Connecting the dots: How data informed our latest ad campaign

At Guideline, our mission is to help set people up for a successful retirement. We work to deliver on that mission through technology, automation, and education for business owners and savers alike. This mission also served as the foundation for our new brand identity and our latest ad campaign.

State mandated retirement programs have been gaining momentum across the country over the past couple of years. If you’re a small business owner in California, perhaps you’ve heard of the CalSavers Retirement Savings Program, or CalSavers for short. While the program was created to encourage people to save for retirement, we found that many employers had either never heard of the program or didn’t understand important details about the mandate.

We reached out to California residents and, through our research¹, found that 72% had never heard of or were unfamiliar with CalSavers. That number held steady among small businesses — the heart of the audience the mandate is meant to impact — with 74% of California small business owners having not heard of or were unfamiliar with the legislation. The deadline for these businesses (with 5 or more California employees) to register ended on June 30, and soon the state will begin charging non-compliance penalties starting at $250 per employee.²

This is why we’ve kicked off a statewide campaign to help educate people across the Golden State about CalSavers and the importance of saving for retirement with billboards, wallscapes, bus shelters, radio, and more.

At Guideline, our effort to engage and educate small business owners extends far beyond the state of California.

Over the past year, we’ve been working behind the scenes to evolve our brand. Using our mission as a guide, we aimed to build an engaging and differentiated visual identity, including a new logo and design system.

We’re proud that our brand reflects where we are today, and we’re excited to watch it evolve. Stay tuned, and thank you to the business owners, employees, accountants, and advisors who make everything we do possible.

¹ Source: Suzy research insights based on data collected between July 11, 2022, and July 15, 2022, from a survey of 814 Californian consumers ages 18 to 67.

²  The Calsavers mandated registration deadline for newly eligible employers is December 31, 2022. Learn more here. You should consult a qualified financial adviser or tax professional to verify that you are meeting the applicable state program requirements. Requirements to report your exemption apply. State program details are subject to change by the state without notice and should be checked prior to making any decisions.