Case study

BAA Pension Scheme

Background

The BAA Pension Scheme (BAAPS) is closed to new entrants, but active members are still accruing benefits. The membership profile means that for many, if not most, of the members, BAAPS benefits will form a significant and important element of their income in retirement.

Despite this, awareness and understanding of how BAAPS works, and the value of membership, was limited. This manifested as low levels of active engagement with processes such as MND (member nominated director) elections, but also as high volumes of calls from members to the administrator with relatively simple questions. This latter meant valuable administrator resources being diverted from other tasks and lower levels of administration efficiency.

Recognising the need to improve administration processes, and wanting to increase engagement, the BAAPS Trustee Directors turned to Concert.

Insightful solution

We helped BAAPS develop and implement a ‘digital first’ communication strategy.

Initially, this involved the design, development and delivery of an open-access member website to act as a ‘one-stop shop’ for member information, and then supporting the membership through a ‘three strikes’ campaign process to encourage members to engage digitally. The campaign:

  • Clearly and concisely explained the reasons for moving BAAPS to a ‘digital first’ communication stance
  • Actively and positively encouraged members to make a choice that reflected their own communication preferences
  • Simply and easily facilitated the member choice process
  • Safely and securely stored member communication preferences.

The initial campaign ‘approached from all angles’ and involved a variety of media: online and paper, dynamic and static, personalised and generic.

Subsequently, we’ve helped the BAAPS Trustee Directors target specific member interactions to improve both member engagement and process-efficiencies. For example, in 2018 we launched an MND nomination portal to improve interactions with this important element of Scheme governance. This year, we’re extending this online functionality to support the MND election process as well. This digital development:

  • Improves the impact and traction of the MND call to action by delivering communication content in a way that reflects members’ communication preferences
  • Reduces the requirement for manual nomination and election management by securely automating key elements of the process
  • Generates both process and cost efficiencies, which in turn increases the ‘value for members’ of Scheme expenditure.

Earlier this year, we also rolled out a suite of member-friendly animations to help explain key aspects of the Scheme’s operation in a simple and engaging way.

Real-world results

The BAAPS Trustee Directors are extremely satisfied with the progress that’s been made:

  • A ‘previously unheard of’ 83% of BAAPS members made an active decision about their communication preferences
  • 63% elected to receive digital communications
  • This alone has generated estimated savings for BAAPS of £70,000 in distribution costs
  • Digital communications have extended into the Trustee elections - with the last two being undertaken using a mixture of digital and paper based communications, dictated by the members' communication preference
  • The number of basic queries received by the administrator has dropped significantly, freeing up valuable resource

Relevant, engaging, and an effective example of how adopting a digital engagement strategy can generate real returns.