U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission
Office of Consumer Outreach
SOCIAL MARKETING & RESEARCH OVERVIEW
SEVENTH ANNUAL FINANCIAL LITERACY LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
SEPTEMBER 29, 2014
These remarks are my own and do not
necessarily reflect the views of the CFTC,
its Chairman, Commissioners, or staff.
2
CFTC Consumer Outreach
Behavior Change Objectives
 Recognize the signs of persuasion before investing
 Checking the background of any financial product or
person
 Reporting suspected or known incidents of fraud
3
CFTC Consumer Outreach
Initial Target Audience
 Ages 50-65
 Men & Women
 “Middle to upper” household income
 Financially literate / familiar with financial
products & services
4
CFTC Consumer Outreach
Message Testing & Framing
Mindset
5
CFTC Consumer Outreach
Compared to other people you know…what statement best
describes your investment research and skills?
15%
0%
6%
46%
32%
Know more
Know somewhat less
Know somewhat more
Know less
Know about the same
6
CFTC Consumer Outreach
Please indicate how likely you believe it is that such a situation could
happen to you.
79%
51%
34%
10%
15%
12%
Invest in something that later turns out to be
fraudulent
Less Likely (0-49% chance)
Be approached by a financial fraud perpetrator,
whether directly, through a cold call, or through
an unknowing friend
Unsure (50/50 chance)
More Likely (51-100% chance)
7
CFTC Consumer Outreach
36% Disagree
36% Agree
I have enough instincts and experience to
identify a fraudulent deal without having to 7%
specifically confirm the legitimacy of it.
Strongly Agree
Neither Agree nor Disagree
Strongly Disagree
29%
28%
24%
12%
Somewhat Agree
Somewhat Disagree
8
CFTC Consumer Outreach
How important is each of the following sources for you personally
when it comes to researching potential investments?
Very important
Somewhat important
Professional financial planner or accountant
37%
A financial government agency like the SEC or the
CFTC
34%
Specific website(s) dedicated to investment news and
advice
23%
Business or financial media (e.g. Forbes, Wall Street
Journal, CNBC)
22%
Website of a well-known, brand name investment
company
27%
General web search
21%
45%
A professional stock broker
23%
40%
Syndicated investment research and subscription
newsletters
11%
Family member or friend with investment experience
10%
An investment seminar/program
9%
39%
40%
51%
50%
44%
37%
32%
31%
9
CFTC Consumer Outreach
Message Testing & Framing
Behaviors
10
CFTC Consumer Outreach
What Do You Mostly Rely on When Verifying Financial Professionals?
4%
18%
Your experience &
instincts
Some research into
financial advisor
50%
28%
Extensive research
into financial
advisor
Not sure
11
CFTC Consumer Outreach
What do you do when selecting a professional financial advisor?
Personally interview
46%
Review performance history
38%
Find affiliations with known investment firms
34%
Talk to references
30%
Confirm certifications and education
30%
Get referral from a past client
Perform a general internet search on advisor
I do not use a professional financial advisor
Look for any past violations from the government
28%
27%
25%
22%
12
CFTC Consumer Outreach
Message Testing & Framing, Campaign Design
& Outreach
Message &
Outreach
Strategies
13
CFTC Consumer Outreach
Use expert
tools and tips
to assess
investment
opportunities
and make
better
decisions
Use BASIC to
Outsmart
fraud
perpetrators
14
CFTC Consumer Outreach
Language Library
15
CFTC Consumer Outreach
Measurement, Evaluation, and Revision
16
CFTC Consumer Outreach
Input
Measures
• Staff hours
• Program
funding
Output
Measures
• Campaign
reach /
visibility
• Ad / content
performance
• Site traffic
• Increased use
of tools
Outcome
Measures
• Increased
fraud sign
awareness
• Increase in
reported
background
checks
• Increased tip
& complaint
volume
Impact
Outcomes
• Fewer fraud
cases
• Decrease in
reported
fraud
Items in blue can be measured by CFTC and vendor tools
Items in red will require an annual survey to measure
17
CFTC Consumer Outreach
Nisha E. Smalls
Lead Consumer Specialist
nsmalls@cftc.gov
202-418-5895
Newsletter Subscription –
www.cftc.gov/ConsumerProtection/EducationCenter
Research –
www.cftc.gov/ConsumerProtection/resources
18