Discover It Card Plans Book

HBSI Final Project

GoalsOur task: Implement a large-scale campaign to increase the amount of

earned media around the new Discover it card

Discover it

Drive Discover it product use, consideration

and preference

Provide visibility for the Discover it card brand

within consumer media outlets

Drive cardmember engagement

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Research and InsightsWe have conducted research on the different aspects of the Discover it card, and have gained several important insights that helped shape the framework of our ideas.

Based on our goals, we decided to concentrate on three key areas:1. Demographics of the current Discover it card user insights2. Discover it social media presence3. Current media coverage of the Discover it card

Our results have allowed us to see what our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats were in the industry.

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Credit Card User InsightsIn order to drive Discover it product use,

consideration and preference, it is important to understand the market of potential card

users.

According to a survey conducted by Mintel in 2012 on credit card/debit card users:

Credit card users are cutting back on borrowing and card usage

Cash-back and points rewards cards are the two most popular types of credit cards among

consumers, but cards with no rewards rank a close third

65% of surveyed individuals say they are convenience users of credit cards, while only

about four in 10 use them for the rewards

Almost nine in 10 credit card users say they are satisfied with their credit card, while eight

in 10 are happy with their debit card

Mintel Survey 20123

Traditional Media AuditA media audit of the Discover it card brand showed that the majority of the coverage around the brand was found in either financial blogs or trade outlets like Nerd Wallet, Smart Balance Transfers, Bankrate, and Wise Bread. We found no top-tier consumer outlet coverage of the Discover it card brand in the audit, and the coverage that we did find consisted mainly of product reviews, descriptions of the card’s benefits, and comparisons between Discover it and various competitors.

We see great potential in obtaining coverage in top-tier consumer media outlets to get the Discover it card brand into the mainstream media and in front of the eyes of millions of potential cardmembers across the U.S.

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Social Media Competitive AnalysisWhere does Discover stand amongst its competitors?

Discover Chase Bank of America Citi Bank

Followers

44,206 19,632 211,385 43,642

Likes

1,514,562 628,542 1,087,167 776,853

Subscribers

1,650 692 3,521 2871

Discover currently leads the ranks with the most Facebook Likes. It comes in second place for Twitter followers and third place for YouTube

subscribers.

Discover ChaseBank of America Citi Bank

✔ ✔ ✔ ✔

✔ ✔ ✔ ✔

✔

✔

✔ ✔ ✔ ✔

Although Discover and all of its competitors are actively using Twitter, Facebook and YouTube,

none of them are using Instagram, Vine, or Pinterest. These unused platforms present an opportunity that we have chosen to explore.

Fan Base Platforms

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Alan and Jane: Husband and wife with four children—Sara, Kristy, Alexis, and Jake

Meet the Craft Family

Stable Credit

Basic Technology

Upper to Middle Income

Enjoys Family Time

After gathering a variety of primary and secondary research, our team reached several important conclusions about the target audience that we kept in mind when developing campaign ideas.

• Age Group: Our primary target audience consists of 30-54 year old men and women in the US.

• Families: The families that fall into this age group are active and leisure-seeking, and they enjoy road trips and sporting events.

• Stable Credit and Income: These individuals and families have good credit and maintain a steady income in the middle to upper-middle range.

• Basic Technology: These individuals and families are engaged with the basic forms of technology that are available to them, such as smartphones.

The Craft Family is an example of a family that would benefit from and appreciate the features of our integrated campaigns and, ultimately, the Discover it card.

