Scotiabank’s new Facebook page has turned the financial institution into a media content producer with a touring camera crew and a former morning show host, as it attempts to start a virtual conversation with the public.

The social media experiment is based around the bank’s ‘Let the Savings Begin’ campaign and will be promoted via a Facebook media buy.

Valerie Pringle, formerly of CTV’s Canada AM, is fronting the effort as the ‘Scotiabank Saving Ambassador,’ and travelled coast-to-coast in August to interview Canadians about their money. The resulting videos are meant to start virtual conversations, Paul Regan, director of digital marketing, tells MiC.

Regan says that Facebook is simply the media place to be right now: ‘We want to be there because that’s where the people are.’

Like any company turning to social media, there were decisions to be made about how comments would be handled. So far, Scotiabank’s policy is to leave negative comments posted, trusting that the audience will appreciate the company’s openness.