Give them credit for being sociable and thinking big about small purchases
Visa Canada generated a lot of interest this year—and not just of the monthly bill variety. The payment solutions company sparked intrigue and conversation by putting social media at the core of its campaigns.
“We had great strides in digital in the previous year, but 2013 was the year our social efforts really made a big contribution to our campaigns,” says Brenda Woods, head of marketing at Visa Canada.
• In early May, Visa launched a week-long teaser campaign centred on a made-up word: “smallenfreuden,” meaning “the joy of small.” Created by BBDO and Proximity, the campaign was ultimately designed to get people to use their Visa cards for small, everyday purchases. But to begin with, billboards asked “Do you #smallenfreuden?” with no mention of Visa. An unbranded YouTube video received 400,000 views in the first week. A smallenfreuden Twitter account playfully asked followers how they smallenfreuden and who they smallenfreuden with.
• On May 10, the brand revealed itself on Twitter, in the press and through a TV spot that aired during the Stanley Cup playoffs. On Facebook, Visa promoted “The Visa Ultimate NHL Experience Contest,” which gave away trips to the NHL Winter Classic and the NHL Stanley Cup final.
“People were intrigued and it got people talking about Visa in a way that I don’t think we had seen before,” says Woods. “We had content that people wanted to share and wanted to talk about. A lot of that was because we used social media as a really important element of the campaign.” According to Visa, the company increased its claimed share of payments by 30% during the campaign period. “Visa didn’t just come in and say we want to do something social,” says Peter Ignazi, senior vice-president and executive creative director at BBDO. “They said we have a real business objective and we think social can be effective in achieving [that].”
• Visa also generated buzz with its Visa Infinite initiatives, which focus on showing the great benefits customers get with a Visa Infinite. Its “Red Carpet Experience” at TIFF offered Visa Infinite cardholders the chance to walk the red carpet for the premiere of The Love Punch. And in November, Visa brought Lady Gaga to Toronto for a private Q&A. Visa Infinite cardholders had to enter to win one of 200 tickets. Along with Visa’s marketing team and new agency (BBDO picked up the business in late 2012), Woods gives credit to the company’s management team. “They’ve been supportive in everything we’ve done and that’s allowed us to try some new and brave things.”
You can find out who will be named our Marketer of the Year on Jan. 29 at our Best of 2013 cocktail party. Want to attend? Lots of important people will be there. Visit us online for more information.
