6/12/2014

Wells Fargo: Benefits & Call to Action

Brochure Front
A couple of weeks ago, I shared lessons related to Wells Fargo’s in-store brochure for their Propel 365 card.  One month later, the retail branch is presenting a new brochure for another product. This one is for their other AMEX offering — the Wells Fargo Propel World American Express Card.  

Unfortunately, this brochure has the same Fail for Creative as the Propel 365 card brochure — it describes the features of accruing points but gives no benefit statement about the value of points. When you’re playing a video game, earning points is important as a goal in itself. However, with a rewards program, the points themselves are not the goal. Instead, the goal is to get what the points can bring — such as a trip to visit Grandma, fun electronics, or extra cash for the holidays.

Inside
The Wells Fargo Propel World American Express Card brochure does mention their front-end benefits, such as hotel upgrades, airline fee reimbursement, and concierge service. This would support the headline message of “Upgrade your travel experience.” The cover photos suggest aspiration, with the moving ghostlike Wells Fargo Wagon graphic on the credit card and a happy couple on a gondola, presumably in Venice.

The brochure also has a disconnect in the call to action. While the cover directs customers to talk with a banker to apply for the card, the inside of the brochure directs customers to visit a website or call a phone number for more information. You can sell only one thing at a time — and that also applies to motivating a customer to action. Having two distinct messages in this manner dilutes interest.

Lessons:
  1. Marketing communications should communicate a benefit. Points are not a benefit — they are a vehicle of earnings toward a benefit.
  2. Keep your call to action consistent, and reinforce it whenever possible.