Brand consistency for members – from joining the Scheme to enjoying retirement

​

Railways Pension Scheme (RPS)

​

The Railways Pension Scheme (RPS) is one of the UK's largest pension arrangements representing 150+ rail companies, and with more than 350,000 members. It is quite a rare defined benefit scheme which should be regarded as a valuable employment benefit, but comes at a significant cost to both member and participating employers.

 

The high cost plus scepticism over pension saving since the 2008 financial crash, and resulting financial strain on individuals, inevitably caused people to consider opting out of pension arrangements. Membership is critical to ensure the long-term viability of the RPS.

 

To build the trust and confidence in the Scheme required to sustain it, members need to feel they are in safe hands and a consistent experience is crucial to that. With communications to and publications for members using a variety of styles and tones of voice the member journey to retirement was a confusing and unsettling experience. 

 

The demographic diversity of the member population meant it was important that the brand not only reflected members, but had a strong connection to its rail heritage. Retaining the original RPS logo as the key brand asset that members recognise most readily, a design style was created around it which provides clear guidelines as well as a strong framework within which to develop a cohesive suite of member-facing communications delivering a consistent experience. 

 

Versatile and flexible enough to allow for nuances between a welcome pack for a new member, or a newsletter for a pensioner. With an easy-to-understand tone, visual elements of photography and iconography coexisting to support member understanding and to feel confident in the decisions they make to achieve the retirement outcome they desire.

 

The resulting brand appeals to and engages with all member types at every stage of their journey to retirement. Sympathetic to their broad needs yet understanding of individual circumstances. A stable brand proven to galvanise brand loyalty which employers can leverage as a valuable benefit when recruiting and retaining employees.