Black women often play a significant role in their families as matriarchs, advice-givers and caretakers, but who will take care of these helpful females when they reach their golden years?
In the "Tribute to Our Sheroes" campaign, AARP and the Ad Council adress this very question.
Statistics from the AARP show that only 35 percent of black Americans believe they are doing a good job of preparing for retirement, while 33 percent have less than one month of funds saved for a crisis.
Additionally, 54 percent of black Americans are at risk of being unable to maintain their standard of living in retirement compared with 48 percent of white Americans.
The organization hopes to remedy these troubling statistics with its "Tribute to Our Sheroes," campaign which will provide black women with access to a free online chat experience that gives personalized tips to help boost their retirement savings, hopefully getting them to think about retirement saving as early as possible.
Women interested in this topic can complete a short three-minute online quiz regarding their current retirement savings efforts, which will allow them to create a customized savings plan.
The advertising around the campaign features black women of varying ages and celebrates their roles as pillars of their family and community, while highlighting the fact that they should be taking care of themselves just as well as they take care of those around them.
The campaign was created and executed in large part by black women in order to take an authentic look at the black experience and how it shapes attitudes towards saving for retirement at all stages, not just old age.
"It was important for this message to be crafted by black women who have a personal connection with the issue," said Shani Hosten, VP, multicultural leadership, African-American/black audience strategy, AARP. "Collectively, we’re empowering black women to create a better future in retirement."