Investors Group has revealed a new brand positioning that places value on personal experiences, as it aims to compete with banks for consumers interested in making the most of their finances.

The spot leading the new campaign, “Memories,” sits down with Canadians and asks them to share a cherished memory, from vacations to new relationships to football games. It then asks if they would trade that memory for anything, revealing that some things are more important than money.

[iframe_youtube video = “I_OZMzhtMFk”]

The new campaign will also include print ads and an increased presence on social media. DDB Toronto developed the campaign, with assistance from DDB Edmonton on media in English Canada and Bleublancrouge in French Canada. Tribal Worldwide Canada also handled a full redesign of the company’s web presence. This is the first major campaign DDB has handled for Investors Group since being named AOR a year ago.

Michael Davidson, SVP and business unit director at DDB Canada, says the impetus for the new positioning came as Investors Group was looking for ways to compete with banks, which are increasingly looking to attract more investment and wealth clients.

“Banks already have relationships with customers to build off of, so we had to find a way for the brand to build a bridge between [Investors Group’s] clients and what its consultants offer them,” Davidson says. “They’re not really a marketing-driven organization. They are very referral-based, so the brand itself had high awareness, but many people didn’t know what it stood for. After talking to people, we saw that they have a better story to tell and just don’t know how to tell it.”

Research DDB has done over the last year with the company’s executives, employees and customers revealed that its different business model, which relies almost entirely on client fees instead of things like collecting interest on debt, was also its biggest strength. That led to the new positioning, which is less about the pursuit of wealth and more about making the most of existing finances to make more memories.

“Talking to their senior executives and employees, it almost felt like a philanthropic organization compared to other financial institutions,” Davidson says. “The approach is less profit-oriented and more about having a thing that can really help Canadians to improve their financial well-being and their life in general. And they have to know the whole financial picture, not just pieces of it like some banks who might just focus on investments or mortgages.”

Davidson says the new campaign is targeting all age groups, focusing more on people who are already financially responsible but need the help of an expert to take that next step.

“They’re people that are trying to save and pay debt and prepare for retirement, but they need a professional to show them how to make the most of what they already have,” Davidson says. “That really became the rallying cry.”