RESP DEALERS ASSOCIATION OF CANADA/USC EDUCATION SAVING PLANS
OVERVIEW
BROWN & COHEN SOLUTION
USC Education Saving Plans Inc.:
• Increased profile of select senior executives by developing and implementing annual media tours across Canada on personal finance issues.
• Promoted USC’s various corporate social responsibility programs such as scholarship programs to show the company’s commitment to its customers.
• Created the “A to Zs of RESPs” campaign designed to educate the public through the media on all aspects of RESPs.
• Assisted in the concept creation of Guide to University Costs in Canada and conducted an annual cross-country media relations campaign on the results
RESP Dealers Association of Canada:
• Helped establish the RESP Dealers Association of Canada in 2000 to highlight the value of RESPs to families, media and government for federal and provincial legislators and the media.
• Convinced the federal government to introduce the Canada Education Savings Grant program in 1998 and the Canada Learning Bond in 2004 which provides Canadians, of all income levels, financial support for RESP investments. A similar program was implemented with our assistance by the Government of Alberta in 2005: the Alberta Centennial Education Savings program. Other provinces, including British Columbia and Quebec have implemented similar programs.
THE RESULT
Media relations campaign for USC Education Savings Plans resulted in:
• Over 800 major pieces of coverage nationally over a 10-year period including: Maclean’s, Money Sense, The Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, Vancouver Sun, Toronto Sun, National Post, Halifax Chronicle Herald, Regina Leader Post, Edmonton Sun, Edmonton Journal, Calgary Herald, Calgary Sun, Winnipeg Free Press, CTV News, CBC News, etc.
Government and stakeholder relations campaign resulted in:
• Over 100 meetings with legislators and regulators across Canada. With our assistance, the Association has been instrumental in growing Canadian RESP assets from $2.5 billion in 1998 to almost $20 billion today.
