As social networks become more central in people’s lives, they are providing an increasingly important forum for people to get product information outside of corporate marketing efforts. It’s become imperative for merchants and brands to understand where the discussion about them is happening, and who is taking part. Ignoring the social media conversation will spell
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Understanding the dynamic between credit and debit—and now, increasingly, prepaid—is key to understanding how to grow the U.S. payments business in a challenging environment. A new position paper from MasterCard Global Insights indicates just how that dynamic is evolving in the third year of the financial crisis. U.S. credit card purchase volume increased by $111
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Recently, I came across an article in the American Banker about the Young & Free Campaign for credit unions. The program’s designed to increase credit union membership among the Gen Y segment by hiring Gen Yers as spokespeople for one year. The role of the spokesperson involves running the website for the campaign, creating a
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The news June 16 that Capital One Financial was buying ING Direct USA was big, and bigger the more you dug into it. When completed, Capital One will vault from the ninth biggest U.S. bank by deposits to fifth. More than the ranking, however, is the recognition implicit in the move that the deposit account
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For what may or may not be obvious reasons, charge cards are getting a lot of attention from issuers, and MasterCard research shows that certain consumers may be ready for them. In an environment characterized by unrelenting shake-out, broad deleveraging on the part of issuers and consumers, and aggressive regulation, charge seems to be a place
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I recently gave a presentation to a client on how demographic trends are affecting banking and payments. During our discussion, it struck me that we are watching the “prequel” to a trend becoming a way of life in the payments arena. The trend I am talking about is “Instant Everywhere”, identified by GfK Roper as one
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It’s always fun to transcribe great English prose; and when you spend a lot of time in the blogosphere, you can start feeling a little like you’re working in a windowless office in Manhattan in July with the air conditioning on the blink. Reading a real argument from a real thinker by way of contrast
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