Every day this week, we are rolling out the profiles of our 2022 Marketers of the Year. Read the other stories as they are published here.

This story was originally published in the Winter 2023 issue of strategy.

Yvonne Ziomecki-Fisher wants you to know that HomeEquity Bank isn’t your grandma’s reverse mortgage provider – and neither is its marketing.

Okay, technically it is, but the fact of the matter is that the brand has evolved way past the outdated myth that a reverse mortgage is synonymous with the word “scam.”

“In the past, that’s something we dealt with, but with the amount of accessible information at everyone’s fingertips, as well as word of mouth, I don’t see it as a problem as much as it was 10 years ago,” says Ziomecki-Fisher, who’s financial marketing expertise spans several roles with American Express before joining HomeEquity Bank in 2013.

But that doesn’t mean she’s sitting on the sidelines when it comes to strengthening the 37-year-old brand’s image. During the pandemic, she and CEO Steve Ranson authored Home Run, a book about reverse mortgages in Canada. In it, the pair describe success stories and provide commentary on real estate and wealth trends, while offering tips on how to talk with family about money – and explain how reverse mortgages work. “It’s been a big hit with our clients and partners,” she says.

And we know what you might be thinking: of course books would be a way to reach the brand’s target demographic of those 55 and older – these consumers aren’t exactly a cohort that you’ll find learning dances on TikTok.

But Ziomecki-Fisher says this is another area where outdated thinking runs rampant. “Many people don’t realize how advanced our digital marketing is because they underestimate how tech savvy older Canadians are.”

While many might remember HomeEquity Bank’s days-of-yore direct-marketing approach (think late-night cable ads with a 1.800 blue bottom third and plenty of B-roll), approximately 10 years ago, the brand embraced digital as a new channel for prospective clients. And just a few years later, HomeEquity Bank also partnered with agency Zulu Alpha Kilo to further develop its brand platform – a partnership that’s seen the development of award-winning creative.

What’s perhaps most notable about that creative is the approach taken to get there.

In a TV spot as part of the series “Retire in the Home You Love,” a campaign that helped HomeEquity Bank surpass one billion dollars in reverse mortgage originations in 2021 (a first in the company’s history), a young couple is seen eyeing an older person’s house, remarking about the time she’s got left before she sells so they can swoop in and purchase the property. Suddenly, “Doris” appears, letting the couple know she’s not going anywhere (“so get off her lawn!”). The campaign not only asserts this generation as possessing a feisty grit, but also empowers them to retain their agency – a far cry from infomercials depicting that someone has fallen and they can’t get up.

HomeEquity Bank’s series, “Retire in the Home You Love,” helped the brand surpass one billion dollars in reverse mortgage originations in 2021 – a first in the company’s history – while positioning aging Canadians as not only feisty, but in charge of their own futures.

To further dispel myths surrounding reverse mortgages, HomeEquity has enlisted prominent figureheads such as Frank Abagnale, Peter Mansbridge, Patti Lovett-Reid and Kurt Browning to reach its target audience, featuring informative interviews across digital and social platforms.

The brand is also a strong sponsor for the Royal Canadian Legion, a union that began in 2018 and has gone on to realize some of its most compelling creative. Aligned on audience and values, together the pair have entered the metaverse by connecting war veterans with gamers and e-sports, partnered with DoorDash to deliver re-created World War II field rations to consumers, and created a global virtual world in support of housing veterans.

Ziomecki-Fisher notes a favourite campaign from this partnership, “Letters Home,” which launched via OLV and across national OOH displays. In time for Remembrance Day, the campaign mailed replica letters written by Canadian Armed Forces during both World Wars to their originally intended addresses. She believes that this unique and powerful way to connect Canadians to the many wartime sacrifices made by Canada’s veterans won’t just raise awareness, but also lead to record donations at MyPoppy.ca.

You’ll notice that none of these strategies and campaigns paint a picture of HomeEquity Bank’s clientele as being in a position of inferiority or incompetence. Instead, its demographic is in a power position, having conversations with respected authorities of their generation and supporting causes that are close to their hearts.

Part of understanding how to ignite this power shift comes from Ziomecki-Fisher’s deep research. “We know a lot about our clients – what they read, what media they consume and how they like to receive it – our strategies are developed to address that,” she says. She points to data-driven marketing and ongoing research to ensure the brand stays current.

As you’d expect, sometimes that research is very structured, enabled by a team that’s grown from four to 12 in Ziomecki-Fisher’s time. Research strategies include partnering with celebrated organizations that have a strong understanding of HomeEquity Bank’s client base, such as Canadian Association for Retired Persons, the Royal Canadian Legion and the National Institute on Ageing. But Ziomecki-Fisher also taps a secret weapon for the inside scoop: her mother-in-law. “I ask her about her favourite TV shows, and check out her magazine pile and Facebook feed,” she says.

This thread of embracing a more human side to marketing also extends to HomeEquity Bank as a brand. During the pandemic, Operation Warm Hug saw HomeEquity Bank’s employees calling clients to check in on their well-being.

Ziomecki-Fisher remarks that this initiative was HomeEquity Bank’s values embodied: to help people achieve their goals and promote the belief that communities share the same purpose. “Initially, we thought we were going to help our clients by reaching out and having conversations,” she says. “But we all quickly realized it was a two-way street: our employees had the most wonderful conversations with clients who offered us advice and wisdom.”

Now after the height of the pandemic (as of when this issue went to print, anyway), the Operation Warm Hug tradition continues to be carried out by brand ambassador Kurt Browning.

It’s that ability to stay connected emotionally that drives Ziomecki-Fisher’s work – but it’s also what keeps her up at night. “On a macro level, [the challenges] are the same things we’re all feeling: post-COVID realities, work/life balance and the economy.”

As most marketers would attest, upcoming trends, budgets and blind spots round out her list of concerns. But when it really comes down to it, the evolution that she facilitates for HomeEquity Bank both inspires her and provokes more uncertainty as she keeps up with the level and pace of change. She wonders how people will cope and how their lives have changed after the last three years, and if they’ve got the right support systems in place.

But just as she finds a way to place power into the hands of those who need it, that shift also extends to her own work: “Market uncertainty keeps us on our toes. It ensures we don’t become complacent.”