Emerging Insight: One message, many benefits
6 May 2016
As perhaps the most successful implementation of mobile money, M-PESA is a well-documented case. In this study, GSMA highlights how M-PESA’s marketing messages evolved with the service.
In its first major advertising campaign for M-PESA, Safaricom focused on one use for its mobile money service and one functional message – “send money home”. While there were other uses for the service, M-PESA decided to focus on the one that they thought would resonate with most users. Indeed, a survey conducted by Finaccess in 2006 showed that 17 per cent of Kenyans reported having sent money at least once in the last twelve months, compared to just 3 per cent who had taken a loan from a microfinance institution, for example.
In time, awareness levels increased remarkably, even among non-users (with only 3 per cent of non-users were unaware of the service). Safaricom therefore changed its message to an emotional and aspirational one. Its new campaign explored the many emotional reasons that customers were using the M-PESA service, for example, a father paying his daughter’s school fees with M-PESA.
Through focused market research, an insurer can determine which product feature is most valued by the majority of its customers and focus on that feature. Say an insurer offers a hospital cash product. Focus groups might reveal that the majority of customers are worried about a particular disease, such as malaria. In this case, the adverting campaign could focus on malaria – “get paid when you get malaria” – rather than a generic message, such as “protect against illness”. A second campaign can take a broader approach, highlighting how customers have used the service and benefited from the cover.
As is often the case, less is more when promoting a new service.
In its first major advertising campaign for M-PESA, Safaricom focused on one use for its mobile money service and one functional message – “send money home”. While there were other uses for the service, M-PESA decided to focus on the one that they thought would resonate with most users. Indeed, a survey conducted by Finaccess in 2006 showed that 17 per cent of Kenyans reported having sent money at least once in the last twelve months, compared to just 3 per cent who had taken a loan from a microfinance institution, for example.
In time, awareness levels increased remarkably, even among non-users (with only 3 per cent of non-users were unaware of the service). Safaricom therefore changed its message to an emotional and aspirational one. Its new campaign explored the many emotional reasons that customers were using the M-PESA service, for example, a father paying his daughter’s school fees with M-PESA.
Through focused market research, an insurer can determine which product feature is most valued by the majority of its customers and focus on that feature. Say an insurer offers a hospital cash product. Focus groups might reveal that the majority of customers are worried about a particular disease, such as malaria. In this case, the adverting campaign could focus on malaria – “get paid when you get malaria” – rather than a generic message, such as “protect against illness”. A second campaign can take a broader approach, highlighting how customers have used the service and benefited from the cover.
As is often the case, less is more when promoting a new service.