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Strengths

Customer service

Cash back rewards

Customer feedback

Weaknesses

Lack of cash back automation

Limited national and global acceptance

Opportunities

Social Media Presence

Chase Freedom Card holders

Campaigns and promotions

Alliances and partnerships

Threats

Economy

CARD Act

SWOT Analysis

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Strategies

Spotlight the Discover it values and the card’s dedication to building a relationship with

cardmembers while also being a leading credit card in the financial service industry

Highlight Discover’s superior customer service programs by establishing a brand presence that garners media attention

Spark a conversation around the Discover it card and the brand by

engaging directly with cardmembers on a human level,

driving coverage in traditional media and discussion in social

media by playing an active role in cardmembers’ lives

Focus on Discover’s committed relationship with cardmembers to

reinforce the loyalty between existing cardmembers and Discover to drive

product preference

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The Big Idea

So, we will…

We want to drive Discover it awareness and product use and celebrate the close relationship between Discover it and cardmembers…by differentiating the brand from competitors and

engaging cardmembers

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…create two uniqueindividualized campaigns

Love it. Share it. | Make it Happen

Love it. Share it.

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Love it. Share it.Instagram Contest

Love it. Share it.Instagram ContestDiscover it will host an Instagram contest from February 2, 2014 to February 10, 2014, and applicants will submit their entry from February 2, 2014 to February 9, 2014How the contest will work:1. On February 2, 2014, users can upload a picture of an

experience they loved and want to share.2. Users will be prompted to describe their experience in the

caption, explaining why they want to share it.• For example: “My husband and I had such an amazing

honeymoon in the Alps! My brother and sister-in-law didn’t have a chance to experience their honeymoon. Like my photo to help me share the awesome experience that a honeymoon should be! #loveitshareit @discoverit”

3. Users will tag their posts with the hashtag #loveitshareit and tag @discoverit

4. The Love it. Share it. team will monitor the number of likes each entry receives from February 2, 2014 until February 9, 2014

On February 10, 2014, Discover it will recognize the two entries with the most likes and help those applicants share their experiences with the people they love.

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Love it. Share it. Photo BoothDiscover it will partner with the NHL for the 2013-2014 hockey season. On game days for participating teams, such as the Blackhawks, Discover it branded Love it. Share it. Photo Booths will be scattered throughout the hockey arena. Fans that visit these free photo booths will get a printout of their photos, branded with Discover it and the #loveitshareit hashtag, and the option to send their photos to their cell phones or email accounts, encouraging them share their pictures on Instagram and other platforms with the #loveitshareit hashtag.

At some games, announcers will broadcast coverage from within one of the Love it. Share it. Photo Booths. Similarly, celebrities will be invited to games on the agreement that they take pictures in the Love it. Share it. Photo Booths and post them to their social media pages.

• After the end of the first period, photos from the Love it. Share it. Photo Booths will stream across the arena’s jumbotron. This will create awareness of the photo booth throughout the stadium, enticing fans to go discover a Love it. Share it. Photo Booth.

• After the end of the third period, more photos will be streamed from the photo booths.

• If the game goes into overtime, one last set of photos will be streamed before the overtime begins.

• Fans can continue to take photos in the Love it. Share it. Photo Booths until 30 minutes after final score.

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Exclusive Cardmember MenusDiscover it will partner with restaurant group Lettuce Entertain You throughout June and August. During that time, restaurants such as Maggiano’s will offer exclusive menus that only Discover it cardmembers will be able to order from. These menus will contain specially selected dishes at low prices to reward cardmembers for their loyalty. Discover it believes in being the most rewarding relationship that cardmembers have with a financial institution. An important part of any relationship is sharing the things that you love. Each participating restaurant will have its own exclusive menu, giving cardmembers a different experience to love and share at each restaurant they visit.

As cardmembers experience this secret menu, they can share their experiences with others on Instagram with the #loveitshareit hashtag—further centering conversation on the Discover it card.

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Cardmember Instagram Post Examples:

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Make it Happen

CEO on the LineFor one week in March, CEO David Nelms will take time out of his day to answer customer service calls made by Discover cardmembers. Before answering calls, Nelms will receive customer service training to ensure that his language, tone, and attitude are like that of any other Customer Service representative. The next week, Nelms will listen in on calls to acclimate himself to the customer service dynamic and observe how Discover’s Customer Service representatives deal with upset cardmembers.

