The Challenge
NUS Extra is a student discount card available to students over the age of 16. The peak season for new card acquisitions follows the publication of the Summer examination results and subsequent confirmation of University places.
Essentially there is a three month period when students are actively looking for financial deals and the NUS Extra card needs to be at the forefront of their minds. The NUS wanted a digital partner who could help them drive 27% more card sales during that three month period than was achieved during the same period in the previous year.
The Outcome
With a defined maximum CPA per card in mind, Branch developed a multichannel programme using social media and online advertising with MSN and AOL to raise the awareness level of the NUS Extra card amongst young people. This was supplemented by targeted email marketing, affiliate marketing and PPC to drive direct card sales.
Card sales targets were set against each media channel, with the proviso that channels that underperformed would be adjusted to give the maximum ROI. This meant aggressive media negotiations at the start of the planning process AND micro-management of channel performance to ensure that the targets were achieved.
The Result
Over 40k new card sales were made in a 10 week period - equalling over £450k in revenue. This exceeded the initial targets that were set and sales are continuing to convert from the high levels of product awareness created by the campaign.