Securing brighter financial futures: AWE’s transformative strategy

Established: 1987
Industry: Defense
Employees: 5,000+

The challenge

With a critical mission to support the UK's defense and security, AWE knows that their people are their most valuable asset. For 8+ years, they've partnered with nudge to embed financial wellbeing into the heart of their employee value proposition - and over time, this partnership has evolved from a supportive measure into a transformative, strategic pillar.

From the pandemic to the cost-of-living crisis, AWE has consistently stepped up to support their workforce with timely, impartial, and personalized financial education and benefits communication. But in the last 12 months, they went further, launching a dynamic, data-led strategy grounded in three pillars:

• Prevention
• Early Intervention
• Reaction

This evolution wasn’t just about helping employees to weather financial challenges. It was about long-term resilience, empowering confident financial decisions, and aligning with wider corporate goals to attract, retain, and grow talent across all career stages.

The solution

To bring their wellbeing vision to life, AWE works with nudge to deliver a cohesive, multi-channel financial wellbeing program that meets their people where they are - financially, professionally, and personally.

Central to this was an insight-first approach: using nudge’s data analytics dashboard (nudgenomics) to understand evolving employee needs, and personalizing education and campaigns accordingly. The program is underpinned by accessibility, storytelling, and practical education aligned with key life and career moments, including:

• Integrated financial education and benefits communication: nudge’s financial education is personalized and incorporates strategic benefit communication like their retirement plan, employee assistance program (EAP) and workplace discounts, helping employees to connect learning with action.
• Live events and campaigns that bring finance to life: from wellbeing fairs and “In Conversation With…” panels, to pensions-focused events during their annual Pensions Week, employees are engaged through relatable, real-life stories.
• Tailored support for different groups: pre-retirees receive targeted communications and meaningful support, and graduates, apprentices, and early-career hires receive bespoke onboarding education, building strong foundations in money management, debt awareness, and long-term planning.
• Always-on support through digital hubs and champions: an internal MS Teams hub, paired with trained financial wellbeing champions and personalized communications from nudge, ensures employees have timely, ongoing access to financial education and peer support.

The results

Over the past 12 months, AWE has seen a meaningful and measurable shift in financial engagement. The program has driven real behavior change, improved financial confidence, and contributed to wider business goals, from wellbeing to retention.

The impact of standout initiatives, like the pensions campaign, demonstrates the value of timely, inclusive education powered by personalized technology.

Key outcomes include:

By embedding nudge into their wellbeing ecosystem, AWE has created a scalable, inclusive program that equips employees with lifelong skills and supports business performance through a more resilient, informed workforce.

Spotlight: Bringing retirement planning to life

AWE ran a standout retirement campaign for Pensions Week to demystify pensions and boost employee engagement with the plan. Aligned with the “Pay Your Pension Some Attention” strapline, the initiative aimed to build confidence and drive action around retirement planning.

The week featured webinars, onsite events, nudges, and daily “Do, Read, Attend or Watch” prompts. A highlight was the “In Conversation With…” panel, where employees at different life stages shared personal stories, making retirement planning more relatable and sparking deeper reflection.

Accessibility and inclusion were central: resources were online and on-demand, and employees could book in-person sessions with independent financial advisors. Pre- and post-campaign surveys measured sentiment and behavior change.

The results speak for themselves:

• 209% increase in employees increasing their pension contributions in the month immediately after their Pensions Week (2024: 500 vs. 2023: 162)
• 50% increase in AON beneficiary changes (Q4: 258 vs. Q3: 168)
• 2,270+ webinar attendees
• 75% survey respondents reported increased pension confidence
• 70% acted as a result of the campaign, most commonly registering for online access to their pension portal and discussing pensions with family or colleagues 

By combining storytelling, targeted nudges, and accessible education, AWE transformed pensions from a distant concept into a practical priority, proving that meaningful engagement can drive real behavior change.