In certain circles money isn't talked about. Inheritance even less so. Yet these are precisely the conversations wealthy families need to have. ABN AMRO MeesPierson didn't want to sell; they wanted to connect: to show that the bank truly understands the complexity of wealth transfer. Together, we developed 'Erfgenamen' (Heirs), a cross-media content campaign that makes sensitive topics approachable. The result: the most successful campaign in the bank's history, and customer relationships that go deeper than transactions.
Strategic content marketing for private banking
Hero-hub-hero approach with documentary, platform and card game
TV documentary broadcast on RTL Z and Videoland
Physical card game as conversation starter at the kitchen table
Always-on content on financialfocus.nl
Most successful campaign ever for the bank
The challenge
How do you position a private bank as the expert in wealth transfer, without pushing products but by genuinely helping?
The solution
A strategic content campaign that illuminates the 'soft side' of inheritance: the conversations you want to have while still alive, the impact on children, the societal responsibility that comes with wealth.
ABN AMRO MeesPierson × iO: building trust through stories
ABN AMRO MeesPierson is the largest private bank in the Netherlands, with a rich history spanning more than 300 years. They serve high-net-worth Dutch individuals with financial questions that go beyond those of the average consumer.
For this campaign, we collaborated on an ambitious goal: positioning the bank as a thought leader in wealth transfer. Not by selling, but by demonstrating that ABN AMRO MeesPierson understands the complexity of inheritance, both financially and emotionally. Together, we created content that genuinely helps wealthy families.
Why strategic content marketing works differently for private banking
High-net-worth individuals in the Netherlands face different financial challenges than the average consumer. Research by ABN AMRO MeesPierson revealed significant interest in topics such as inheritance, wills, philanthropy and business succession within the family. But the available content was almost exclusively financially and fiscally driven.
The 'soft side' remained unaddressed: the conversations you want to have while still alive, the impact of an inheritance on the recipients, the societal responsibility that comes with wealth. By placing this human dimension at the centre, the bank could differentiate itself from competitors who only talk numbers.
Hero-hub-hero: a content approach that keeps delivering
For this campaign, we deliberately chose a hero-hub-hero model. Not a temporary campaign site, but a sustainable content platform. The existing website financialfocus.nl served as the focal point where all content landed and conversion occurred.
Central to the campaign is a 45-minute documentary, broadcast on RTL Z and available on Videoland. In it, heirs from well-known Dutch family businesses such as OGER, Burgers' Zoo and Gassan Diamonds share their personal stories about inheritance. The long format provided space for nuance, expertise and emotion.
From inspiration to conversion: content for every stage
The campaign combined high-end inspirational content with in-depth stories and practical calculation examples. ABN AMRO MeesPierson provided the expertise content; we delivered the inspirational content. This way, we offered relevant content at every stage of the customer journey, permanently discoverable on the platform.
At the bottom of the funnel, where conversion happens, we introduced a physical card game. Dozens of conversation topics normally avoided, captured in cards that lead to real discussions at the kitchen table. A tangible product that lowers the threshold to starting the most difficult conversation.
Results that exceeded expectations
All campaign objectives were amply achieved. On some metrics, we beat online benchmarks by more than 100%. The influx of new leads was 90% above target. In terms of lead numbers, this was the most successful campaign in the bank's history.
But the real success runs deeper: ABN AMRO MeesPierson is now seen as the wealth bank that truly understands what inheritance means. Not just financially, but emotionally and societally as well.
The numbers
1%
New customers above target
1%
Whitepaper downloads above target
1%
Card game requests above target
1%
Magazine requests above target
1%
Additional visitors to financialfocus.nl above target
From taboo to thought leadership
The 'Erfgenamen' campaign proves that strategic content marketing in the financial sector reaches further than lead generation. By placing the human side of wealth transfer at the centre, ABN AMRO MeesPierson positioned itself as the bank that truly understands what occupies wealthy families. The documentary brought stories that normally stay behind closed doors. The card game sparked conversations that would otherwise never take place. And the platform continues to deliver value long after the campaign has ended. Thought leadership that converts: that is the power of strategic content marketing.
