CAMPAIGN TYPE: Web Sites
TIMEFRAME: January 2003 - ongoing
BUDGET: $500,000
In January 2003, credit-card giant Citi Cards asked its agency of record (AOR) TMG Public Relations (New York) to get the word out about the responsible use of
credit. While Citi already had a track record of consumer protection, Citi executives now had something bigger in mind: a PR campaign that would harness the internet to reach both
a general audience as well as specific niche groups.
To establish content for www.UseCreditWisely.com, the PR agency commissioned Harris Interactive to survey 1,021 Americans (aged 18 or older)
on their understanding of credit. Two-thirds said they were confident in their ability to manage debt and two-thirds said they carried debt. All of the respondents were interested
in learning about fraud prevention, budgeting and how to take advantage of their credit.
"We really needed to get an understanding of the myths vs. facts when it comes to credit cards," says TMG chief executive and owner Tami Gross. "The key thing we saw was that
people didn't really understand how credit cards work, and that they needed more information on how to trim debt."
Armed with that data, TMG's in-house team was able to develope content that describes the basics of credit, strategies for making the best use of credit, tips on fraud
prevention, and other related topics.
While UseCreditWisely.com paints a broad swath with consumers, Citi Cards also was interested has also reached out to specific sub-markets.
To address the student population, for example, the agency created http://www.Students.UseCreditWisely.com, which offers an interactive "budget builder," a video presentation on financial
management and similar tools;
http://www.CuidaTuCredito.com offers Spanish-language credit information to the Hispanic community.
To weave together myriad sites, the agency used a mix of in-house talent and outside vendors; the content and design were created in-house, while various interactive
marketing execs and freelance designers brought the concepts to life.
"You don't need 15 people serving an account," Gross says. "I want to be the main conduit for client contact so that the client always knows what is happening from concept to
execution. Then, internally, I want to be the one to bring together a group for each specific project."
As the Web sites came together, Gross began to pursue several different avenues for publicizing the information. She approached mainstream newspapers like the Houston
Chronicle and the Wall Street Journal, and also worked with radio outlets including "Talk America" and TV programs such as Fox's "Good Day New York."
Pitches have tended toward the topical. In January, the pitch addressed post-holiday fiscal regrouping, and in March and April, media reps offered tax-related information.
Radio promos offered Pocket PCs to callers who could demonstrate financial savvy.
The agency promotes the site with five to 10 campus visits per semester. Senior students get academic credit for studies and use of credit; campus radio stations donate
airtime to plug the Web site.
To address the Hispanic side, the agency produces English and Spanish PSAs to run on Spanish-language radio stations and publications nationwide. Citi Bank branches also are
playing a Spanish-language video on credit usage to promote the Web site.
From the client's point of view, a multi-faceted approach has the best chance of getting "stickiness" online. "It's the constant message of going to the site, whether that
is executed through radio, through print interviews or whether it is on collateral statement stuffers for students," says Ben Shapiro, vp/communications and public relations at
Citi Cards. "It is that continual flow that helps to draw in people."
But that continual flow doesn't come cheap, with the project running to $500,000,
Of course, consumer debt is a hot issue, a fact PR executives are quick to remind reporters.
"We have the research that shows that consumers want this information, and we package it in such a way that it is easy for the reporter to digest," Gross says.
"Research numbers continue to be a good resource. It's one thing to put together a pitch saying: 'We have this gizmo that consumers want.' But that is just our story. When we
have research that backs up our story or our pitch, that is valuable."
And how.
The Web site has captured hundreds of thousands of hits (see sidebar) while the campaign itself has caught the attention of multiple media outlets. Yet as he assesses
the entire effort, Shapiro says there is one thing he would like to do differently as the program progresses.
"If you are driving people to your Web site, one of the most natural ways to get people there is to get to people who are already online," he says. "We have been driving
people to the Web very successfully, but the actual Web presence [of the PR program], that viral marketing component, we probably could do more of that."
Contacts: Tami Gross, 212.750.5755, [email protected]; Ben Shapiro, 718.248.9487, [email protected]
New Lines Of Communication
The folks at Citi Cards know all about return on investment (ROI), so when it launches a PR campaign, the company is looking for a solid reward. In the case of http://www.UseCreditWisely.com, the bank's investment seems to have paid off handsomely. The Web site, along with its ancillary
links, targets the student and HIspanic populations. Since launching in January '03, it has drawn nearly 200,000 unique visits, and generated close to 14,000 requests for the 'Use
Credit Wisely' booklet. The media also have taken lots of bites, with more than 243 million impressions and items in Careers & Colleges, College Bound, Dow
Jones News, El Diario, Fox's "Good Day New York," the Houston Chronicle, Hoy, Indianapolis Star, Newsday, Talk America radio and the
Wall Street Journal, among many others.
Riding on the success of the Use Credit Wisely Web site, Citi now has plans underway to create similar sites in other countries in which the company does business, including
China and the Philippines.