FOCUS: BRAND ENGAGEMENT DROP | AUDIENCE: STEWARDS OF PLATEAUED BRANDS
BY: SHOBHA PONNAPPA | BRAND BREAKTHROUGH STRATEGIST | 45 YEARS | 125+ CLIENTS
I helped a fintech payments app win back SME trust by shifting its tone from compliance-heavy to problem-solving.
This SME-focused fintech payments platform had once been seen as a genuine ally to small merchants. It simplified invoicing, sped up payments, and offered timely prompts to help manage cash flow. In its early days, it was more than a tool … it felt like a partner.
But over time, the nature of its online content shifted. Faced with tightening compliance requirements and an expanding product roadmap, its posts began leaning heavily on technical updates, policy changes, and internal achievements. This change dulled the human touch that merchants valued.
Merchants weren’t leaving because of poor service … they were disengaging because the brand had stopped speaking their language. Instead of resonating with their daily realities, the app’s content resembled a bank clerk reading from a rulebook. The original sense of partnership was replaced by a cold, transactional tone.
Through a detailed content audit, I identified that over 70% of posts lacked emotional hooks, storytelling, or merchant-centric perspectives. The brand’s own social analytics confirmed that engagement had dropped by more than half in a year.
The breakthrough came by reframing the brand’s role from “system provider” to “business ally.” I introduced the idea of financial guardianship … the app as a watchful partner invested in merchants’ growth, not just their transactions. This wasn’t about discarding compliance or accuracy; it was about weaving them into human, relatable stories.
We used the merchants’ own journeys … anonymised and approved … to illustrate how the app solved problems in real-world scenarios. These became the emotional anchors for the brand’s narrative.
I designed a multi-pronged content approach that combined educational depth with emotional resonance. Founder-led video insights, day-in-the-life merchant stories, and behind-the-scenes problem-solving narratives became the backbone of the brand voice.
We also restructured content calendars to ensure that for every compliance or product update, there would be at least two pieces centred on merchant experiences, practical tips, or team accessibility. This ratio helped to steadily reframe the brand image.
Here are 10 strategic ideas developed (and several executed) to support the new brand direction:
Merchant Spotlight Series: Monthly features of anonymised merchant success stories highlighting real-world payment challenges solved by the app.
Cash Flow Clinic: Weekly video tips from the founder on managing seasonal dips, late payments, and bulk orders.
Behind-the-Scenes Problem Solving: Stories showing how the customer support team resolved unusual or urgent payment issues.
Compliance Made Simple: Animated explainers turning policy updates into relatable scenarios for SMEs.
Market Pulse Briefs: Short, merchant-focused economic trend summaries to guide daily decisions.
Merchant Toolkits: Downloadable guides on topics like invoice optimisation, client negotiation, and cross-border payments.
Community Q&A Lives: Live-streamed sessions where the team answered merchant questions in real time.
Payment Myth-Busting Posts: Addressing common misconceptions about digital payments in SME contexts.
Day-in-the-Life Features: Mini-documentaries on typical merchant workdays, showing how the app fits seamlessly.
Seasonal Campaign Collaborations: Partnering with local business associations for themed campaigns during high-sales periods.
Social media engagement rates doubled.
Direct merchant referrals increased by 30%.
Brand sentiment scores in surveys improved markedly.
Repeat feature requests from merchants indicated deeper trust.
CONFIDENTIALITY CAVEAT: This case study represents a confidential engagement. For privacy, specific brand identifiers, campaign names, and project phases have been withheld. It has been shared with permission while preserving client discretion.
If you’re an investor seeking momentum for your portfolio brands, this Case Study Post I wrote could interest you: “When Hiring Outran Culture and the Brand Lost Its Footing.“
And if you’re a solo expert looking to sharpen traction, this Case Study Post I worked on may resonate: “How a Family Counsellor Shifted from Trauma Dumping to Training.“
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