Insight
Maintaining an open dialogue with teenage children is a challenge for Italian parents today, just like in most of the world. But this challenged is eased with the help of technology and the fact that smartphones are used in almost every family unit, allowing for a constant connection, even remotely.
Recent data around mobile usage in Italy confirm that 80% of consumers use pre-paid sim cards, along with a strong presence of free, downloadable applications which counts with 71% of the population. Within this context, PayPal chose Italy to launch its PayPal Carica (recharge) app in May 2017. The free app is designed with families with teenagers in mind, and allows parents to recharge mobile phone credit with just a few taps.
Idea
Edelman designed the launch concept for “PayPal Carica; the app that helps teenagers and parents to recharge” focused on a communications marketing campaign consisting in traditional and social media activity, along with an influencer program and blogger engagement during a three-step launch.
The app’s first phase launch has already taken place, centered on an influencer program with the likes of Filippa Lagerback, an Italian TV presenter who embodies the profile of the app’s user with a teenager daughter. Through her social channels she told the story with PayPal Carica with a video teaser to spark curiosity and help generate buzz. Later, three bloggers with very different styles were involved (Silvio De Rossi, Andrea Galeazzi, Daniela Schicchi di Fattoremamma), helping amplify awareness and reach a wider segment of the target audience.
Impact
- Italy chosen as pilot country was a unique and interesting message for traditional media as highlighted through a series of preview interviews with outlets like Leonardo.it, Wired.it, Corriere della Sera, D La Repubblica and Cosmopolitan along with the most important marketing and communications magazines.
- Just a few weeks from the first phase launch, over 150 pieces of coverage have been generated.
- Two custom videos created for Facebook reached over a million impressions with a reach of over 847.800, alongside a Twitter engagement of 8,337 and 1,848 impressions.
- During the first two weeks after the launch, the app reached more than 25,000 downloads. And, in a web user group survey, research found that 36% of respondents were aware of the app.