Aussie pay on-demand startup bets big on brand campaign

Establishing the pay on-demand category along with sustained awareness of its company credentials have led homegrown pay on-demand fintech, Beforepay, to launch its first brand campaign nationally.  

The new campaign, ‘Your pay at your command’, is about emphasising the company’s core offering, which allows consumers to access their wages on an on-demand basis and take more control of their finances. The campaign launched in July and follows a refresh of the Beforepay brand identity.  

Taking a tongue-in-cheek approach, campaign creative and messaging shows several young everyday Australian consumers visited by their ‘future selves’ who have a firmer hold on their personal finances after discovering and taking advantage of the Beforepay offering.  

The Beforepay campaign incorporates TVCs, radio and out-of-home advertising, along with online video and catch-up TV plus social platforms. The media plan also incorporates TVC placements during Channel 7’s Tokyo Olympics broadcast. The work was created in partnership with creative agency, The Zoo Republic, and media agency, iProspect.  

In addition, Beforepay has signed various sponsorship and partnership deals, including with comedy duo, Hamish & Andy, and TV networks, Foxtel and Kayo Sports.   

Beforepay was founded in 2019 and made its official debut in the Australian market just over 12 months ago. Chief marketing officer, Chris Richardson, told CMO the company’s objective is to tackle one core area of financial stress and give people back control and confidence in managing their money. Backed by private equity money, Beforepay’s differentiated product proposition is based a pay on-demand service that gives members instant access to their wages for a 5 per cent fixed fee.  

In 12 months, Beforepay has amassed 400,000 users and provided $110 million in wage advances. Richardson this has been achieved through “steady, consistent, month-on-month growth”, supported by digital and bottom of the funnel activities.  

In advance of the latest campaign, the team undertook a refresh of the Beforepay brand with DesignStudio. This led to an updated visual identity and elevated ‘B’ logo mark aimed at reflecting an uplifting energy and approach to market.  

“We see this campaign as our launchpad and the next step in our growth, helping us establish our credentials and our category in the pay on-demand space,” Richardson said. “We have done a rebrand of look and feel, both tonally and emotively, to connect with customers.  

“Our product is designed around consumer spending habits and their own pay cycles and to fit into their financial rhythms.”    

Education is a huge part of Beforepay’s strategy, and the campaign is critical in that process, Richardson continued. Research undertaken by the business shows consumers are confused about many payments products currently available, and by associated and add-on fees. Beforepay’s product structure and flat fee was a direct response to provide a more simple, transparent option, Richardson said.  

“As pioneers of the pay on-demand category, it’s important that we set the tone for the industry in which we operate and rewire the way people think about accessing their pay,” he said.  

“We have tried to send a clear message of what our service is, how it works, and we’re taking that out through mass media, such as the Olympics, plus TV spots, radio and broadcast. We’re also positioning around content linked specifically to the nature of our product and propositions.”     

The campaign also reflects Beforepay’s customer sweet spot so far. Richardson note the product is seeing take-up across the 21-45-year old age bracket, with the average age of customer sitting at 34 years old and an even male/female split. Use cases stretch from buying birthday presents to consumers wanting to treat themselves or a loved one, plus covering moving costs.  

“What surprised us is the broad spectrum the product speaks to - that now filters through in our communications. We haven’t deliberately had segments but instead looked at that age bracket,” Richardson explained.    

“The characters in the campaign are right in that sweet spot, representing everyday, relatable Aussies. We then focused on transparency of service and of brand.”    

Thanks to the way the Beforepay product is structured, members access tools and data visualisations that illustrate what they’re spending and in the categories they’re spending their money in.  

“We have a lot of insights and feedback from customers saying that being able to visually see how are were spending money and what they were spending it on was enlightening,” Richardson said.  

“This campaign is our launchpad to establishing ourselves as a leader but also the broader category and setting the tone for what we are trying to achieve, which is to give people that control and to gain confidence in the way they’re spending their money.”  

Immediately after the first TVC went live, Beforepay saw a spike in search, supporting its short-term acquisition goals.  

“On a longer-term basis, we’re looking to establish awareness and a real understanding of our service, and we’ll do that through consistency of message and in how we’re showing up,” Richardson added.  

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