Reaching new audiences, driving immediate impact
How Scotia iTRADE broke out of the traditional wealth mold and captured a new generation of investors
Key Illuminated Insight
Millennials don’t want a trading platform that talks down to them. They want one that meets them where they are—ambitious, self-directed, and ready to take control. When your message reflects their mindset, connection turns into conversion.
About the Client
Scotia iTRADE is Scotiabank’s online brokerage platform for self-directed investors. Known for low commissions, strong tools, and integrated education, it’s a modern trading solution built inside a legacy institution. But while Scotiabank traditionally caters to older, more risk-averse clients, iTRADE needed to carve out its own lane—especially if it wanted to win with younger, more independent investors.
The Challenge
iTRADE was built for growth but stuck inside an outdated playbook.
Traditional media tactics had worked well for Scotia’s older, conservative wealth clients. But iTRADE needed to resonate with a very different segment: younger, tech-savvy millennials who were more comfortable trading solo and more skeptical of anything that smelled like a big bank.
The Real Problem
Sales were slowing. The existing customer base was aging out of appetite for DIY trading. And younger investors either didn’t see themselves in the brand or didn’t know it existed.
The mandate was clear: define a new target audience, craft a message that actually resonated, and build impact fast.
The Fix
We threw out the traditional financial marketing rulebook and led with relevance instead.
→ Conducted deep consumer research to identify a high-potential (but previously untapped) audience segment: millennial multi-hyphenates who are independent, entrepreneurial, and investing on their own terms
→ Built out clear personas and messaging rooted in aspiration, authenticity, and financial self-determination
→ Profiled real self-starters who had achieved success on their own terms with iTRADE as part of their financial toolkit
→ Developed an influencer-led campaign designed to connect emotionally with this audience, choosing atypical voices not usually seen in trading ads
→ Paired influencer content with high-impact social, digital, and out-of-home media placements
→ Culminated the campaign in a Bay Street Bull speaker event featuring our influencers, plus a 4-page spread and exclusive offer to drive conversion
This wasn’t finance-as-usual. It was brand-building with cultural fluency and immediate impact.
The Outcome
→ Sold out the live event in under 48 hours, purely through influencer-driven invites
→ 25% response rate to the offer from event attendees. Clear proof of product resonance with this new segment
→ Built strong early traction in a market Scotia Wealth hadn’t cracked before and positioned iTRADE for long-term millennial growth
