The Situation
The pandemic pushed Filipino consumers into digital payments faster than anyone anticipated. Ninety-three percent now preferred cashless transactions, and seven out of ten expected to shop at international online stores in the coming months. PayPal needed to position itself as the trusted bridge between Filipino consumers and the global digital economy.
Trust was the barrier. Digital payments involve personal financial data, and Filipino consumers were cautious about security. PayPal couldn’t just claim to be trustworthy. It needed data that proved Filipino consumers already valued what PayPal offered, then place that data in national media to make the brand synonymous with safe digital commerce.
The Approach
Phase 1: Digital Audience Analysis Study
Conducted a comprehensive digital audience analysis involving 500 respondents to map how Filipino consumers approached digital payments during the pandemic. The study identified that digital security was the primary factor in payment platform decisions, giving PayPal a data-backed narrative that aligned directly with its core value proposition.
Phase 2: Study-to-Story Conversion for National Media
Translated the research findings into media-ready narratives that positioned PayPal as the answer to the security concerns the study identified. Rather than pitching PayPal as a product, the approach pitched the study as news: Filipino consumers want security, and here’s what the data shows about how they choose payment platforms.
Phase 3: National News Outlet Distribution
Placed the study results across leading national news outlets, generating 3.8 million impressions. The coverage positioned PayPal as the authoritative voice on digital payment security in the Philippines, establishing the brand as the trusted standard for cross-border digital commerce during a period of rapid cashless adoption.
The Results
- 3.8M Impressions from national news outlet coverage of the study
- 500 Respondents in the digital audience analysis study
- 93% Of Filipino consumers preferring cashless payments, validating PayPal’s positioning
Campaign Highlights:
- Study identified digital security as the primary factor in Filipino payment platform decisions
- Research findings placed across leading national news outlets as editorial content
- PayPal positioned as the trusted standard for cross-border digital commerce in the Philippines
- Campaign narrative connected consumer security concerns directly to PayPal‘s product offering
- Data became the foundation for PayPal‘s ongoing PR positioning in the Philippine market
The Takeaway
The fastest way to earn media trust for a fintech brand is to produce the data the market needs. PayPal didn’t pitch itself as trustworthy. It conducted a study that showed what Filipino consumers value in digital payments, and then let the national media draw the obvious conclusion.
- Industry: Finance, Technology
- Service: Data & Analytics
- Solution: For International Brands Entering PH
Frequently Asked Questions
Why conduct original research as the foundation for a PR campaign?
Because data makes a brand the source of the story instead of the subject. When PayPal published findings about Filipino consumer behavior, media covered it as news about the market, not an advertisement for a product. The brand earns authority by producing information that journalists need, not by pitching features they’ve heard before.
How does a 500-person study generate 3.8 million impressions?
Through national media placement. The study itself is the research. The impressions come from the journalists who cover it. When the findings reveal something newsworthy about consumer behavior, leading outlets publish the story and their combined audiences generate the impressions. The study is the pitch.
Why is trust the central message for a digital payments brand in the Philippines?
Because digital payments involve personal financial data. Filipino consumers were rapidly adopting cashless transactions, but security concerns remained the primary barrier to platform selection. A brand that owns the trust conversation owns the decision moment. PayPal‘s study proved it understood that concern better than anyone else.
Can a research-led PR campaign work for fintech brands outside of a pandemic context?
The principle transfers to any market where consumer behavior is shifting. Original research that maps how people make decisions in a changing environment gives the brand data that journalists want to cover. The pandemic accelerated digital payments, but any market disruption creates the same opportunity for research-led PR.
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