Case Study
Fiserv
collage of fiserv gift card gauge marketing collateral.

INDUSTRY

Payments, retail and financial technology

EXPERTISE

Digital marketing

Public relations

Website

Content marketing

SURVEY DATA INCREASES GIFT CARD USAGE AND BUY-IN

How many gift cards do you have sitting in a drawer? In your wallet or purse? If research is anything to go by, the answer is more than a couple at the very least.

American consumers purchase more than $170 billion in gift cards every year. But who is buying them? How did they decide what store to buy from? What are they using them for? It’s questions like these that keep retailers up at night and Fiserv’s business humming.

A leader in global payments, Fiserv understands the value of gift cards for retailers. They provide a much-needed source for recuring revenue and engagement, while also simplifying the lives of consumers.

Fiserv wanted to provide its audience with a broader view of gift card trends and how consumers use them in their daily lives. The company partnered with Arketi Group to conduct in-depth research on the topic and then translate those findings into a campaign that positions Fiserv as a trusted expert and industry resource.

HOW WE DID IT

IDENTIFYING AND SOLIDIFYING KEY THEMES

Our work commenced with a meeting of the minds between Fiserv’s Gift Solutions division and Arketi’s integrated marketing experts. Together, we identified key pain points and trends Fiserv’s audience would find interesting and exciting – in addition the industry at-large.

We then researched the goings-on in the gift card marketplace to find conversational gaps Fiserv could own. Rather than mimic others, we wanted to help Fiserv develop a one-of-a-kind message and narrative.

From there, we developed a research calendar with six themes to explore throughout the next year. These themes would be translated into 15-question, bimonthly surveys, with the results serving as the foundation for an integrated marketing and public relations campaign.

The six themes for our bimonthly surveys were:

  • Mobility and digital wallets
  • Gift card designs and milestone events
  • The 2021 holiday season
  • Loyalty programs and employee incentives
  • Shifts in consumer spending habits
  • Supply chain disruption

And, to ensure we hit the mark with every question, we established a Gift Solutions customer panel to evaluate our surveys. The customer panel provided valuable suggestions and guidance to ensure we addressed relevant pain points and challenges for retailers.

TURNING DATA INTO USEFUL CONTENT

Each survey was completed by more than 1,000 American consumers aged 18 and older, with the results offering a unique view into how consumers buy and use gift cards.

Our research and insights combined were branded the Fiserv Gift Card Gauge, a collection of marketing assets, including:

  • “Fast facts”: Snazzy infographics showing off our top findings and how they apply to retailers
  • Blogs: Concise 1-page blogs explaining how the findings relate to retailers
  • Landing pages: Overviews of each study on Fiserv.com with links to the Fast Facts
  • Social media: Three unique posts with accompanying .gif animations to drive users to Fiserv’s landing pages
  • PowerPoint: Upwards of three PowerPoint slides detailing the key findings for Fiserv’s sales team to use in prospect presentations

Tools in hand, we set out to share Fiserv’s Gift Card Gauge with our target audience. Our goal was to secure at least one earned media placement per survey and more than five new business opportunities throughout the year.

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EARNED MEDIA HITS PER QUARTER

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INBOUND LEADS PER QUARTER

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EMAIL OPEN RATE

Impact
This program is everything we envisioned, and I personally view Arketi as an extension of our team in making this happen.

TOM NIEDBALSKI

Head of Gift Solution Sales

Fiserv

Each Gift Card Gauge exceeded our goal of one earned media hit, instead averaging five placements with key industry and national outlets, including Forbes and IBS Intelligence. The findings were also posted and leveraged as a resource for members of two leading industry associations – the Incentive Marketing Association and the Retail Gift Card Association.

What’s more, the Gift Card Gauge secured Fiserv approximately 15 proactive, inbound client inquiries per quarter, which well-surpassed our goal of five for the year. Along with increased revenue from new clients, the Gauges provided Fiserv’s sales team with a steady stream of cross-sell opportunities with existing customers.

Finally, Fiserv’s proactive Gauge distribution has benefited from tremendous engagement, averaging a 20% email open rate and 5% click-through rate.

With the smell of sweet success in the air, Fiserv’s program continues to grow and excite key stakeholders. Focusing on emerging industry and economic trends, the Gauge positions Fiserv as a trusted resource for retailers and differentiates the company from the competition with its unique, one-of-a-kind gift card expertise.

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