Seeking to maximise brand awareness and amplify product launches in the competitive world of crypto is tough. But, it is increasingly evident that multimedia content and strategic partnerships are proving their potency in hitting marketing objectives.
A range of banks, crypto exchanges and blockchain networks are employing partnerships and campaigns that encompass shareable content to position individual executives as experts, and broaden brand awareness, while embodying brand values. In a market that moves so rapidly, that’s not to say that execution is easy.
Amid the clamour of different voices across newcomers and incumbents, all of whom are vying for the limelight as experts, it can be difficult for CMOs to optimise their use of organic PR, paid content, multimedia channels and affiliate marketing while nurturing their own user communities.
In just the example of PR, wrapping a targeted message of substance around brand values can require painstaking fine-tuning, particularly when the message needs to include the technical industry vernacular, reach a broader audience, and encapsulate the latest relevant market trends.
This is where balancing internal expertise with solid marketing know-how can come into its own in the crypto space, and tangible successes can come with synergies across integrated multimedia content, placed written content and affiliate marketing
Marketing directors explained to Financial Promoter some of the principles that have underpinned their own marketing activities in crypto and tokenisation, and how a smartly-placed, synergised content strategy can establish credibility and authority for their organisation’s leadership.
Content variety
Multimedia campaigns are by their nature multifaceted, so not all will prompt ideas for CMOs, but one from Amina Bank and another from BingX demonstrate the efficacy of targeted programmes where altruistic values are baked into the objectives.
Megan Nyvold, head of brand at cryptocurrency exchange BingX, said the firm’s multimedia and placed written content is designed to educate and empower its audience, while directly aligning with its commitment to making crypto trading more accessible to everyone.
This strategy involves the creation of illustration videos, educational blogs and various posts that simplify complex topics related to crypto, product, and blockchain technologies, widening the crypto entry points for audiences who may be unfamiliar with the industry’s vocabulary.
BingX also publishes market analyses and thought leadership articles across various financial and cryptocurrency platforms to establish the business as a trusted source.
Nyvold added: “By consistently delivering valuable insights and breaking down barriers to entry, we build trust and establish BingX as a forward-thinking leader in the industry.”
BingX’s partnerships with Chelsea Football Club (CFC) and two Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fighters are pivotal in broadening the firm’s reach.
“Through these collaborations, we’re developing co-branded content that resonates with a wider audience, including those who may not yet be familiar with crypto but are passionate about these global sports.
“This content is strategically placed across multiple channels to capture the interest of potential customers and to foster brand recognition,” Nyvold added.
BingX has found the partnerships with CFC and UFC to be effective in promoting brand values on a global stage.
Nyvold explained: “These alliances not only enhance our visibility but also connect our brand with the values of excellence, discipline, and global community that these iconic sports teams represent.
“This connection positions BingX as a brand that transcends traditional finance, merging the worlds of sports, entertainment, and crypto.”
In a different example where an intrinsic value proposition is at the heart of the campaign – in this case, access to finance – Amina Bank has created a web3 startup campaign entitled Banking the Underbanked, involving the launch of a zero-fee banking package for web3 startups and scale-ups.
This programme is designed to reduce barriers for these businesses to access financial services and capital for their everyday needs so that they can focus on growth.
David Taylor, global marketing officer at Amina Bank (pictured), said that with its zero-fee banking, the lender is showing it understands the difficulties faced by web3 companies regarding their integration into traditional financial systems.
He added: “The primary purpose of this campaign is to restate Amina Bank’s dedication to fostering innovation and business development within the web3 ecosystem as well as to present ourselves as a bank that pays attention to the client’s concerns and seeks to address what others may see as a basic right but Web3 businesses are often excluded from.”
“This is not just an introduction of a product into the market, but a wider industry initiative that promotes Amina’s stance on financial accessibility.”
By extending its services to web3 startups that were previously underserved by traditional banks, Taylor explained, Amina Bank is positioning itself as a champion for financial inclusion that supports innovation and disruptive trends.
Video in demand
Video content has long been a useful tool for positioning CEOs and others on the ex-co, but it can also be valuable for various launches.
For Sam Shrager, executive director for marketing and communications at BCB Group, video content will be an important element of the crypto payment services provider’s new website and brand launch this year.