Finally, in the third week, Nelms will take one hour each day to spend answering customer service calls. Experienced Customer Service representatives will be on hand while Nelms takes these calls in case a caller has a particularly complex problem or is unusually hostile. While Nelms is answering these calls, he will have no more authority or power than any other Discover Customer Service representative. However, with only that much authority, Nelms will still be able to help cardmembers with their troubles. Discover prides itself on its strong customer service, and Customer Service representatives are empowered to help cardmembers resolve their problems.

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CEO on the LineRecordings

Nelms will be filmed throughout the training process, and the calls he takes will be recorded. After the Discover it team selects the cardmembers whose calls will be included in the final media outreach, a PR team will reach out and inform the chosen individuals that they had spoken with the CEO of Discover. The team will then interview the cardmembers about their experience with Nelms and request permission to use the calls and interviews in publicizing the campaign.

The footage of Nelms and the recorded calls will be incorporated into a Discover it branded video documenting the campaign, in which Nelms will discuss the training process and the experience of dealing with cardmembers as a Customer Service representative. Selected sections of the calls will be used to highlight the Discover it values and the brand’s commitment to serving cardmembers.

There will almost certainly be more material than can be incorporated into a single video, creating the opportunity to offer exclusive angles and stories to media outlets by making certain calls and materials available to them alone. When the PR team asks cardmembers for permission to use the calls and interviews, cardmembers will be given the option of allowing Discover it to use the recordings, but not to distribute them to media outlets.

If the chosen cardmembers have social media accounts or other platforms, they will be encouraged to talk about their experiences and stories, and may be furnished with recordings of their own conversations for that purpose.

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The Make it Happen Instagram contest will illustrate the role of Discover it in the community and the brand’s responsiveness to cardmembers and the public at large. It is a demonstration of the importance that Discover it places on cardmembers’ unique visions and goals.

This contest allows users to use Instagram as a platform to ask Discover it for help by posting a photo depicting what they want to make happen. In the caption, users will provide further explanation, tag @discoverit, and include the #makeithappen hashtag.

Whether personal or philanthropic in nature, the content and scale of a request are for the individual user to determine. The winning entry will be determined by popular vote in the form of Instagram likes, giving the world the chance to decide what request Discover it will fill.

Make it HappenInstagram Contest

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Make it HappenInstagram Contest

Entry Example:

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After Discover it helps the winner Make it Happen, the Instagram team will post the winning entry’s original photograph with a photograph of what Discover it helped them achieve, tagging the post with the #makeithappen hashtag.

These before and after photos will illustrate the brand’s twin commitments to helping cardmembers achieve their goals and to corporate responsibility in its interactions with both cardmembers and the broader community.

Make it Happen Instagram Contest

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Make it Happen for the MilitaryStarting in July, Discover it will be partnering up with Skype to make it happen for the men and women serving overseas that selflessly put their lives on the line every single day.

The military of the United States is deployed in more than 150 countries around the world, with 172,966 of its 1,372,522 active-duty personnel serving outside the United States and its territories. Most of these overseas personnel are deployed in combat zones in the Middle East. For that reason, the primary event of this campaign will take place in Afghanistan, where a bulk of the deployment to the Middle East is still taking place today.

The event will kick off with a concert when the troops arrive in July. Discover it will partner with Carrie Underwood, whose support of the military is well-known. Underwood has participated in many similar military events, and made an appearance in Afghanistan in January of 2013.

During the event, military personnel will be invited to visit a Discover it tent and tell Discover it what they would like to see happen for their friends and family while they are abroad. The request will be recorded as a video, with the applicant supplying their name, branch, position and a maximum three minute description of what they would like to see happen. The request can be something as simple as “I would like to see my daughter have the best second birthday,” or something bigger like “I want my family to get a reliable method of transportation to safely get to and from work while I’m gone.”

After the event, a Discover it team will review the tapes and fulfill five requests every month. Discover it will then team up with Skype and go to the houses of the applicant’s family or friends and show the video of the submission. This will be the first time that the request is shown to those concerned, making it a surprise. After the video, the team will open a live Skype conversation to allow the applicant and their loved ones to share the moment.

