By

Sara Friedman

Executive Manager, Acquisition Marketing – My Business

CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE ROLE OF YOUR TEAM AT WESTPAC?

Apart from being a bunch of legends, you could summarise us in three W’s.

  • What you see: the stories of our brands, including our sponsorships.
  • Where you see it: all the usual suspects, including mass advertising, digital and social, even down to what our branch staff wear.
  • When you see it: via our media strategy and placements.

We do this for all of our amazing brands (Westpac, St.George, Bank of Melbourne, Bank SA and BT Financial Group) and aim to create an emotional connection with customers and the wider community.

Tell us about the westpac marketing strategy and your life moments advertising, how did it come about?

We started with the aim of creating deeper connections with our customers. We wanted this campaign to be more than a marketing offer, it was about creating business-wide change to improve how we help our customers through life’s key moments. This inspired the team to think differently: be bold, be brave and try new things. What we were currently doing wasn’t going to get us to where we needed to be.

We looked at our data to unpack what customers wanted from us, what they needed from us and where we could genuinely help. The data revealed a set of key moments in life where people experience change and feel vulnerable – from this the Westpac ‘Life Moments’ campaign was born.

But the advertising was the endpoint of the journey.

We started with a business-wide review of our products and customer experiences. This reached far beyond marketing. Multiple parts of the business worked together to decipher how to make the most impactful change for our customers in these key life moments.

Then we brought in the creative clout to tackle the sensitive subject matter, driving impact and to help people ‘feel’ an emotional connection. We felt this was ambitious for a financial services brand, but we wanted to give it a go.

WHEN DID YOU INITIALLY REALISE YOU WERE ONTO SUCH A SUCCESSFUL PLATFORM?

The ‘Help’ platform was a real risk in terms of how we wanted to execute it. It was a big departure from the more transactional work. 

What flicked the switch for me was when we started to see our call centre numbers increase. People started calling for help during key life moments such as the loss of a loved one or when they were going through a separation. This was a huge behaviour change. Usually, a bank is almost last on people's lists to reach out to for help when in many cases it should be the first. Our message was finally landing – we were seeing perception and behaviour change.

HOW DOES YOUR HUMAN CENTRIC APPROACH IN ADVERTISING EXTEND TO YOUR WHOLE CUSTOMER OFFERING?

As I covered a little before, this was more than a marketing offering, it was a business-wide change. Starting with the services we had to offer or needed to create.

So much has to be done before you can even brief the creative. That’s the shiny part! But it came about through deep customer insights. Looking at our data and understanding why people reach out for help. We needed to make sure that the whole business was geared up for it. Ensure we had the right service offerings and the right people skilled and trained in the call centres before we could develop the ad campaign. If it’s not authentic and genuine help, we knew the work wouldn’t land. People see through it and you let them down.

WHICH OF THE LIFE MOMENTS ADS HAS BEEN THE MOST SUCCESSFUL AND WHY?

All have been successful in different ways. They were designed to reach different audiences in key moments so I can’t pick a favourite.

I know your audience is most likely interested in our business ad, ‘the Baker of Beirut’. It is probably the most interesting as the campaign brings to life the sheer dedication, challenges and rewards faced by small business owners of today. For many, when operating a family business, it becomes a focal part of that family’s life – the ups and the downs.

Alongside the advertising, we built an online hub to support businesses and integrated SME product launches to provide real help to businesses. It all comes back to the customer – understanding what they need and how we can help. The campaign shifted key consideration metrics and saw strong brand affinity uplifts. It is a testament to the importance of investing in brand to tell an impactful story that creates an emotional connection.

Alongside the advertising, we built an online hub to support businesses and integrated SME product launches to provide real help to businesses.

It all comes back to the customer – understanding what they need and how we can help. The campaign shifted key consideration metrics and saw strong brand affinity uplifts. It is a testament to the importance of investing in brand to tell an impactful story that creates an emotional connection.

What has been the biggest risk that you’ve taken in your strategy and did it pay off?

It was a risk to focus on emotion and brand storytelling.

From an advertising lens, being one of the big four it is very different to our key competitors.

But what has been important was doing the pre-work, which meant analysing the numbers, bedding down the strategy and staying the course.

Of course, we’ve received lots of feedback, but this is often when you learn the most because you are hearing from your customers. You get deep insights because you touched a nerve. My advice is to listen. Listen deeply and keep finding solutions and ways to help your customers.

BEREAVEMENT AND SEPARATION ARE VERY SENSITIVE SUBJECTS. CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE PSYCHOLOGY OF PICKING LIFE MOMENTS LIKE THIS FROM AN ADVERTISING POINT OF VIEW?

It all starts with research and data. What are these big key moments for people – joyful and challenging. And where can we as a brand genuinely help?

From research and looking at all our data we uncovered there are around 100,000 Westpac accounts are impacted by customers passing away each year and one in three marriages end in divorce in Australia. We needed to be brave to take these tougher subjects to market in an advertising platform on a mass marketing scale, as opposed to one-on-one communications. But we did and they cut through.

WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE TO OTHER MARKETEERS OUT THERE ON HOW TO BE MORE CUSTOMER CENTRIC IN THEIR COMMUNICATIONS?

You have to be authentic and real. Look at your data and it will tell you what your customers want.

Create products, services and experiences based on what they are telling you, not what you think they need.

Never underestimate the importance of listening, enquiring, probing to make sure all key decisions have a customer lens.

In every meeting you have – virtual or in-person – give the customer a ‘seat’ at the table. Think about what they want and how they’ll feel about decisions being made on their behalf.  

Sara Friedman

Executive Manager, Acquisition Marketing – My Business

Sara is a marketing professional with over 15 years of experience working in Australian businesses, from start ups to top ASX listed organisations across media, telecommunications and financial services.