How can mastercard integrate the “priceless” campaign into a public relations program?

MasterCard and Justin Timberlake Inspire Cardholders to Give, Get and Share #PricelessSurprises

To tweet this news copy and paste http://mstr.cd/1n0WAbK to your Twitter handle with #PricelessSurprises

Purchase, NY (January 26, 2014) – A thought shared on Twitter leads to tickets to see Justin Timberlake. Following an ordinary purchase you’re surprised with new top-of-the-line speakers. These unexpected surprises and more are happening for MasterCard cardholders through our new Priceless Surprises program.

Priceless Surprises will kick off in a huge way with musician Justin Timberlake during “Music’s Biggest Night®”– the 56th GRAMMY Awards®. @Priceless will encourage cardholders to Tweet using #PricelessSurprises. People will be randomly surprised in real-time with unbelievable prizes. They’ll also be inspired to give, and share their own Priceless Surprises.

A fan, Avena Savage, receives the ultimate surprise when Justin Timberlake arrives at her home unexpectedly for a jam session as part of MasterCard’s Priceless Surprises promotion.

MasterCard is breaking new creative ground with this campaign and you don’t want to miss the spots that kick it all off.  Collaboration between MasterCard, our partner agencies and Timberlake himself it brings to life the element of surprise — showcasing a real and unscripted surprise through a two-part storyline.

“The success of Priceless is driven by the campaign’s ability to create emotion, influence behavior, unite people and touch upon consumer passions,” said Raja Rajamannar, chief marketing officer, MasterCard. “Priceless Surprises is an evolution from celebrating priceless moments and enabling priceless experiences to inspiring Priceless in new and unexpected ways.”
There are two ways to participate:

• Use your MasterCard credit or debit cards anywhere MasterCard is accepted and you could be delighted with unexpected music –related surprises. Everything from small prizes to a trip to see Justin Timberlake perform anywhere on his world tour. You never know!
• Use #PricelessSurprises on Twitter or Instagram and MasterCard will surprise cardholders at random with an escalating tier of surprises leading up to the ultimate surprise from MasterCard and Justin Timberlake – a Priceless experience with Timberlake himself.

GRAMMY® Night Escalating Anticipation

The program will be supported by a fully integrated marketing communications platform that encompasses a wide-reaching media campaign across social, print, radio, television and digital platforms. The campaign will help drive awareness for Priceless Surprises amongst MasterCard cardholders. The media buy will be focused on outlets that drive engagement, action and amplification with a strong focus on social and digital channels. 

For more information on the program, visit PricelessSurprises.com.

About MasterCard

MasterCard (NYSE: MA), www.mastercard.com,is a technology company in the global payments industry. We operate the world’s fastest payments processing network, connecting consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. MasterCard’s products and solutions make everyday commerce activities – such as shopping, traveling, running a business and managing finances – easier, more secure and more efficient for everyone. Follow us on Twitter @MasterCardNews, join the discussion on the Cashless Pioneers Blog and subscribe for the latest news on the Engagement Bureau.

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Media Contact:              

Sarah Ely

MasterCard Worldwide

(914) 249-6714

Apple’s “tap and go” technology offered through the Apple Pay platform uses advanced payment security developed by MasterCard. The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 plus were the first devices to include capabilities for this technology. With this launch, the MasterCard public relations team, working in collaboration with a PR agency, was eager to push MasterCard ahead of competitors and position the company as a leader in contactless payment safety and drive consumer use of the technology.

To achieve these goals, the team used a variety of tactics, including:

• Creating digital press kits crafted to reaffirm MasterCard’s contactless payment leadership.
• Sending executives to strategic cities in correlation with Apple Pay announcements.
• Offering “Priceless Surprises,” including cupcakes delivered to iPhone buyers. This campaign component continues to live on and has generated nearly 100,000 surprises to date.
• Running television ads for Apple Pay during the World Series.

By utilizing a strategic campaign, MasterCard brought attention to this new service, a key differentiator for the company from its competitors. MasterCard used a multi-faceted approach, which incorporated traditional PR tactics, social media, guerilla marketing and advertising.

As a result of the team’s integrated efforts, MasterCard achieved:

• Dominance in share of voice over competitors during launch week and for several weeks following.
• More than 900,000 organic impressions and 17,000 engagements on social media.
• Nearly 100 interviews with executives about the initiative (50 within the first week!).
• One million MasterCard activations within 72 hours of Apple Pay’s availability.

MasterCard has been a leading force in creating the world’s largest mobile payment system, and as a result, MasterCard, together with its PR agency, won a PRSA Silver Anvil Award for the campaign. Thank you MasterCard for providing a great example of an innovative campaign that continues to impress!

If you’re looking for integrated PR campaigns to showcase your financial products or services, Axia Public Relations can help. Download Axia’s e-book Maximizing Your Public Relations Investment to learn how to use PR to influence target markets and optimize your media coverage.

Featured image credit: Creative Commons

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