Nationwide’s Craig Rudesill awarded, along with AIG, AXA, Global Atlantic Financial Group & Legg Mason
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Mar 21, 2017 — The Insured Retirement Institute (IRI) today recognized AIG, AXA, Global Atlantic Financial Group, Legg Mason, and Craig Rudesill of Nationwide Financial as the 2017 IRI Marketing Innovation Award recipients.
The awards are presented annually at the IRI’s Marketing Summit to acknowledge breakthroughs in the areas of new products and services, development of consumer and advisor educational resources, and overall marketing campaigns to foster greater acceptance and use of insured retirement strategies.
“IRI members consistently put forward practical and educational consumer-focused solutions to help Americans prepare a holistic plan to reach a financially secure retirement,” IRI President and CEO Cathy Weatherford said. “IRI is proud to recognize those who are providing solutions and reshaping the way consumers meet their income needs during their retirement years. Selected by a committee of their peers, this year’s IRI Marketing Innovation Award honorees have used their commitment to innovation and thought leadership to improve client engagement and lessen the ever-growing difficulty of preparing for a financially secure retirement.”
Awards presented annually
The Marketing Innovation Award – Insurer was presented to AIG for its Income Savvy program which includes a wide range of educational tools and business building components to provide clients and advisors a greater level of retirement income education. Income Savvy is a valuable platform for AIG’s ongoing educational effort to promote the importance of insured retirement solutions. Developed in collaboration with experts from The American College of Financial Services, Dr. Wade D. Pfau and Dr. Michael Finke, the Income Savvy client kits are being actively used by financial advisors, implementing holistic plans for their clients.
The Marketing Innovation Award – Distributor was presented to two nominees: AXA’s Retirement Cornerstone Application and Global Atlantic Financial Group’s Simply Speaking education series.
AXA’s Retirement Cornerstone App expands the utilization of digital media formats through collaboration with advisors, business partners, and consumer insights to inform consumers and advisors of the benefits of investment and retirement options. AXA’s tireless commitment to clear communication and visual storytelling paid off with the Retirement Cornerstone App that helps consumers understand all facets of retirement.
Global Atlantic Financial Group’s Simply Speaking education series takes on the emotional challenges associated with American retirement and breaks them down into easy-to-understand guides on a multitude of topics concerning the complexities and challenges of retirement planning. Simply Speaking offers a series of guides to help foster consumer understanding on topics like Social Security, veterans’ death benefits, variable and fixed-indexed annuities, long-term care, and funeral planning. Packed with insightful infographics, each guide is written in everyday language to help clients quickly understand the complexities of retirement planning.
The Marketing Innovation Award – Asset Management for 2017 goes to Legg Mason for their comprehensive marketing program which was designed to help advisors and their clients plan for emergencies and major health events. By combining the topics of aging and intergenerational divides in its innovative advisor brochure and client-advisor workbook, Legg Mason has allowed advisors to create a centralized information hub. While the subject matter may not be light, the materials are highly valuable in helping individuals plan, weigh options, and communicate with their loved ones.
The Marketing Innovation Award – Individual for 2017 goes to Craig Rudesill. In his role as the Director of Annuities Marketing for Nationwide Financial, Craig has been leading educational programs focusing on the importance of retirement planning for women through Nationwide’s Women & Investing initiative. By integrating new and engaging web-based content geared toward women and advisors, Nationwide has leveraged consumer channels such as Facebook to connect directly with customers. In a financial services marketing world that is dominated by product-centric collateral, Nationwide’s Women & Investing effort set a new bar for thought leadership content.
About the Insured Retirement Institute: The Insured Retirement Institute (IRI) is the leading association for the retirement income industry. IRI proudly leads a national consumer coalition of more than 30 organizations, and is the only association that represents the entire supply chain of insured retirement strategies. IRI members are the major insurers, asset managers, broker-dealers/distributors, and 150,000 financial professionals. As a not-for-profit organization, IRI provides an objective forum for communication and education, and advocates for the sustainable retirement solutions Americans need to help achieve a secure and dignified retirement. Learn more at www.irionline.org.