“The launch will incorporate video, animated video and expert content across multiple channels as we embrace the quote about rebranding ‘it’s not just visuals; it’s also how you position yourself as a company.’”
BCB Group will aim to engage new clients and current customers with a content plan incorporating new messaging, product explainers and detailed use cases of how BCB Group can solve customers’ challenges.
As the company’s product suite matures from singular to modular, BCB Group will explain, via a pipeline of written and video content, how this change enables the provider to meet more client needs and strengthen loyalty. There will also be joint marketing activities with industry partners, specifically on content, panels, webinars, announcements and joint reports, while ensuring each are aligned.
For any marketing team in crypto or the broader financial services sector, the plethora of video across company and individual LinkedIn accounts increasingly makes it difficult to stand out, but some fundamental points can help avoid this content being lost in the homogenous mass on social media.
Florian Launay, head of business development at Block3 PR, a PR agency specialising in the web3 space, said that any strategy for video content needs to be smart in creating a large audience.
He added: “Focusing video content too much on the company will most likely fail, as the average watch time of users is becoming shorter and shorter. The solution is to create content on trending topics or even use fun and engaging content that aligns with the values the brand wants to promote.
“This strategy will help generate views and engagement, targeting users who share those values. Once these users are hooked, you can introduce your corporate content.”
Community advocacy
One of the idiosyncrasies of crypto and tokenisation is a need to manage user communities, and consider the mix of crypto veterans who’ve been in the market since its inception, but also the influx of new traders.
Research from the Financial Conduct Authority found that estimated crypto ownership in the UK more than doubled between 2021 and 2022, with substantial further increases estimated since then.
Nyvold at BingX explained that a multi-faceted approach and openness was important for the business to engage both seasoned traders and newcomers.
“Transparency is crucial in the cryptocurrency industry, which is why we offer an ‘Ask Me Anything’ (AMA) platform. Our chief product officer, Vivien Lin, and our partners, use this platform to answer any questions from our users, helping them understand our products and services better.”
For a user-first approach to work in practice, it’s a given that trading exchanges require a secure platform with 100% user asset protection and 24/7 global support, but Nyvold also stressed the need to innovate constantly and introduce new features to elevate users’ trading proficiency.
Alice Shikova, now marketing team lead at SpaceID and the former CMO at Folks Finance – a de-fi platform – shared how her former company valued and fostered a vibrant web3 community.
She explained: “When I refer to ‘community,’ I mean all the interactions happening between community members in chats, comments, and across social media. We meticulously monitored users’ comments and replies to gauge sentiment and iterate and improve our product offering. This is the approach one needs to nurture a solid community behind a project.”
Folks Finance aimed to treat users not just as customers, but as integral contributors to the protocol’s growth and success.
To foster an incentive-aligned community and spin up a marketing flywheel of growth, as opposed to the traditional web2 marketing funnel, Folks Finance launched a programme encouraging users to create content for the company, aimed at raising awareness of the protocol. At the end of each quarter, winners were rewarded with tokens.
Eventually, this programme evolved into a bigger initiative known as Folks Alpha, where a group was created of independent advocates comprising the most active and dedicated community members.
“This group enabled closer interaction, and the execution of larger marketing efforts with the primary objective of further enhancing the protocol and effectively spreading the brand message,” Shikova added.
Integrity
Affiliate marketing can also be seen as a part of community-driven content that builds brand awareness.
At BingX, Nyvold explained that affiliate marketing is viewed as an effective means of driving user engagement. By working with affiliates who embody the company values and share a passion for crypto, the company can ensure its message is communicated authentically and effectively to diverse audiences.
She said this strategy is designed to foster a community-driven approach to brand promotion, which is “essential for building lasting relationships with our users and maintaining the integrity of our brand.”
The latter point is critical, given this warning from Launay at Block3.
“Affiliate marketing aligned with your values is all about making the right choices. It wouldn’t be wise for a traditional financial company looking to develop a professional image in web3 to use a key opinion leader who previously promoted scammy meme coins, for example. This might sound funny, but unfortunately, it happens too often.”
- As an official media partner, Financial Promoter will be reporting live at Token 2049 from 18 September, with onsite journalists capturing the major marketing stories from each day on financialpromoter.co.uk.