Renew or Regress
GPT4

Renew or Regress

Today at a Glance:

  • Are our marketing investments accurately reflecting our strategic intentions?

  • How else can we leverage competitor earnings for a strategic edge?

  • What's driving Amex's surge in Personal Loans DM?

  • How is Amex's high APY for Platinum cardholders reshaping loyalty and profitability?

  • What does Wells' 2% Business Cash Card Signify?


I obsess over marketing spend as every marketing dollar is an investment, and every investment is a statement of intent. The granularity?from our Omnichannel marketing mix, overlaid with the actuals we get from earnings, helps me interpret each FI's actions, reactions, and aspirations.

  • Is the Marketing Spend Agile Enough?
  • Is the Customer Experience prioritized over the Marketing Channel?
  • Is the Digital Arsenal Firing on All Cylinders?
  • Who is Adapting their ROI to Optimize for the New Channels?
  • How might Changes in Consumer Behavior due to Economic Shifts Influence our Marketing Strategies?

These are a few questions I'm pondering over and our consultants are helping clients navigate. Some Q1 2024, brand-level marketing mix and spend metrics that help you get a sense of who's doing what (consumer-only):

Next, let's take a look at Marketing Spend for just Credit Cards (consumer-only):

Lastly, everything above is what you see on Omni today. I wanted to take this one step further and help you get a feel for what this mix looks like when you incorporate non-Omni platform channels that we monitor into the mix. Claire Schultz incorporated two of our most "popular" off-platform channels: OTT (aka Connected TV i.e., ads on Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, etc.) and Paid TikTok, so you can see the stark difference that each channel added to the mix makes to the story.

Claire has not incorporated Paid Search, Podcasts, Paid Snap, or Print, among other channels.

Please note: The Y-axis of both graphs is different.

This is why I raise the first question: Is the Marketing Spend Agile Enough? In a world where consumer habits are known to shift overnight, rigidity in marketing spend is a liability. Can your team swiftly reallocate resources, pivot campaigns, and seize emerging opportunities? Flexibility is no longer a 'nice to have'—it's the currency of survival and growth.

I discussed Q1 earnings in detail?last week, and now we have Capital One's number to add to the mix.

If you prefer the table from last week, here is it updated with COF:

  • What hints is Amex giving us by being the only issuer increasing marketing spend QoQ AND vs. YAG? Perhaps a bullish approach to capturing market share and customer engagement early in the financial year?
  • What does BofA's consistent marketing spend tell us? Perhaps that retaining brand presence and customer loyalty is the key focus right now.

As we continue to navigate these complex waters, asking the right questions and deriving actionable insights from data will be key to maintaining relevance and achieving sustainable growth.

Speaking of Amex, Nicole Bond, M.S. has a report?American Express Amplifies Personal Loans Direct Mail

I also love Nicole's use of our?Comperemedia Targeting Tool?that indicates the largest prospect crossover in Q1 2024 was Citi, SoFi, and Discover.

Staying on Amex, Emily Pardo found this:

Sneak Peak:?Amex?introduced an exclusive APY for its savings account

In January 2024, Amex sent an exclusive cross-sell offer touting a 4.60% APY for its high-yield savings account. The 1.2m EMV was sent to Platinum Card members and offered a much higher APY than the 4.35% sent to other consumers. This likely heightened brand reputation and built loyalty for Platinum customers, further justifying the high annual fee of the card.


Lastly, Wells announced their?2% Business Cash card. I find the "Pay As You Go" Priority Pass membership intriguing (a discounted $35 fee per lounge use) as I think it's a creative way for many issuers to offer a form of "lounge benefit". Read Andrew Davidson 's take?here.

In conclusion, I asked ChatGPT to help me with an analogy. Being a CMO or marketer in the financial services sector is akin to being a conductor of a complex symphony—harmonizing the brand narrative, strategic partnerships, and customer engagement to a flawless crescendo. The marketing spend report is one instrument among many; the key to mastering the tune is understanding its part in the collective melody of the industry.

What story is your competitor's marketing spend telling you?

As ever - Anuj

Congratulations, my dear friend! You are such an amazing person and professional, I love reading your newsletters because I learn new things, I get a view from a different perspective and it’s a way to stay connected with you! Very proud of your amazing journey!

Cara C. Archer

Senior Product Development Manager, SVP @ Truist | Consumer Credit Cards

10 个月

I always look forward to your insights, Anuj! Your writing is visionary and in touch with the challenges of “today.” Thank you for bringing your expertise to our fingertips!

John Ross

Vice President @ Mintel LATAM

10 个月

Anuj Shahani, many congratulations my friend on this landmark achievement. It speaks volumes to your dedication to your clients and the industry that you take the time (more I imagine, than people realise) to prepare these weekly newsletters that are relevant, timely and always provide learnings. Congratulations and here's to the next 200!

Shafiq Rajani

Commercial Leader | Driving Growth & Innovation

10 个月

Congratulations on 200 Newsletters and over 12,000 subscribers, each week your valuable insights and updates have been read, studied and forwarded across FI's globally. ?? ?? Thank you for highlighting marketing spend from Comperemedia Omni this week, as we continue to learn from Capital One American Express JPMorgan Chase & Co. and others that rather than one method taking over the other, the future of marketing lies in leveraging all channels, both OTT targeting by risk score and direct mail's unique strengths, creating a synergistic approach that empowers brands to connect with their audience in more meaningful, personalized, and effective ways.

Christopher Martin

UX Strategy Manager @ AnswerLab | ex-Ipsos

10 个月

Congrats, Anuj Shahani!

要查看或添加评论,请登录

Anuj Shahani的更多文章

  • Rich Rewards or Safe Returns

    Rich Rewards or Safe Returns

    Today at a Glance: - Listen to today's newsletter! (1.5x recommended) Apple | Spotify - US Deposits Competitive…

    1 条评论
  • Democratization of Luxury

    Democratization of Luxury

    Economy Pricing, Upgraded Experiences Today at a Glance: - Listen to today's newsletter! (1.5x recommended) Apple |…

  • The 10-Minute Mindset

    The 10-Minute Mindset

    Today at a Glance: How could you deliver your core offering in 10 minutes? Inside the Consumer’s Mind The Future of…

    5 条评论
  • Polycultural Power & Profits

    Polycultural Power & Profits

    Today at a Glance: - Listen to today's newsletter! (1.5x recommended) Apple | Spotify - Polycultural Consumers -…

  • Confidence Fuels Credit

    Confidence Fuels Credit

    Today at a Glance: - Listen to today's newsletter! (1.5x recommended) Apple | Spotify - Q4 2024 Credit Card Application…

  • Rising Together

    Rising Together

    The More We Link, The More We Grow Today at a Glance: - Listen to today's newsletter! (1.5x recommended) Apple |…

    2 条评论
  • More Marketing, Measured Risk

    More Marketing, Measured Risk

    Today at a Glance: · Listen to today's newsletter! (1.5x recommended) Apple | Spotify · Expanding Marketing, Unwavering…

  • Strength is Built in Momentum

    Strength is Built in Momentum

    Today at a Glance: Listen to today's newsletter! (1.5x recommended) Apple | Spotify Robust earnings reflect strategic…

  • Play Big or Stay Unseen

    Play Big or Stay Unseen

    Today at a Glance: Listen to today's newsletter! (1.5x recommended) Apple | Spotify 2024 Marketing Spend | Q4 is the…

  • The Year of Possibility

    The Year of Possibility

    Today at a Glance: Listen to today's newsletter! (1.5x recommended) Apple | Spotify From “Brand Behind the Brand” to…

    2 条评论

社区洞察

其他会员也浏览了