For years, rumors circulated online that it was possible for a thief to use a scanning device to steal personal information from a Visa card while it was slotted in a wallet, stuffed in a back pocket or purse. The reality is, it’s almost impossible. For years Visa was facing a never-ending misperception that contactless payments and phone payments, were unsafe.
Strategy
Google research showed that the topic ‘unsafe contactless payments’ was trending in markets around the world. People were looking it up when contactless was being rolled out by banks around Asia Pacific. It was trending when Visa was touting the technology as safe.
A content strategy was put into place that Visa would create a video that portrayed certain scenarios: a thief trying to skim a card in a purse, or a thief running off with a phone. The content would debunk the myth that your card contains your personal information, that it’s easy to skim, and that your phone Visa payment systems are easy to crack.
The Content
A decision was made to use humour as the primary method for conveying Visa’s messages. Overly serious, and it would appear the company was taking a defensive position about contactless and was perhaps hiding the truth. Also, slapstick humour is universal and would add to the persuasiveness of the overall message across different markets.
The final video was created showing our ‘security expert’ Jack walking through two funny scenarios in a shop. Visa executives liked it for the approach and the work was subtitled for markets across the region. With both organic and paid campaigns, the video was viewed by more than a quarter million people across the region. By creating a targeted video that relied on search engine optimization (SEO), the video garnered more than 50,000 organic views.
The Outcome
In the end, the contactless payment video was a hit. Regional journalists were offered a preview of the video and stories debunking the original contactless fraud claims. Contactless was perceived as a safe way to pay and the issue subsided.
