The messenger – a chatbot as a central element of the Sparkasse marketing campaign 2017
With around 600 companies, the Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe is the largest financial institution in Germany. Like many other companies, Sparkasse is facing the challenge of interacting in a digital environment with a young target group that primarily conducts its business online. Although most Germans already use online banking, young people in particular expect an additional service that is easy to use, such as PayPal and similar digital services.
To meet this requirement, the savings banks introduced a new app in 2017, a mobile service called “Kwitt”. The name of the app is derived from the word “quitt” and offers a simple and quick solution for transferring small amounts of money on the move. Up to an amount of €30, this can even be done without entering a TAN, allowing the transfer to be carried out even faster.
The savings bank planned a major marketing campaign for the launch of the new app and then commissioned the creative agency Jung von Matt/SPREE. For the technical implementation, they opted for the MessengerPeople team, which offers a complex and comprehensive chatbot tool, among other things.
The Jung von Matt/Spree creative team opted for a target group-oriented approach using Facebook Messenger. In other words, they have developed the concept for a chatbot that is to be integrated into Messenger. Target group evaluations quickly showed that the users the Sparkasse wanted to reach with its campaign were primarily active on Facebook Messenger. So the bank should also be active here – exactly where the target group is. The bot is intended to motivate the young target group in Facebook Messenger to use the new “Kwitt” app for quick, uncomplicated transfers.
The primary goal of the campaign and the bot is therefore to attract new users to the Sparkasse’s new app.
The Jung von Matt/Spree team uses the following two advantages of chatbots here:
- Chatbots can be integrated into almost any online channel or messenger platform and communicate with the target group around the clock
- Chatbots embody their own personality. This is developed by the project team during the concept phase and should be geared towards the target group.
When developing the concept, a great deal of focus was placed on the personality of the chatbot. Less consideration was given to the current image of the savings bank. The target group and, above all, the objectives of the campaign were taken into account when choosing the chatbot personality.
In the end, “the messenger” was chosen as the chatbot. He is personified by a muscle-bound colossus covered in tattoos. The idea behind the messenger is that he’s not a guy you can just ignore. But rather a type that, like the new app, should attract attention and, above all, be used. Hollywood director Harald Zwart was commissioned to produce different versions of the entertaining video clips to visualize this idea.
“Der Bote” offers its target group four different services, which it takes care of on behalf of its clients. This is communicated directly at the start of the chat conversation by the bot. He reminds a friend of the repayment of his debt and the exact amount. It helps to raise money for an event or a gift. It reminds forgetful friends to get in touch. He delivers invitations, e.g. to parties.
The main task of the messenger is therefore to help the user to collect the money that his friends still owe him. The aim of the campaign “More users for the new app” is to be achieved in this way.
For a direct approach, the message is highly personalized with the support of “Der Bote”. Within an interactive chat in Facebook Messenger, “The Messenger” asks the name of the friend, the amount of debt or the reason for an invitation. At the end of the chat, the messenger provides a personalized video. This can be sent to friends via Facebook Messenger. You can reach the chatbot directly in Facebook Messenger “WirsindKwitt”.
Jung von Matt/SPREE and Sparkasse rely on the chatbot tool and advice from MessengerPeople to implement the chatbot.
The MessengerPeople tool offers its own hosting options so that all chat data remains with the company if desired. However, as this chatbot is now integrated into Facebook Messenger, some of the data goes through Facebook’s servers anyway.
The launch of “Der Bote” took place at the beginning of February 2017 through a social media campaign. The positive response to the bot has been overwhelming: the concept and the campaign are among the most popular German marketing campaigns in 2017 and are still in the minds of the target group.
What ultimately makes this approach so interesting and unique?
Numerous factors can be listed here. The entire campaign follows the mobile-first approach and thus corresponds to the preferred communication behavior of the young target group. This means that the campaign is primarily aimed at smartphone users and is optimized for use with a smartphone rather than a classic computer. Compared to an app, there are no installation problems. Facebook Messenger is widely used and most users have it on their cell phones anyway. This means that no additional app needs to be installed on the smartphone; the chatbot can be used without any further installation effort. If we look at user onboarding, another advantage becomes clear here too: a few taps are all it takes to start the interaction with the bot. As you remember, chatbots are virtually barrier-free. Anyone can operate a chatbot or anyone can interact with the bot in the classic way using natural language without having to learn a complex program structure first.
The division into four subject areas quickly makes it clear what added value it offers users. Once one of the options has been selected, the user is guided through a clearly structured process, with any deviation from this process resulting in an entertaining response from “The Messenger” consisting of funny video clips. After a deviation, the user is immediately directed to the next step and the bot asks for the amount of debt or the name of a friend, for example. As the result is output directly to Facebook as a personalized video, it is very easy to share with friends. And because the videos are designed to be funny, it is particularly attractive for users to share the videos with friends and come up with their own tasks for the bot. As a result, the bot almost spreads by word of mouth, so to speak.
The analysis figures show that almost every user of this bot has given the chatbot a task. The concept and the idea of “the messenger” convinced the target group right from the start.
And even if the chatbot is no longer unexpected and new over time, it loses none of its appeal, namely to perform certain tasks in a useful and entertaining way.
“The messenger” is an early example of a chatbot persona that works well for the brand and end customer communication. Technically, this bot has no intelligence. It follows a clearly defined process and works on a strongly rule-based basis. The only technical challenge of this bot was the creation of the many personal videos.
The result of the work by Jung von Matt/Spree and MessengerPeople shows once again that chatbots don’t have to be intelligent to be successful. Rather, the concept must be right and the personality must be optimally aligned with the target groups, purpose of the bot and company.
Are you now considering integrating a chatbot into your next marketing campaign? Then contact me without obligation and I will be happy to brainstorm a successful concept with you.
