Wero: Europe’s homegrown digital wallet
Freelance Head of Marketing, EPI Company
September 2022—November 2023
Where it started
The European Payments Initiative (EPI) was formed in 2020 by a collective including many of Europe’s largest banks and financial institutions, supported by the European Commission and the European Central Bank. The ambition, which they have successfully achieved, was to create a home-grown cross-border payment solution to compete with overseas giants such as Paypal, Google and Apple Pay. As well as working across borders, irrespective of the customer’s bank, the other main difference is that EPI’s solution doesn’t require a credit card; enabling users to send money instantly, directly from their bank account into someone else’s in 10 seconds or less. 27/7 and 365.
When I began the role my brief was clear: find a trademark-able name and develop a brand identity for the company’s digital wallet, ASAP. I was simultaneously tasked with creating the go-to-market strategy for the digital wallet product which was in development. With the naming, trademarking and branding process taking a combined minimum of 12 months, it was a race against time as the brand was required ASAP in order to finalise the digital wallet and prepare marketing materials for launch in mid 2024.
Outdoor advertising illustrating use-cases for Wero peer-to-peer payments
Challenges
Each of the launch countries has a different native language and culture regarding paying and getting paid. How do we create a brand that is unique enough to cut-through the noise, while being universal enough to resonate with vastly different audiences, across languages?
With most of the major banks in France, Germany and Belgium as partners, many of these planned to embed Wero within their own banking apps (which carry their own brand identity). At the same time, Wero would also launch a stand-alone app with its own identity. How do we create a brand which can harmonise with the visual identities of hundreds of other companies, while being bold enough to stand-out on it’s own?
The EU has 24 official languages. How do we find a brand name works in all languages, while being memorable, pronounceable and unique enough to trademark?
Each of the launch countries had existing embedded payment behaviours which posed a major hurdle for adoption of the product; how do we get get cash-dependent Germans, credit card-loving French and mobile app users in Belgium to switch to a new, unknown digital wallet?
Localised outdoor campaign: 10 Seconds is not enough to agree on Hamburg’s best (local cinnamon scroll). But with Wero you can send money from bank account to bank account in less than 10 seconds.
Results
After a long process including a shortlist of 230 potentials, Wero was selected as the brand name. Representing the ambition to provide payment unity, merging “We” with “Europe”.
Successful European Trademark of the brand name “Wero” as a wordmark in 3 categories, followed by international trademark applications in 21 additional countries.
Worked with research agency on in-depth consumer understanding across launch countries: France, Germany and Belgium.
Managed agency pitch processes, wrote and delivered creative briefings, appointed roster of agencies.
Created the brand positioning “Get paid in 10 seconds or less” and co-created the go-to-market positioning as “The way Europeans prefer to get paid”.
Managed the Brand & Marketing team and hiring, including recruiting a Chief Marketing Officer.
Responsible for one of Europe’s largest marketing budgets.
Delivered quarterly updates to ~60 marketing team leads from Shareholder and Partner banks.
Due to family circumstances I unfortunately needed to step down from my role in late 2023 to return home to New Zealand. I am proud to have been amongst such an incredible team, playing a part in changing the way Europe Pays. The Wero brand and creative work was taken over and executed by the talented team who took the reins.
Less than a year after Wero’s launch in mid 2024 the wallet has more than 40M users and has successfully become a household name in France, Germany and Belgium after nationwide TV, outdoor and digital campaigns.
Social media
Ad content targeting audience segments through culture pop-culture verticals: beauty, food and fashion