SunAmerica Mutual Funds is taking its K.I.D.S. campaign all the way. The marketing strategy, aimed at educating children about the basics of investing, has caught on like wildfire, forcing the firm to open a hotline to handle the flood of calls and make its materials more broadly available.

What else makes the concept a true marketer's dream? The pricetag.

"We wouldn't disclose this anyway, but we didn't start with a budget on this," explained Betsy Treitler, vice president of marketing and communications. "Relative to most of the advertising campaigns out there, most people would view this as pretty insignificant."

Without massive quantities of four-color glossy reproductions, the materials costs have been kept at bay. Furthermore, the concept has caught on with little promotion on the firm's part, now spread to over thirty states.

At Christmas, SunAmerica included small blurbs about the project in its shareholder newsletter and a rep-directed newsletter. The response surprised even Treitler, who spearheaded the effort.

"We came back and all these people were calling," she said. "At the time, my direct line was on the release." SunAmerica started the current hotline to handle the influx of calls and relieve Treitler of the unexpected burden.

Why has SunAmerica's education program been such a success?

"It's something near and dear to my heart because it's so pure," said Treitler. "We're just teaching these things that are so important to your life, and you don't learn about it at school. It's something that's really useful in the classroom, and I frankly think a lot of teachers applaud it and welcome it as well."

Treitler explained that the lesson plans are not focused on mutual funds, nor do the push the SunAmerica brand. Instead, they give fifth to eighth grade teachers tools to teach children about the very basics of economics and investing, a curriculum lacking in most school programs. Because the materials are not geared towards pushing the sponsor's products, educators can embrace the program without feeling "marketed to."

Treitler criticized the educational value of products such as the Stein Roe Young Investor Fund, which "happens to invest in a company like Disney, which may be recognized by children. It doesn't necessarily teach anybody about investing."

By including advisers in the program, SunAmerica has provided a valuable business builder; the unbiased materials come as a boon to educators, enhancing an adviser's local reputation and solidifying connections. Advisers have embraced the program and don't even have to do the dirty work: SunAmerica sends the packets out.

The New York-based firm plans an update to its Web site, slated for the end of March. On the site, the existing program will be available in a secure area in downloadable format to qualified teachers. In the public area, parents and children will have access to information about the program as well as on-line games.

SunAmerica has also started the first in a series of ten articles and ads on the education program with Mutual Funds Magazine. 

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