The Financial Services Implementation Unit (FSIU) is utilising digital and social media as a fundamental part of its efforts to inform, educate and engage the population on the subject of financial services.

The website, www.bviforward.vg is now accessible to the public. BVI Forward Facebook and Twitter pages have also been created and are being used to share relevant useful information about financial services and the current efforts to strengthen the industry. A LinkedIn page has also been established and a YouTube channel will be set up for a similar purpose.

On the website, visitors now have immediate access to the report of the financial services consultancy facilitated by McKinsey & Company, which forms the basis of BVI Forward, the ten priority initiatives being pursued as part of the campaign as well as the latest industry and campaign related news.

The homepage of the website will feature continuous messages from the various spokespersons identified for the BVI Forward campaign including industry executives, senior and junior industry professionals who will serve as mentors, members of Team BVI, and BVI Forward Champions who are non-industry personnel but well-known and respected persons in the Territory with access to a wide cross-section of the population.

Director of the FSIU, Mr. Kedrick Malone explained that while engaging the population is one of the initiatives recommended in the report, it requires engagement on all of the initiatives and targeting all demographics within the population.

“The BVI Forward campaign relies heavily on our website and social media because young people are part of a key demographic we need to engage on financial services. We have targeted information for various age groups and inclusive of all forms of media but we will focus extensively on digital and social media simply because of the pervasive influence among persons in that age category,” Mr. Malone said.

The FSIU intends to pursue a consumer driven focus, making it easier for non-industry persons to find financial services more understandable and generate greater buy-in.

Initiative Sponsor, Mrs. Lorna Smith, OBE said, “The goal of the Engage the Population initiative is to generate widespread support for the overall BVI Forward campaign while at the same time, ensuring that residents of the BVI develop a better understanding of the industry, its importance to their daily lives and their role in transforming the industry to ensure future sustainability.”

Mrs. Smith also shared the long-term vision of BVI Forward campaign. “Ultimately, we would like to see the BVI population fully embrace the financial services industry and persons become more knowledgeable about developments within and the opportunities it presents.  The long-term sustainability of our Territory will rely to a large extent on residents taking greater ownership within this particular industry.”

The BVI Forward communications component seeks to create positive recognition of, and real interest in, a compelling future for financial services in the wider community. The campaign is being executed through three phases designed to inform, educate and engage the population. The public is invited to visit the website and follow BVI Forward on the various social media platforms to be informed of industry developments and track campaign progress.