Case Competition | User Research
A TD Strategy That Won Over RBC
How To Catch Gen-Z's Attention
Tools
Beauty
Timeline
2025
Overview
With trust in institutions fading and digital engagement rising, this competition was about more than a social strategy. It was about making a legacy brand feel relatable and trusted by Gen Z—without losing its professionalism.
So, how do you make a brand truly resonate with Gen-Z?
That’s what my team and I explored at the University of Waterloo Marketing Association’s Case Competition.
Modernizing Gen-Z Authentically
With only a few weeks to research, strategize, and craft a compelling pitch, we set out to reimagine TD Bank’s digital approach from the ground up. We dove deep into Gen-Z’s values, digital habits, and expectations from financial institutions, uncovering key insights that shaped our strategy.
Financial anxiety is rising among Gen Z, with only 28% expecting improvement in their economic situation next year (Hootsuite, 2022). This underscores the growing importance of financial literacy, budgeting, and savings education, especially from trusted institutions like TD Bank.
The Challenge (Refined)
How can TD Bank stay true to its values while becoming more engaging and relatable to Gen-Z?
Our Strategy: Realizing Success Together
We developed a social media strategy that put transparency, reputability, and education at the forefront. Our campaign revolved around four key pillars:
Transparency First
Breaking down financial jargon and demystifying fees.
Financial Empowerment
Delivering engaging content on budgeting, saving, and investing.
Community & Relativity
Partnering with student ambassadors and influencers for authentic engagement.
Humour & Trends
Pop culture, challenges, and interactive content make financial education fun.
My research helped pinpoint TikTok, Instagram, and LinkedIn as the key platforms where TD could build trust and connection with Gen-Z.
Meeting Gen-Z Where They Are
My research identified three key platforms that would maximize reach and engagement:
What Did The Research Reveal?
67%
TikTok
Of Gen- Z are on the platform, meaning TD could build trust through bite sized financial tips, behind the scenes content, and interactive question and answer sessions.
62%
With 62% of Gen-Z active, memes, reels, and infographics would make complex financial concepts digestible and shareable.
80%
With 80% of Gen-Z trusting LinkedIn, TD could establish itself as a career and financial ally through insightful posts and expert driven content.
By leveraging platform specific engagement tactics, our strategy ensured TD could speak Gen Z’s language while maintaining its credibility as a financial institution.
The Impact
We outlined clear success metrics to track the campaign’s effectiveness including:
Engagement Rates
Measuring likes, comments, shares, and views.
Follower Growth
Tracking new user acquisition and audience retention.
Opinion Mining
Social listening to track sentiment and optimize content.
From Campus To The Big League
All our hard work paid off. We won the University of Waterloo Marketing Association Case Competition. Our strategy, backed by research and a deep understanding of Gen Z, stood out among the competition.
But the real highlight? The incredible opportunity to present our winning strategy to the marketing team at RBC headquarters in Toronto. Standing in a room with industry professionals and sharing our vision was both exciting and validating. It was proof that our ideas were not just creative but strategically sound and ready for the real world.
[My Wonderful Team & I Pitching Our Case Study]
So, What Did I Learn?
Research Is Everything
Before jumping into solutions, I had to dig deep into the data. Understanding Gen Z’s financial anxieties and online habits shaped every decision we made. Researching platform engagement trends helped us craft a strategy that was not just creative but backed by real insights.
Less Is More
At first, it was tempting to create a campaign that tried to do it all. But I quickly learned that focus is key. Instead of overwhelming our strategy with endless ideas, we prioritized what truly mattered, and that was making financial literacy transparent, engaging, and relatable.
Teamwork = Dreamwork
No idea was perfect on the first try. Our team iterated, refined, and challenged each other’s thinking until we built a campaign that truly worked. Having a strong team meant we could turn limitations into opportunities and make smarter, more impactful decisions.
