Bringing pensions planning to life with AWE

4 min read

Pensions can often feel like a distant, complex topic, but when employees are equipped with the right education and support, they build confidence for their financial future. That’s where nudge comes in.

AWE, a UK-based defense and security organization, worked closely with nudge to bring their pension campaign to life, offering employees a personal and practical way to engage with retirement planning.

With nudge’s impartial, personalized financial education, the initiative didn’t just raise pensions awareness. It helped employees to take confident, meaningful steps toward securing their financial future.

From concept to conversation

Aligned with the theme “Pay Your Pension Some Attention,” AWE’s campaign focused on making pensions personal and accessible. With nudge at the heart, they launched a week-long initiative packed with storytelling, education, and clear guidance to take action. Here are some of the key campaign activities:

Employees received personalized nudges.

Short, smart messages that explained the ‘what’ and ‘why’ of pension savings and encouraged immediate action. These nudges guided people to:

• review their contributions,
• check or update their beneficiaries,
• book time with an independent financial advisor (IFA),
• and explore how their pension aligned with their long-term goals.

Every interaction was personalized to life stage, making retirement planning feel relevant and manageable, no matter where they are in life.

A range of engaging events and activities helped bring retirement to life.

Six live webinars attracted over 2,270 attendees. Onsite support enabled employees to speak one-on-one with retirement specialists. AWE also delivered a daily mix of “Do, Read, Attend or Watch” actions which helped maintain momentum throughout the week.

One standout moment was the “In Conversation With…” panel, where AWE colleagues from different stages of retirement planning shared honest, relatable stories. These peer-led insights helped demystify pensions and sparked real engagement across the organization.

Real impact, ready for the future

AWE’s campaign didn’t just drive awareness; it delivered measurable outcomes. The team celebrated real impact post-campaign, including:

• 209% increase in employees increasing their pension contributions in the month immediately after their Pensions Week (2024: 500 vs. 2023: 162)
• 50% increase in AON beneficiary changes (Q4: 258 vs. Q3: 168)
• 50% of two years’ worth of IFA engagement achieved in just two months (mid-Sept to mid-Nov)
• 25% increase in nudge platform activity and 33% increase in repeat users.

Just as importantly, the campaign sparked conversations that had a lasting impact for AWE’s people. As one employee put it:

“I really hope you host a Pensions Week every few years because I have found this week super helpful. Without the information received this week, I would never have thought about so many important aspects, such as checking my state pension contributions.”

Further to the employee testimonial, AWE’s post-campaign survey found:

• 75% of employees said their pension confidence has increased because of the campaign
• 70% took action as a direct outcome of the initiative.

Turning retirement planning into a shared priority

Together, AWE and nudge proved that when you combine personalized financial education with the right support, you can drive real behavior change. Campaigns like this show how organizations can shift retirement planning from passive to powerful. Where employees feel informed, supported, and in control of their financial futures.

Learn more about nudge and AWE's success story and how we can help you do the same.