Credit Card Marketing Lost

with the advent of credit card marketing era, how to put the bank's credit card to create a rich personality and connotation of the independent brand, is increasingly urgent. Brands determine consumers ' perceptions, and perceptions can be difficult to change once they are implanted into the consumer's brain. Therefore, who can become the first brand of domestic credit card, will play a crucial role in the future market performance.


　　


since 2003 "The first year of credit card", the domestic bank's credit card marketing campaign has entered the 5th years. After a messy and rough race, bankers seem tired of publishing beautiful card numbers to the media and the public. The increasing cost of issuing cards and the increasing pressure of earnings have allowed them to begin to turn their attention to the existing cardholder. In fact, how to do the consumer service and deep marketing after the hairpin, to "awaken" the credit card "sleeping" in the wallet mezzanine, is becoming the next marketing center of each bank gradually. And with the bank's credit card marketing strategy constantly escalating, there are indications that domestic credit cards are gradually entering the marketing era.


whether Conservative and steady state-owned banks or innovative commercial banks, have started to "customer value", "Customer interest" and other popular words to the mouth, and started to match the service strategy and system. At the same time, they are not easy to stop the pace of expansion, but no longer blindly tongue high-end customers this horseshoe-disease of the Red Sea battlefield, the banks began to adjust their product line, and try to attract those untapped potential customer base.


can they do that?


　　


the target customer of the credit card sinks to the baby?


　　


Monday, Jinan University junior students Fan Linlin received a very lovely "black and white pig" credit card from the bank, with the dormitory students have surrounded up, some girls in the eyes of the envy can not conceal.


Earlier this year, ICBC and China UnionPay jointly launched the "Happy" Pig ' Fu "series of theme peony credit card, see ICBC on this card is well-intentioned. This year happened to be the more and more fire of the "Golden Pig" year (in fact, the Fire pig), ICBC first in product design fully catered to the public "Love Pig" psychology, designed four series of credit card products, respectively: "Pig" Lian (Love Version), "Pig" is willing to beautiful (friendship version), "Pig" Fu Life (Baby version), "Pig" Mastery (successful version), which has two of each series.


"Black and white pig" credit card launched behind, has a profound meaning. ICBC Peony Credit card has always been a prudent feeling, and its target customers are mostly successful elite people. This time, ICBC is willing to put down its posture, to change fashion and popular routes, to a large extent, is by the China Merchants Bank and other new sharp commercial bank stimulation. Last year, China Merchants Bank launched the Hello Kitty credit card is popular because of the use of Kitty brand appeal to capture a large group of young people's hearts. Although the ICBC move is somewhat of a copycat, it is believed that there will be a lot of gains as a result of an occasional pig-like stunt. In less than two months, the national ' black and white pig ' has more than 1.5 million card issuance. ICBC claims.


another easily overlooked detail is that ICBC's issue of the "Black and white pig" credit card is divided into normal credit cards and low credit cards. The former is no different from other credit cards. and the low credit card is not a standard credit card, its credits are very low, cardholders to spend to save the first card, such as you deposit in 100 yuan, then your credit limit is 100 yuan. However, when the cardholder through a period of normal use of cards, repayment, ICBC will be based on customer consumption to gradually increase the credit limit, so that the low credit card slowly become a standard credit card.


This shows ICBC's ambitions. ICBC is trying to cut into the blue sea area of a credit card consumer. In the increasingly saturated market background, how to further explore the lower consumption level of customers has become the next breach of the banks. But the sinking of the issuer is accompanied by unpredictable financial risks, so no one dares to act.


ICBC is certainly aware of the high risk, but it seems to have found a way to prevent it. The low credit card of happy ' pig ' is currently targeted at a competitor-free market, and we are sending credit cards to customers whose income is not very high at present but with potential for future development. We adopt the wide, low, multiple use, upgrade of the new card-issuing process design, this can cultivate the cardholder and the bank's credit relationship. "The Guangdong branch of ICBC, the deputy general manager of the credit card center, is clearly confident.


More interestingly, ICBC's "Black and White Pig" baby version is directly aimed at the 2007-born "Pig" baby. ICBC's promotional material on the writing of such sensational words: the parents of pigs to deal with this set of "' Pig ' blessing life", will bring their own baby blessings and luck for life!


but is the low limit card really able to impress low-income, low consumption people? First saving and then consumption with the ordinary card consumption is not any different, in the land can be overdrawn credit card in the environment, the use of low credit card will bring some psychological pressure? Reporter for this to some low-income people do a small area survey, get the most answer is: "I would rather wait for their own income is high enough, to apply for an overdraft of the ordinary credit card, with this card I fear people say I chew, and too troublesome." College student Fan Linlin also admits that he did not apply for a low credit card because "all the students around me have credit cards that can be overdrawn."


in fact, the Guangdong Development Bank launched a low credit card early in the year, because credit cards were still symbols of identity, and ordinary people were hard to get in, so the low credit card won a certain market. Now, as the passage of the passage, ICBC's edge may not play beautifully.


