As part of the brand’s mission to be seen as a trusted global engine of commerce — and more than a credit card company — as it enables global economic inclusion and shapes modern money movement, consumers and businesses are being invited to “Meet Visa.”
While people may think they know Visa, its global marketing campaign, “Meet Visa,” shares how the company is continuing to move commerce forward by anticipating the future of digital commerce and providing access through its secure global network.
The campaign includes not only a modernized look but also content through films, short and digital/OOH creative profiling real people living their best lives through a range of commerce experiences. Moments are captured including finding flexibility in how to get paid, connecting local merchants to global sellers, working on a future where crypto can buy cool things and helping turn side jobs into global sensations.
“When Visa was founded more than 60 years ago, few could imagine a world beyond cash and checks,” said Lynne Biggar, executive vice president and global chief marketing officer at Visa. “Yet, Visa’s founding vision began with a simple question: what if money became fully electronic? Since then, Visa has continued to anticipate the future of digital commerce through so much change. Now, very much in line with how our business strategy has evolved, we want to expand the perception of Visa from a trusted credit card company to the trusted engine of commerce.”
The multiyear reintroduction to Visa, Biggar told WWD, touches every aspect of the business from products built to evolving the brand’s visual identity. Notably, in late 2021, the evolved visual brand identity will include refreshed colors for digital impact, a custom font created for optimal digital experiences and a new brand symbol to express Visa’s brand purpose.
Overall, Visa’s brand identity symbolizes change. Like many global brands, the company said the pandemic caused it to look inward and ensure the brand effectively represented who it was and what it strives for. In a statement, Visa said “as a brand and a business, we have worked to connect the world through a global network that enables individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. We believe that economies that include everyone everywhere can uplift everyone, everywhere. This belief is the foundation of all that we do and defines the products and solutions we deliver.”
As the world continues to reopen and money moves in new ways, Visa aims to reiterate what it stands for and showcase the impact that a purpose-driven brand with the company’s scale and reach can achieve.
Over the rest of the year, Visa’s new brand identity will become visible in the more than 200 countries and territories that Visa operates in. The company’s primary business strategy will encompass areas including consumer payments, new payment flows with attention to cross-border person-to-person payments and a diverse set of offerings and solutions through new partnerships with fintech companies and established brands, relationships with global governments and innovative technologies built for the future.
“Our new ‘Meet Visa’ campaign is part of this effort and will open people’s eyes to the power and diversity of the Visa network,” said Biggar. “It shows how our solutions work to give access to the global economy for more people and power new innovations.”
Further, the company’s new brand symbol has been designed to express the purpose behind the Visa brand. “It’s a symbol of our values and a reminder of our commitment to equality, opportunity, and a signal of movement toward a better future,” said Biggar.
Notably, as the past 18 months in the pandemic have created immense disruption for businesses across all industries, consumer behavior changes have also meant change for the way retailers operate, meaning acceleration across all technologies.
“In the largest sense, digital payments kept money moving and businesses selling during the pandemic,” said Biggar. “What we’re seeing now is that there is no reverse gear on these changes, making it important for businesses to continue to digitally accelerate. For example, the lines between e-commerce, mobile and the physical world have blurred into what we call ‘in real life’ [IRL] experiences. And it’s hard to talk about consumer behaviors over the last year without mentioning the rise of tap to pay or contactless payments.”
In fact, Visa’s Back to Business Study found that 65 percent of consumers would prefer to use contactless payments as much as or more than they were pre-pandemic. And halfway through the pandemic, almost 63 percent of consumers additionally said they would switch to a new business that installed contactless payment options.
“Bottom line is that businesses should not slow digital acceleration,” said Biggar. “Doing it well can create positive consumer affinity and differentiate your brand — two things every business certainly wants more of.”