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Make it Happenfor the Military

Media Attention

This campaign will garner traditional media through a variety of methods. News outlets are constantly covering stories about American troops and their home stories. The most recent example comes from The Washington Post, which ran a story about a girl who won a Google contest by drawing a picture of herself embracing her father upon his arrival home from an 18 month deployment.

There are also a variety of stories around celebrities who are dedicated to giving back to the troops—for example Sean “Diddy” Combs’ partnership for an event on the National Day of Honor. Carrie Underwood will serve as the ideal celebrity to invite to the event because she frequently contributes to the military community and her most recent initiatives were featured in top tier publications, such as The Los Angeles Times.

Once the giving begins, the team will try to stay on a more local scale, one tailored to major city or state outlets. Once all of the giving is done, the team will pitch the whole piece, with all of the military stories, to the major national news outlets to highlight all of the different things that Discover it was able to make happen while the military personnel were deployed.

Furthermore, Discover it will publish the reactions of families as they hear what they will receive on Instagram at #makeithappen @Discoverit. This will allow the public to follow the stories and will establish a personal connection with Discover it.

Message Values

Human SideDiscover it has a heart and it feels for those who make

sacrifices for the nation.

The brand feels a responsibility to ensuring that it does what it can to help these men and women while they are gone,

just like a neighbor or a friend.

Relationship with CardmembersDiscover it cares about the relationships that cardmembers

have in their lives just as much as it cares about its relationship with those cardmembers.

The brand wants to understand what is going on in cardmembers’ lives because it understands that life isn’t

always easy.

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Measuring Success

Monitoring the number of placements and impressions throughout the campaigns in platforms such as TV, print, radio, and online.

Traditional Media

Establishing a brand presence on Instagram and obtaining followers

The number of @discoverit mentions and usage of suggested hashtags

Social Media

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Timeline

Exclusive Cardmember Menus Love it. Share it.Photo Booth

Love it. Share it. Instagram Contest

September 2013 – December 2013 October 2013 – April 2014

February 2014 – March 2014

CEO on the Line Make it Happen for the Military

Make it Happen Instagram Contest

March 2014 – April 2014 July 2014 – September 2014 August 2014

Love it. Share it. Timeline

Make it Happen Timeline

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BudgetLove it. Share it.

Photo Booth

Love it. Share it.

Instagram Contest

Exclusive Cardmember

MenusCEO on the

Line

Make it Happen

Instagram Contest

Make it Happen for the Military

Fee: $1,875 $1,875 $2,250 $2,250 $2,625 $1,200

Out-of-pocket:

Photo Booth,

Tickets, and Refreshment

Costs:$40,600

$10,000 in Prize

Money

Restaurant Partnership and Menu Creation:$ 50,000

Video production

costs: $5,000

$10,000 in Prize Money

(divided between 4 winners)

Concert Event and

Prize Money:

$150,000

Total: $42,475 $11,875 $52,250 $7,250 $12,625 $151,200

Total Campaign

Costs: $277,675

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Connecting the Dots:Strategies

• Spotlight the Discover it values and the importance of relationships with cardmembers.

• Highlight Discover’s superior customer service programs by establishing a brand presence that garners media attention

• Spark a conversation around the Discover it card and the Discover it brand by engaging directly with cardmembers on a human level, driving traditional media coverage and social media discussion

• Focus on Discover’s committed relationship with cardmembers to reinforce the loyalty between existing cardmembers and Discover it to drive product preference

Strategies

Spotlight

Highlight

Spark

Focus

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Connecting the Dots: Programs

CEO on the Line

Make it Happen Instagram Contest

Make it Happen for the Military

Make it Happen

Love it. Share it. Instagram

Contest

Exclusive Cardmember

Menus

Love it. Share it. Photo Booth

Love it. Share it.

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Meet the Team

Kate MitchellHealthcare

Chelsea DowlingCorporate

Lizet GonzalezConsumer and Brand

Marketing

Sara FowlerConsumer and Brand

Marketing

Monica DziedzinaCorporate

Michael WolfTechnology

Casey PacificoConsumer and Brand

Marketing

Sara RokickiProof Communications

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