Credit Cards’ Latest Marketing Strategies

Besides car ownership, another thing we are always told millennials hate are credit cards. Perhaps with that in mind, credit card companies are ramping up their advertising on social media sites in an attempt to better reach a younger demographic. In addition to regular digital ads, some companies that issue credit cards are also paying social media influencers to hock their wares. One example from The Wall Street Journal: “When we were in Austin, I used my @wellsfargo Propel Card for EVERYTHING! Restaurants, gas stations, hotels and more restaurants… All those categories earn 3X points! It was so easy to earn points just by living life the way that we do! #LifeWithPropel #ad.”

We love how the enthusiasm and exclamation points are juxtaposed with “#ad” at the end. Who knows whether these types of influencer shout-outs are successfully getting more people to open credit card accounts, but for now it seems to be a big part of the marketing push.