The ‘Positivity for Planners’ campaign – which will use the hash tag #PerceptionCorrection – has been established by a group of financial advisers across licensee and industry association lines to bring financial planning success stories to the wider public via social and paid mainstream media.
The AFA and FPA have been formally lobbied to offer verbal, financial and logistical support to the initiative, with organisers making clear the ‘Positivity for Planners’ campaign will not be at “cross purposes” with existing projects and initiatives spearheaded by the two organisations.
A committee has set a crowdfunding target of $100,000 for the creation of videos, blogs and other professionally-made content as well as mainstream media “air time”, with advice community stakeholders called on to give generously.
“The committee believes it’s time to use social media and mainstream media to get our clients’ success stories and other positive stories about the profession to the vast majority of Australians who currently don’t have an adviser but would benefit greatly from having one,” said a submission from the Perception Correction committee calling for support from the advice associations.
“We aim to get at least 20 per cent of our output to go viral in the best way possible, and create attention for the right reasons. All content will be positively focused. There will be no negativity, blame, or bad-mouthing.”
Financial contributors will be formally acknowledged as “#PerceptionCorrection campaigners” and will gain access to the campaign output for their own use and dissemination.
“The videos will feature real stories from real people in an engaging manner. It will tell those who don’t have a clue about what we do how we can help them,” the submission states.
“It’s time to work towards making change happen,” it said.
The AIOFP, IFAAA and BFP have also been approached to support the campaign.
To register interest in supporting the campaign or donating time and funds please email positivityforplanners@gmail.com
[quote name=”Neil”]@ Bank Planner – Westpoint pales into insignificance when compared to Basis Capital. How deep were the banks into Basis ?[/quote]
Do you honestly think that this comment is relevant? Is a ‘little’ AFSL any less culpable for their planners actions than a bank? Does it put the consumer somehow in a better position when their independent adviser does the wrong thing by them because it was done by an independent?
My point to Ben was that pointing fingers at one sector of the profession isn’t going to help. I’m with Melinda Houghton on this – we are all in this together and the time for bad mouthing and division is over.
I, for one, am mightily sick of it being assumed that I don’t do the right thing by my clients because I happen to work for a bank. But despite this campaign being driven from the independent sector, and their apparent hatred of me, I am still in full support of this campaign and believe ALL of us should get involved.
One of the problems with all financial services businesses (that includes accountants, planners, auditors, fund managers – and even the regulators!) is that few truly understand how the Money Business works. Clever accounting practices produce obscure documents that are relied upon by those who have to trust them because they have little or no understanding of how to refute them…
What are we going to do about that fact: that the blind are often leading the deaf? All the PR in the world won’t help trust when the next collapse occurs or the next financial scam dressed up as an investment is unwound. ASIC does what it can with its low budget and we throw stones at it – despite having the same aim, which is for our various professions to be trusted so we can get on with business. Solution: we all need to report wrong-doing as and when we see it rather than look the other way. We also need a fidelity fund into which we pay (say) 1% of our revenue. Big guys pay more but everyone pays.
The silence of the FPA & AFA is deafening…
Bureaucrats have taken over the FPA, they are not for the members anymore, the planners, but for their own grandification…
Once the crowd-funding campaign is live and accepting funds in the near future, it is hoped that all participants in the profession will put their hands in their pockets and their money where their mouth is. But the time for division and bad-mouthing is over. We need to make change happen with positivity now, and educate people as to what the majority of the profession really does – changing lives with quality advice. Well done on Aleks Vickovich and ifa for helping spread the word. #PerceptionCorrection
@ Bank Planner – Westpoint pales into insignificance when compared to Basis Capital.
How deep were the banks into Basis ?
[quote name=”Ben”]What about NAB, Commonwealth Bank, Macquarie, Suncorp and ANZ? Have they offered funds to help with this cause? [/quote]
You forgot to mention all those independent AFSLs that over the years have brought the industry into disrepute. Surely, for example, PIS would want to contribute given their Westpoint and Agri stuff ups?
What about NAB, Commonwealth Bank, Macquarie, Suncorp and ANZ? Have they offered funds to help with this cause? Considering the damage they have done to the reputation of our profession they should be the first ones to put their hands in their pockets and help promote the good work done by the vast majority of financial planners every day. If those institutions get involved (and they bloody well should), they could make a huge difference and give back to the profession they have tarnished.
Well done! It will be interesting to see who supports this, surely AFA & FPA should certainly be heavily involved. We’ll see….
Hopefully this will help bring some sense into the public discussion. It certainly needs some #PerceptionCorrection.
In my view it’s too late.
Where were the fundies and platform providers championing our cause over these past years ?
Vert happy to take our money though.