Since its inception in 2015, Monese has experienced explosive growth, largely driven by a meticulously crafted marketing strategy. Under my leadership as Marketing Executive, Monese’s revenues skyrocketed from approximately £350,000 in 2016 to over £17.5 million in 2020. This remarkable trajectory can be attributed to a series of strategic initiatives and the leadership team’s shared understanding of the fintech landscape. My role within the group involved leading a department of external marketing contractors, including designers, SEO and CRM specialists, localisers and copywriters. Together, we defined Monese’s brand voice and digital presence, leveraging a suite of tools such as HubSpot, Adobe Creative Suite, Braze, and Google Analytics to maximise our marketing reach both above and below the line.

Strategic Oversight and Cross-Departmental Collaboration

One of my core responsibilities was fostering cross-departmental communication to ensure alignment and effective execution of marketing strategies and product teams. This involved demonstrating a proactive and autonomous approach to driving significant enhancements across various marketing channels. I was instrumental in managing the technical aspects of marketing, optimising digital advertising platforms like Google Ads, Facebook Ads Manager, and LinkedIn Campaign Manager to improve key metrics such as awareness, acquisition, activation, and retention across our customer journey.

Above-the-Line Strategies: Expanding Brand Visibility

In orchestrating above-the-line advertising strategies, I spearheaded initiatives that embraced expansive mass media promotional methods, significantly elevating Monese’s brand visibility and overarching reach. I crafted campaigns that were not only catchy and engaging but also deeply intertwined with Monese’s core values and ethos. This strategic approach ensured a resonant connection with our diverse audience, forging substantial brand recognition and propelling large-scale customer acquisition. My focused approach and strategic insight were integral in cementing Monese’s stature in the competitive fintech landscape.

Digital Presence and Social Media Strategy

I implemented a comprehensive strategy to solidify Monese’s presence across various platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. Utilizing Sprout Social, a top-notch management and intelligence tool, I enabled streamlined communication and management of conversations. This approach ensured regular, meaningful interaction with users and rapid responses to their queries, reinforcing Monese’s reputation as a user-friendly, accessible financial service. Emphasis was placed on sustaining and boosting audience interaction and engagement, rather than transient growth spurts.

Innovative Outreach and Press Impact

Leveraging the power of effective communication, Monese adeptly employed press releases as a strategic tool to broadcast pivotal updates, notable achievements, and distinctive promotional campaigns such as “Brexit Bus” and “Meteor.” These crafted communications were meticulously designed to captivate, landing prominently on the radars of media outlets and the general public alike. My role involved close coordination with press offices, ensuring each release was positioned to echo our innovative strides and fortify Monese’s market stance, consequently bolstering our reputation as a groundbreaking fintech entity.

Redefining FinTech Discourse: Leading the Monese Blog

Under my stewardship, the Monese blog emerged as a trusted information source in the fintech sphere, while also serving as a promotional powerhouse that drove product uptake and engagement. As Editor-in-Chief, my commitment to authenticity, relevance, and clarity ensured that readers always found actionable insights. Drawing parallels with titans in the domain, the blog gave established entities like Money Supermarket some spirited competition.

Pioneering Digital Presence: App Store Optimisation

Steering Monese’s focus on optimizing its app store presence, I implemented robust ASO strategies to ensure paramount visibility and a user-centric interface, aiming to magnetize more downloads. My responsibility involved the diligent crafting of seamless onboarding experiences and effective reach-out mechanisms to potential customers, fostering an environment where user satisfaction and quality were non-negotiable. The commitment to continual updates and enhancements under my direction was pivotal in sustaining high ratings and garnering positive reviews, underscoring Monese’s unwavering dedication to quality and customer fulfillment.

Navigating Uncertainty: Brexit-Centric Campaigns

In response to the prevailing climate of uncertainty surrounding Brexit, I led Monese in launching distinctive and captivating campaigns marked by slogans such as “Brexit whatevs” and “Brexit be free.” These initiatives were meticulously crafted to address the burgeoning concerns and ambiguities associated with Brexit, offering tailored solutions and positioning Monese as a steadfast ally in navigating the complex post-Brexit terrain. The campaigns were enriched with bespoke plans and cards, designed to seamlessly accommodate the varied needs of our customers amidst the evolving landscape, underlining Monese’s commitment to adaptability and customer-centric innovation.

Engagement Mastery: Tailoring CRM Strategies

Monese, utilising platforms like Braze and under my guidance, executed advanced CRM strategies to intimately engage with its existing user base. The delivery of personalized communications, punctual updates, and pertinent promotions enriched user experiences and cultivated enduring loyalty. This meticulous approach was essential in sustaining robust customer relationships and in strategically upselling and cross-selling Monese’s diverse array of products and services. This reinforced our commitment to tailored user experiences and sustained relationship-building.

Confronted with an initial challenge of low audience penetration and CRM acquisition conversion, I strategically utilised Tableau and Microsoft Power BI to analyse performance data and guide marketing decisions. My efforts increased site visitor conversion rates from a mere 0.002% to an ambitious 0.05%, representing a 40% growth in our CRM base despite previous setbacks from GDPR compliance losses. My comprehensive understanding of regulatory compliance tools ensured that all marketing practices adhered to the stringent standards required within the financial services sector.

Referral Momentum: Accelerating Exponential Growth

Under my strategic leadership, the referral scheme became a central pillar of Monese’s expansive growth strategy. With careful design focusing on user-friendliness and lucrative incentives, it spurred existing users to bring in new referrals enthusiastically.

With a remarkable conversion rate of 19%, an acquisition rate of 28%, and an active referrer ratio of 35%, the scheme achieved a noteworthy 24% referral-driven growth. These statistics highlight the profound success of the scheme and its pivotal role in customer acquisition, solidifying it as a primary channel in Monese’s ascending growth trajectory.

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In Summary

Throughout my tenure, I maintained a high level of technical proficiency with applications such as HubSpot, Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro), Tableau, Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, and Microsoft Power BI. I also adeptly navigated digital advertising platforms like Google Ads, Facebook Ads Manager, and LinkedIn Campaign Manager. My work adhered to regulatory compliance tools and frameworks related to financial promotions, ensuring that Monese’s marketing strategies were both effective and compliant with industry standards.

My role as copy focused Marketing Executive was characterised by proven strategic leadership, innovative marketing initiatives, and a deep commitment to customer-centric growth. Through a combination of advanced technical skills, creative vision, and data-driven strategies, I was able to drive significant growth and establish Monese as a leading player in the fintech industry.