Results and Effectiveness

Post-event surveys demonstrated how effective this approach was. "Movies in the Village" introduced potential customers to WU - 44% of whom were already using money transfer services, but not using WU, prior to the events. Nine of every ten consumers interviewed after the events indicated their willingness to try WU services for future transfers, while all of those who attended the events responded that they better understood WU's services and would be willing to recommend them to others. WU China dubbed the campaign a success and intend to continue this activity through and into their 2009 marketing plans.

Creative Execution

Understanding the need to build trust, we created an opportunity for consumers to 'meet' WU in their communities, acquire knowledge about WU's services, building comfort with the brand and its role in their lives. We designed "Western Union Movies in the Village" - a tailor-made event brought to 95 neighborhoods across 7 China cities. Colorful, eye-catching posters in WU's signature yellow and black promoted the events, with "guerilla-style" placements near central community locations with high traffic. The movie nights themselves brought WU to life with branded stools, banners and uniformed event organizers. Each event was kicked off by a local WU representative, with a brief introduction speech and an informational video about WU, its services, education on the money transfer process plus testimonials from people who had used WU transfer services. After the movie, WU representatives offered additional information leaflets, making themselves available for one-on-one discussions and conducting drawings for prizes.

Insights, Strategy and the Idea

For Western Union (WU), the key to driving usage was in establishing trust, best achieved by increasing consumer awareness and brand familiarity. Primary users are village residents in China's Tier 3 and 4 cities, with family living and working overseas. They rely heavily on money transfer services for financial support from loved ones abroad, but one in two consumers is not using WU. Given its importance, consumers are incredibly cautious about the services they use, hesitant to trust an unknown provider. Because WU relies on agents in these areas, limited opportunities to engage potential customers existed, making it difficult to establish broad knowledge of WU's services and deepen relationships with consumers to establish brand trust. For most residents, village life is simple.Their lives revolve around family, valuing the time spent with them. Entertainment options are limited, but they are the central means for bringing families in the community together.