An Australian video was making the rounds on YouTube showing a man tapping the pocket of an unsuspecting shopper in a store with a contactless card terminal. The man had processed a payment without the consumer ever knowing. It seemed ominous: any thief could just skim a wallet to steal money from a debit or credit card. Problem was, it wasn’t true.
Strategy
The YouTube video was garnering heavy YouTube traffic, especially in Australia where the video had been produced. The video’s producer, a freelance journalist, was trying to show that the technology was unsafe, and that fraud was just a tap away. Any unsuspecting Australian would have their bank account emptied, or credit card account balanced maxed out, with a tap. The video was targeted at Visa cardholders specifically.
The strategy was simple: show the reality of the security features of contactless, as well as all the other steps needed to complete a contactless transaction. The Australian video had been seen by national bank regulators and had become an issue raised with Visa’s government affairs officials. Although the regulators did understand that contactless card fraud wasn’t so simple, it was a matter of public perception.
The Content
Visa used humor in a previous fraud video, and it worked well with a large organic viewership. The issue is that overly serious or ‘interview’ type videos with a corporate officer can be perceived as defensive, lending the appearance that the company is hiding the truth.
The video produced took place in a Traditional Chinese Medicine office. The patient on the table had just watched the Australian video and was worried. The doctor, in a humorous way (acupuncture needles were really used in the making of this video), persuades the patient that his transactions are safe and shows that a Visa card can’t be transacted without a registered business, a registered card reader and a traceable bank account.
The Outcome
The video was seen across Asia Pacific through both generic and targeted paid campaigns. The video earned more views that the video it was debunking and was praised by Australian officials for setting the record straight for the Australian public.
