Seeking inspiration? Look no further than our best-in-class compilation of fintechs who are smashing it when it comes to executing campaigns and realising their marketing goals.
Starling: Offering an alternative view
Rather than taking on rival fintechs, Starling aims to establish its products and services as a refreshing alternative to traditional banks and legacy financial institutions. Traditional advertising reaped rewards following a visually arresting collaboration with Wonderhood Studios, which saw the disruptor bank invite people to ‘Set Yourself Free’ and depicted a woman who’s bored of standing in line escaping her brick-and-mortar branch – smashing through the building’s glass roof and soaring into the sky with a flock of starlings.
Establishing the brand as a compelling alternative to old-school banks, the film – which screened on TV, VOD, cinema and digital – represents another of Starling’s successful branding efforts, which Head of Brand Rachel Kerrone says will build on existing awareness that stood at an impressive 64% in 2020.
This year also saw a new iteration of Starling’s #MakeMoneyEqual social campaign, which launched a conversation around gender inequality in the finance world as Starling partnered with Lensi Photography to create a new library of images featuring much fairer depictions of women with money.
You can watch the full ad here.
Current: Demonstrating they get it
A sensitive and proactive understanding of social issues was what set Current’s marketing messages apart in 2021. The US-based fintech made the connection between moving around money and moving around New York, with its ‘What Do You Think We Are, A Bank?’ campaign popping up on subway cars and platforms.
The activation is a great example of knowing who your customers are and speaking directly to them. Having realised many of its users were what came to be known during the pandemic as ‘essential workers’, Current created a marketing campaign that highlighted its challenger status while giving a voice to working people’s problems. Taglines threw shade at the banking executives being grilled on Capitol Hill and adopted a social-friendly sarcasm when posing questions such as: ‘Did anyone miss bank branches during quarantine? We rest our case.’ As of June 2021, Current has nearly three million members, compared to just one million a year ago.
Find out more here.
N26: Infusing messages with humour
Also highlighting the importance of humour, the German fintech unicorn’s recent US brand campaign featured a series of videos called ‘Money in Motion’ with award-winning comedian and Crazy Rich Asians star Jimmy O Yang. Aimed at Millennial and Gen-Z audiences in America, the three 30-second films (as well as behind-the-scenes blooper content) were published on digital and social platforms, including the company's Facebook, Instagram and YouTube channels, and are a great example of a celebrity partnership that aims to drive awareness, brand reinforcement and product adoption.
The campaign also serves as another great example of N26’s irreverent approach to marketing, after its 2018 #nobullshit campaign that sought to establish the brand as trustworthy and transparent compared with traditional banks.
Read more about the campaign here.
Stripe: Education underpins everything
Valued at $36 billion in 2020, and at over $95 billion in 2021, it seems nothing can stop the payments processing giant. But behind the funding rounds fuelling Stripe’s ambitious growth strategy, a constant has been the company’s dedication to knowledge-sharing and educating its key audience.
Stripe shows that by focusing on adding value and exploring areas of interest that are relevant to your brand, it’s possible to bridge the gap between interest and action. In lieu of a flashy marketing campaign, Stripe uses its social channels to tell the stories of its customers and share information and advice around its customer- and developer-centric features, which are aimed at making people’s lives easier.
Many of these innovations have been born out of Stripe Sessions, a forum that enables the company to hear directly from its users and offer rich brand experiences. So remember to invite feedback and listen to what people have to say when seeking to capture market share and customer loyalty.
Want to find out more? Check out Stripe's blog.
Acorns: Boosting retention through meaningful moments
Achieving 99% retention might sound too good to be true, but it’s something Acorns’ CMO James Moorhead attributes to the important part its app has come to play in people’s lives – and this is something its marketing campaigns successfully tap into. By defining meaningful milestones along the entire customer journey – from buying a house to pension planning – the micro-investment platforms' mix of gamification and personalisation certainly contributes to its continued success. Acorns’ own milestone is to double its numbers to reach 10 million subscribers by 2025.
In addition, TV ad campaigns entitled ‘Not Just For The Wealthy’ and ‘Invest Your Spare Change’ aim to highlight that investing is accessible for everyone, while a content partnership with financial news firm CNBC continues to educate its existing customer base and attract new users.
Find out more.
Klarna: Embracing an experiential strategy
Beyond enabling easy checkouts and paying for goods and services in instalments, Klarna aims to create inspirational shopping experiences and support its customers – so it’s no surprise that the Swedish credit company’s strategy revolves around brick-and-mortar stores, in-person events and physical touchpoints where customers can interact with the brand in real life.
Most recently, an experiential activation in the form of a pop-up double decker bus in Manchester aimed to raise awareness among influencers and consumers on advertising rules, following the revelation that 46% of consumers don’t know that #ad means that an influencer has been paid to promote a product or service.
Find out more about Klarna's campaign.
Credit Karma: Right platform, right moment
Having started out providing free credit scores, the Oakland-based fintech today offers a range of banking services and recently teamed up with video streaming service Vevo to sponsor a series of live music concerts with the aim of reaching a Gen Z audience. With performances by the likes of Billie Eilish and Ariana Grande, the initiative proved to be highly successful – 4 million unique viewers who never saw the campaign on traditional TV were exposed to the brand through Vevo, while brand metrics lifted across consideration (+11%), product awareness (+10%) and ad recall (+8%).
Tide: Putting customers in the spotlight
As part of a mission to celebrate people who work for themselves, Tide put its members centre-stage in a series of TV adverts that ran in 2021 under the banner ‘Founders Make Some Noise’. Providing mobile-first banking services for small and medium-sized enterprises, Tide tapped into people’s desire for authenticity and real-life stories. Alongside the adverts, the UK fintech also caught attention across the country thanks to brand awareness-boosting outdoor spots in tube stations and bus sides.
Want to learn more? Check out Tide's blog.
Gemini: Partnering with influencers
Cryptocurrencies and exchanges are quickly building a Gen Z and young millennial audience, with several platforms partnering with social media influencers to educate prospective users, increase exposure and build brand awareness. Like this Instagram post published by @dameliofamilyofficial in May reading: “We are learning more about cryptocurrency as a family, thank you @gemini for Charli’s birthday gift. #GeminiPartner” The family account has over 910,000 followers on Instagram, while sisters Charli and Dixie have over 150 million TikTok followers and over 60 million Instagram followers between them.
Take a look at the post here.
If you’re set to make an impact in 2022 and want to realise your growth ambitions, contact us today to find out how we can help you create, execute and measure an effective fintech marketing strategy.
