AMP NZ and Gareth Morgan Investments took top honours last night at the Workplace Savings Peoples' Choice Awards.

AMP won the Supreme Award for Excellence in Communication as a result of its "KiwiSaver Switch" encouraging members to get into a fund that reflected their circumstances, also winning in the category for Best Other Workplace Savings or KiwiSaver Communication Award.

Meanwhile, the Gareth Morgan KiwiSaver Scheme won the People’s Choice KiwiSaver Scheme Communication Award, voted on by KiwiSaver members themselves.

The awards, intended to promote innovation and excellence in workplace retirement savings communications, are also aimed at setting benchmarks for communicating effectively with the investing public.

Workplace Savings NZ executive director Bruce Kerr said in a release the awards highlighted the continued importance of providing understandable financial information to the public and promoting financial literacy.  

“While there is always going to be room for improvement, we have seen a number of positive innovations coming through this year,” said Kerr.

Retirement Commissioner Diana Crossan said the awards encouraged better communications with the investing public.

AMP’s Marketing Manager Trevor D’Souza credited the success of the switch campaign to staff simplifying what was a "fairly complex brief into a simple and easy to understand customer communication."

Other award winners at the Workplace Savings Awards were as follow:

Investment Statement of the Year

Grosvenor Financial Services Group for their Grosvenor KiwiSaver Scheme Investment Statement

Annual Reporting of the Year
The Seafarers Retirement Fund

Best Other Workplace Savings Communications
AMP Service (N.Z) Limited for “KiwiSaver Switch” campaign

Best New Entrant in the 2011 Awards 
Gareth Morgan Investments

People’s Choice KiwiSaver Scheme Communications Award
Gareth Morgan KiwiSaver Scheme

Supreme Award for Excellence in Communication
AMP Services (N.Z) Limited