As for "Baby Plan", to a large extent also wishful thinking. Listen to a pair of young couples who are about to be promoted to the age of the pig: "Do you have a credit card for your baby?" It's too far ahead. At least wait until he is 16 years old to trust him to use, no need. ”


Although the idea is not stunning, from the "Black and white pig" body we still see the ICBC as the representative of the state-owned banks in the credit card marketing ideas and ideas of the transformation, because from the investment, Guangdong, Citic and other commercial banks in the credit card business of continuous innovation and climb let them feel pressure And the homogenization of competitive means and the relative slowness of state-owned banks respond to how much they are a bit powerless. Therefore, how to be in the product innovation, the market segment, the service upgrade and so on has the bigger function, becomes the state-owned bank concentrated exerting force point.


However, if we open our eyes, we will find that ICBC's "black and White Pig" series card in addition to the two piglets appear to be more lovely, in other ways it is not. First of all, this artificially set several themes such as friendship card, Love card, Baby card, business card tricks, has long been used by other banks abuse. For example, in the early years of the truth card, positioning is "the first female dedicated credit card", in fact, is a female theme card. Then the flood of tourism cards, business cards, college students cards, sports cards are all the follow. Second, "Black and white pig" in Japan may be a notoriously popular cartoon image, but for many Chinese consumers it is still a strange noun, when a cartoon image in the country can not be like QQ as a popular and cultural symbols, it on the credit card sales pull exactly how big it is worth our suspicion.


these issues, may not even the top management of ICBC have a clear answer, because the reporter threw these questions to them, the answer is "inconvenient to answer." In fact, from the "new marketing" reporter contacted ICBC interview process can be seen in the concept of excessive cautious conservative and behavioral contradictions. For example, they very much hope that "new marketing" to help the "black and white pig" publicity, but do not accept face-to-face interviews. And in the written submission of reporters is not a sharp interview outline, received a written reply to most of the Shini's news-like materials. It seems that the banking market has yet to be "in-depth."


　　


Credit Card Marketing differentiation Trap





in the credit card into the white-hot competition, the search for differentiated marketing strategy has long been seen by the major banks as the king of the bailout. Is it as good as they think?


in the year of the broad issue of Truth card, with "The first female credit card" gimmick, quickly cut into mature female consumer groups. In order to curry favor with female customers, the wide distribution in card design, the development of special merchants, gifts and other aspects of the full consideration of women's consumption preferences. For example, the development of special merchants mainly focused on clothing, beauty, fitness and other fields, including a large number of well-known female brands. Under the stimulation of many additional services, the truth card has become a hot spot for women.

The success of
's marketing strategy has greatly stimulated other banks. Then, the market segmentation line has almost become a trend. Light naked copy of the Truth card marketing way There are Everbright Bank of the Sun, the Chinese bank of beauty card. Other tourist cards for travel enthusiasts, sports cards for sports enthusiasts, civil service cards for the civil service, alumni cards for prestigious alumni ... Concepts abound. But the bank soon found that there were not many people buying it.


"The main reason for not getting a warm response from the market is that these banks focus on product segmentation rather than provide the financial and value-added services that are in place in terms of consumer demand." Zhang, general manager of Guangzhou Shang Road Advertising Co., Ltd., who has provided marketing services for the wide distribution of truth cards, pointed out sharply. In fact, the bank's approach is a bit like making a product for a particular consumer group and waiting for customers to gather around the product.


actually, a "donkey friend" may not be able to see your travel card, because many other bank credit cards can provide a package of value-added services in the travel links, such as air tickets, hotels, car rental, insurance, emergency medical care. If the travel card derivative services are not better than other banks, customers will choose a stronger, more service coverage of the credit card brand, after all, not many people like their wallets stuffed with various bank cards.


and, as with the travel card, the key is to see if you can create a communication platform with a sense of belonging and a common language like Chi You, form a true circle culture, give cardholders the opportunity to interact and communicate, and then expand the circle through some interactive marketing.


