One of the side of effects of the digital revolution has been an exponential increase in the amount of data in the world.

When people say things like, “90 per cent of the data in the world was created in the last two years”, it seems abstract. But when you look at what can be done with this incredible wealth of information it is anything but.

Pension communications have stereotypically been compliance-driven affairs that have focussed more on limiting liability than engaging the saver. This is of course not the uniform experience but most would agree that this is an area that we can as an industry make progress on.

The messages that you send to an 18-year-old who has just been auto-enrolled are different to the ones that would be most appropriate for a 45-year-old who needs to be aware of their long-term goals.

Age can be a good proxy but there are other pieces of data some providers could use to provide people with the correct nudges at the right time.

For instance, if a customer changes their name with a divorce certificate it might be a good idea to point them towards resources that can help them in difficult times.

The ABI has produced two guides: Communications Through the Life-Course and Principles for Tailoring Retirement Risk Warnings to showcase good practice and provide principles for those who want to communicate more effectively and accept that one size doesn’t fit all when it comes to engagement.

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