Greenwashing has undoubtedly erased trust in ESG products across all sectors. However, such branding challenges present huge opportunities for organisations that truly act with purpose. For CFA Society UK, “servicing society’s best interests” is the core to its mission and this has driven its focus on developing the Certificate in Climate & Investing.

As the world navigates the climate crisis and economic and social action focuses on de-carbonisation, the CFA Society UK Certificate in Climate & Investing has an important role to play in arming investment professionals with the skills they need to make investments work harder, smarter, and more sustainably.
 
In 2022, CFA Society UK developed an award-winning marketing campaign to promote the certificate and encourage sign-ups. Driving its go-to-market strategy was a need to find a place for green skills in the industry and raise awareness of the transition to net zero. CFA Society UK highlighted the impact that investment management can have on climate, with the aim of driving more action, deepening engagement, and improving standards across the profession.
 
The campaign came to life through a series of focus groups which brought together pioneers, academics and industry leaders in the sustainable investing space to debate and define the core messages and purpose of the certificate. As a result, and in partnership with its PR agency, Vested, CFA Society UK created a compelling narrative that underpinned every asset, activation and interaction.
 
The marketing messaging had an urgent tone “Now is the Time” and this was anchored by tangible solutions to sign-up for the CFA Society UK Certificate in Climate & Investing. The need to take action to change the bigger picture was also reflected in the creative treatment of the campaign, which was used across multiple platforms to connect with existing and potential customers.
 
Launched through a press release and interviews with target trade press, CFA Society UK chief executive Will Goodhart set the scene: “There has never been a more important time for investment professionals to understand climate risks and how to integrate climate considerations into a portfolio.”
 
The campaign progressed through a mix of organic and paid test-and-learn social media campaigns, elevated by striking imagery and calls to action; email marketing campaigns; and an outreach programme driven by firms and industry influencers. By capturing the imaginations and consciences of investment professionals across all levels, the campaign achieved an ROI of +600% in the first 12 weeks, while driving much-needed industry awareness.
 
CFA Society UK was proud to win the Most Effective Content Marketing Campaign 2022 at the Financial Services Forum’s Marketing Effectiveness Awards, helping to bring even more focus to the importance of upskilling to become a changemaker.
 
For more information about the Certificate in Climate & Investing visit: www.cfauk.org/climate