Financial literacy guides
The Brief:
I was the first full-time managing editor of a brand innovation content team that sat between JPMorgan Chase’s marketing and communications units. The bulk of my team’s work focused on building financial literacy guides for general and specific audiences, at key life moments. Much of the content was organized into series, campaigns or franchises–similar to a traditional publisher. For example, one guide was a series of text articles and videos designed to help new parents manage their finances. Another series offered tips on how to control wedding costs.
What I Did:
As managing editor, I led all aspects of developing financial literacy content, in collaboration with JPMorgan Chase’s marketing and communications teams. Much of this involved bringing to the bank some of journalism’s best practices and processes to operationalize the firm’s central content engine.
Worked collaboratively with top digital media companies to build content programs that lived on multiple brands and channels – and stayed true to specific JPMorgan Chase brands. This provided a unique view into the evolving business of content.
The Anatomy of…
The Brief:
In 2017, we launched “The Anatomy of…,” a video-driven series that demystified seemingly complicated financial topics for consumers. I came up with the series, and worked with editors on my team, as well as partners across business units, marketing and communications, and external animators, to bring the series to life. The series was relatively experimental — it shifted our organization into animated video as a viable tool for reaching audiences, especially young people. The videos were paired with text-based explanatory articles.
Savings Diaries
The Brief:
In 2017, Chase leadership signaled that one of its biggest initiatives for the year ahead was to get more Americans who earn $75,000 or less annually to save more money. My team was tasked with coming up with a bundle of campaigns.
What I Did:
I worked with my team to dream up “Savings Diaries,” a series in which real people from different backgrounds committed to yearlong savings goals — and to document through blog posts, videos, and social media posts the steps they took to reach those goals. I identified the participants—including Tonya Rapley, a micro-influencer focused on elevating financial literacy among Black women. We also included the Debt Free Guys, a couple that’d already built an audience among LGBTQ people interested in personal finance issues.
We paired the personal narratives with actionable, tips-based articles, on topics like, “How to save for a financial shock,” and “How to create a budget—and stick to it.”
The series was one of the Chase’s most popular content campaigns in 2018. Its success demonstrated the power of authentic first-person stories.
student money management
The Brief:
In 2018, Chase leadership asked my team to build a content campaign to help parents of high school-aged students, and new college arrivals, navigate their finances.
What I Did:
I worked with my team to examine relevant existing content to determine what could be quickly refreshed, with new headlines, photos, or infographics. This helped save time and money, and reduced unnecessary duplication.
We worked with trusted external writers, as well as editors, graphic designers and other internal partners, to build a microsite that offered practical financial tips.