As for the alumni card, there are already a number of banks United colleges and universities, such as the construction Bank and Tsinghua University to launch a joint Tsinghua Alumni Dragon Card, and Xiamen University launched a joint Campus Dragon card, Bank of China and Shanghai Jiaotong University launched the alumni identification card, and so on. The reporter looked through several bank Alumni Card's Operation Way, discovered is the similar. For example, Tsinghua Alumni Dragon Card, all through the normal card consumption, the construction bank will be a certain proportion of feedback to Tsinghua University, and through this card directly to the Tsinghua University donations. The cardholder's main interests are: The Alumni card can enter the alma mater of the various campuses, with the card ahead of Schedule alumni Activity room free to carry out alumni activities, to the library to borrow books, and so on.


"Every alumni will hold the passion to repay the alma mater to insist on using alumni card consumption?" What are the attractions of the value-added Services limited to the alma mater? Zhang asked. Zhang's question is justified, because the consumer's loyalty to a financial product depends to a large extent on the product's powerful financial capabilities and comfortable consumer services. It is not possible to attach some emotional value to financial products, but the key is to see whether its financial function and emotional work can be perfectly combined, and simply relying on emotional value to promote a product is obviously too reluctantly. Reporters have interviewed a few alumni card holders, their answer seems a little awkward: "The original because of the feelings of a piece, but rarely used." The main is not very convenient, I can not go to borrow a book specifically run back to Shanghai. ”


In addition to a variety of theme cards, also popular with joint cards, such as ICBC's Gome card, China Merchants Bank's Olympic card, and so on. The powerful combination of this brand can indeed attract a lot of consumers ' eyes, such as holding ICBC's Gome card to Gome to buy home appliances can enjoy more concessions, it seems worth owning, but in fact it is?


to the consumer psychological characteristics of a lot of research Zhang cite an example: "If I want to buy home appliances, and often fly, usually also like sports fitness, maybe I also like to travel, then how many credit card do I have to do?" For consumers, if a credit card can fully meet these needs, forming a complete value-added service value chain, he will certainly choose this powerful standard credit card, rather than other single joint cards and theme cards. "The relevant data also show that the card holders of joint-card groups are not only small in number, but also not highly active."


in fact, regardless of the theme card or joint card, they are a kind of differentiated competitive strategy, if applied well, can also play a good marketing and customer mining effect. However, if only they as a means of horse-racing, thus ignoring the consumer real consumer demand, can not provide them with thoughtful, value of late service, the bank is easily caught in a differentiated marketing trap, will eventually be the most affordable consumers abandoned.


　　


Credit Card Marketing skills


　　


He Dongwei in front of reporters opened his wallet counted, there are Merchants Bank, ICBC, widely issued, Citic Bank's 4 cards. In a foreign company as the market director of the He Dongwei often travel, so the opportunity to use credit cards more, even so, he also admits, "often used is the merchant bank's credit card, other basic not." Because the service of China Merchants Bank is good, it is more comfortable to use. "In other words, three of the other pieces are basically sleep cards.


How to activate most of the dormant credit cards is a big headache for all the card issuers at the moment. Because the number of cards issued by each bank is already less than millions of, and many tens of millions, instead of spending more effort to circle more customers, it is better to concentrate on the steak already on the table. In a recent research report, McKinsey also pointed out that China's credit card issuers need to change their focus on market-grabbing practices and shift their strategic priorities to profitable management of their accounts to avoid the overall loss of China's credit card market.


After the cardholder has no need to pay any fees for the credit card, how to encourage the customer to recycle the card to generate circular interest or to draw a merchant to return the domestic helper is the bank's attacking core. Around this core, the bank began another round of marketing competition.


CITIC Bank 2005 became the first big card issuing bank of domestic visa Platinum card, and through Word-of-mouth marketing brought more customers, the secret is that Citic Bank Platinum customers can enjoy free financial management, shopping discounts, and airlines to cooperate with the card to receive tickets, insurance and other high-value services, And its VIP customers can be booked free to drive a Cadillac car to the airport, in order to obtain a superior experience.


and now, more than one CITIC Bank can provide such services. Credit card gift Insurance, special merchants discount, global emergency medical support, tourism consumption, such as interest-free stage is already not a new trick. The question is, when all banks can provide almost the same additional services, what is the point of retaining the hearts of credit card users?


