young adults, retirement feels like a far-off concept. So how do you inform and activate them? By truly understanding what they are interested in. Together with research agency Ruigrok, we conducted both qualitative and quantitative research among 25- to 35-year-olds. The goal: to map their perception of retirement and understand their needs when it comes to financial information.  Key insights that shaped our campaign:

• Young adults are focused on their financial future (in a 10–20-year timeframe), but not specifically on retirement.
• They value autonomy and prefer to manage their own future – often by saving or investing, rather than relying on third parties like pension funds.
• They tend to think about retirement only during major life changes, such as shifts in income or completing tax returns.
• They rarely seek out pension-specific information, but they do actively look for tips on saving and investing via social media or books.
• When it comes to pension information, they prefer it to be visual, concise, relevant to their personal situation, and actionable (i.e., clear steps and direct links to take action).

Our research made it clear: young adults aren’t actively thinking about retirement – but they are thinking about their financial future. Saving, investing, and even crypto are gaining popularity among this group as ways to build a “later” fund. The word “pension,” however, is often a turn-off. We used this insight to shape our strategy:

Our key tactics:

• We encourage young adults to reflect on their financial future by aligning with their mindset and language.
• We position retirement as part of a broader conversation around financial planning, including saving and investing.
• We tap into life moments during which this group is naturally more reflective about money (housing, career, family).
• We maintain constant visibility on the platforms where young adults are most active.
• We make “money for later” a relatable and open topic, offering tools to take immediate action.
• We personalize the message by sharing the real stories of young adults, using peer voices to inspire and inform.

Aligned with our strategy, we developed a variety of assets and touchpoints to engage and activate young adults.

1. A recognizable and relatable campaign identity

In collaboration with Campagne, we created a fresh visual style – logo, branding, website, and photography. We tested it with the target audience to ensure it connected with their perspective.

2. Engaging content through street interviews

Together with LEF Media, we hit the streets to ask young adults how they view their financial future. Do they consider the impact of life events – like a new job – on their finances? These approachable interviews became social content that sparked curiosity and conversation.

3. Influencer partnership for visibility

To amplify the campaign’s reach, we partnered with influencer Laura Holscher, a content creator in her 30s. Together, we produced the three-part series “30 and Now”, in which Laura explores real-life dilemmas related to money and life events. Topics included:

• How do you know when you’re ready to have children?
• Should you choose more free time or more income?
• Why is buying a house a smart financial move?

4. Continuous presence through owned content

Want to make pensions appealing, modern, and relatable? Consistent, high-quality social content is key. In partnership with Campagne, we created a range of engaging content formats for our channels, published bi-weekly to keep the message fresh and visible.

Since launch, the campaign has achieved strong visibility across multiple channels:

Earned Media

• 1 major publication based on the quantitative research with Ruigrok
• Key finding: 90% of young adults are barely concerned with retirement, yet 40% want to retire before age 62
• Our proactive media strategy led to impactful coverage

Paid Media

• Instagram campaign
  • Views: 3.35 million
  • Reach: 560,000 unique users
  • Duration: 4 weeks

Owned Media

• 13 Instagram posts, some reposted by ABP (one of the largest pension funds in the Netherlands)
• Follower growth: +36% (from 443 to 603)
• Campaign period: 10 February to 9 March

Looking ahead

We’re incredibly proud of the campaign launch and the assets we’ve created. That’s why we’re moving forward with full energy into 2025!