SMC this week launched its first national education initiative, designed to transform how Australians think and feel about their super.
For too many people, super is a distant abstraction. Research consistently shows disengagement is widespread — and it’s worse among younger Australians. A January 2026 ideally survey confirmed what many in the system already know: super feels confusing, remote and easy to put off.
That disengagement matters. When Australians don’t understand super, they are less likely to make decisions that benefit their super. But when they do engage, the picture changes sharply. Research by Pyxis (2025) found that people who are more engaged and better educated about super are far more likely to take action to improve it. In fact, engagement with super is a stronger apparent driver of good financial decisions than gender, income, education level or whether someone owns a home.
In plain terms: understanding super beats everything else.
Australians themselves want more help. In a 2026 survey for SMC, 46 per cent said super funds should be doing more to educate and engage young people. Regulators agree. ASIC has explicitly called on funds to better explain super, especially to millennials — using plain language, clear examples and practical tools that show the power of compound returns over time.
Representing more than 12 million Australians and over $1.6 trillion in retirement savings, SMC already advocates for a fair, effective super system. This initiative builds on that mission by tackling disengagement at scale.
At its heart, the initiative reimagines the fable of The Goose That Laid the Golden Egg, distilling it to a simple human truth: when you look after something patiently, it rewards you over time. Research shows people struggle to grasp compounding because it’s invisible and slow. The goose turns that abstraction into something tangible. If you look after it early and stay engaged — it can grow faster.
Underpinned by an emotive, mass reaching film featuring Tessa at her first job and tracking her journey with her golden super goose through life, the story is designed to elicit fond feelings across popular subscription streaming services and online entertainment portals. Street posters and OOH in high dwell environments like nightlife districts and university campuses introduce more information, while native social content and a strong presence on TikTok extend the goose into culture and everyday conversation.
Across all assets interested parties are invited to visit a bespoke website (lookafteryoursuper.com) developed to help answer questions that young people might have about super, all in the voice of the Golden Super Goose.
The message is simple, human and clear: look after your super — and it will look after you.