"In fact, consumers do not care whether your value-added services are creative, they are concerned about the availability of real and humane services." Many banks have made a lot of tempting promises to develop their clients, and few are actually able to do it, and eventually customers will go to those banks that do. "A marketing expert who has long been involved in financial services research says.


the same is true, this is a consumer more and more God-conscious era, user experience is to determine the brand loyalty of the main standards. Looking at the domestic banking industry, in addition to a few real pursuit of customer value-oriented commercial banks have basically done to "customer first" as a service criterion, and increasingly pay attention to thoughtful consumer services, we have seen more is still a cold face in the counter. A credit card user said: "Many credit cards are sleep cards because the basic services and value-added services provided by many banks have fallen asleep or have been in a state of slumber." ”


The Hong Kong bank's approach may well be worth borrowing from domestic banks. As one of the largest banks in the Hong Kong branch, it has a fairly sophisticated hardware facility. With HSBC's credit card, it can be consumed by 4.2 million businesses around the world, drawing withdrawals from 9,000 global automatic teller machines and 200,000 special service agencies worldwide. To attract more users, HSBC's credit card also comes with three additional services: first, 30-day shopping protection, the use of credit card purchases of goods damaged, stolen, can be a high to HK $3000 compensation; Secondly, global travel insurance, cardholders enjoy up to HK $2 million of personal accident insurance during the tour, Including loss of baggage compensation, legal support and accidental medical allowance; third, the global emergency medical support, the cardholder can only call the nearest hotline, medical consultation and referral services.


"It can be seen that HSBC's value-added services do not have much fancy places, but each service is very practical and solid." To take 30 days shopping security, which domestic banks can do? As much as HK $2 million of global travel insurance can give cardholders a sense of security, it is equally easy to imagine. "One industry personage appreciates the HSBC's approach," if our domestic banks were to practise their skills in late service and pay more attention to details and practicality, they would certainly retain more customers. ”


"activating" The Sleep card's password is sometimes as simple as the mantra of a sesame door, but our bankers are too complicated to forget some of the most essential things.


　　


who will become the first brand of domestic credit card?


　　


mentions world class credit card brands, many people familiar with credit cards blurt out: American Express, Citi Credit card, HSBC credit card ...


If you want to list the domestic credit card brand, what is your first reaction? Is China Merchants Bank credit card, Citic Bank credit card, or ICBC Peony card, Construction Bank Dragon card? From a random survey by reporters, it is clear that there is not a very strong credit card brand in the country can firmly occupy the consumer's mental resources.


in the United States, owning an express card is a very natural and necessary thing to do, because it can provide all kinds of convenient service for American residents 24 hours a day, the Express card is almost an indispensable companion in life, and it can provide extremely personalized service, will always bring you unexpected surprises. As America's most famous credit card brand, its brand influence is conceivable. Citibank credit card, as a well-established old credit card, has long been recognized by a wider group of people outside the United States, and there are many active users in Hong Kong.


at home, many banks remain in the early stages of product innovation and marketing differentiation, and the "retreat" of credit card branding does not seem to be a catch. China Merchants Bank is an earlier brand awareness of the bank, because it started with the credit card business as one of its three core brands, in recent years has been a variety of marketing activities continue to strengthen their credit card brands, and recently hired the world's leading young pianist Lang as a spokesperson for the brand.


But even if the merchant bank is so brave to break through the commercial bank, its position to the credit card brand is still vague. "Because of you, the achievement of the dream" is the whole investment bank's image positioning, and strive to pass is a constant search for change and customer value-oriented flexible and cordial image, and the credit card this blockbuster products do not have an independent and clear idea. "For example, Citic Bank White card is to promote the ' noble ', the spread of true card positioning is ' female-specific '." China Merchants Bank Credit card positioning is ' the most popular credit card ', ' the most convenient credit card ' or ' the most fashionable credit card ', which is ambiguous in many people's minds. "said Mr. Chen, brand director of a brand consultancy.


However, credit card as a very private and special financial products, at this stage it is difficult to leave the matrix as an independent brand exists, it must rely on the bank of the strong endorsement of the brand to grow slowly. And in the absence of a mature credit card consumer culture in this particular context, the Bank can only emphasize the credit card product function and its added value to win the market, which is the domestic credit card brand positioning vague, lack of personality main reason.


but with the advent of the era of credit card marketing, it is becoming increasingly urgent to make the bank's credit card as an independent brand with individuality and connotation. Al Riss, a leading brand expert, points out that the ultimate winner of an industry will be the top three brands in the industry or category. Brands determine consumers ' perceptions, and perceptions can be difficult to change once they are implanted into the consumer's brain. Therefore, who can become the first brand of domestic credit card, will play a crucial role in promoting its future market performance.


　　

Why is the world's first
Express card?


Express was founded in 1850, the initial business is to provide courier services. As business continues to evolve, the company pioneered traveler's checks in 1891, mainly for high-end customers who travel frequently. It can be said that the company's high-end customer service in the history of hundreds of years, accumulated a wealth of service experience and a large customer base.


Since the release of the first Express card in 1958, so far, the company has issued an express card in 49 currencies in 68 countries and built the world's largest self-contained network of merchants, with over 60 million high-quality cardholder groups, becoming the world's leading brand of credit cards.