Santander Bank
Driving Engagement & Conversion with Strategic Native Advertising
Designing a high-performance native ad system to support key growth initiatives for Santander.
Strategic Native Advertising for Santander
THE CHALLENGE:
Business Goal: To create a scalable and effective native advertising system to drive customer action on key Santander initiatives, such as the "Refer a Friend" program and important account updates.
Brand Challenge: The ads needed to be instantly recognizable as Santander and feel trustworthy, while also seamlessly integrating into a wide variety of third-party digital platforms (e.g., news sites, partner websites).
Design & Performance Challenge: The designs had to be incredibly clear and direct, with a single, compelling call to action (CTA). They needed to be optimized for a huge range of sizes and formats, from wide banners to small mobile blocks, and designed to perform in a direct-response marketing context.
THE STRATEGIC APPROACH:
My Core Strategy: I developed a "clarity and consistency" design system for the native ad campaigns. The strategy was to use the core brand elements—the Santander red, clear typography, and the logo—to create a simple, repeatable framework that could be adapted for any message.
Why this was the right approach: In the fast-paced environment of online advertising, complexity is the enemy. A user decides in a fraction of a second whether to engage. This strategy prioritized immediate recognition and a single, clear message ("Earn $50"), eliminating all visual noise to focus 100% on driving the desired action.
The Creative Execution: I created a comprehensive suite of native ad templates in a variety of aspect ratios. Each ad was designed with a clear visual hierarchy, a prominent and compelling headline, and a single, unmissable call-to-action button. The system was designed for rapid deployment and A/B testing, allowing the marketing team to quickly launch and optimize campaigns.
THE OUTCOME:
The Qualitative Result: The project resulted in a cohesive and high-performing native ad system that could be used across a wide range of digital marketing campaigns. The ads are clean, on-brand, and laser-focused on conversion.
The Business Impact: This native ad system provided the Santander marketing team with a powerful and efficient tool for driving customer engagement and conversion. By creating a scalable design framework, it streamlined the campaign launch process, improved brand consistency in the paid media space, and directly contributed to the success of key business initiatives like the customer referral program.
