Wise’s Foray Into the Canadian Market Is Working: Here’s Why

When you’re a brand that specialises in enabling consumers to move funds internationally, it’s fair to say that, from a marketing perspective, you’ve got an interesting quandary on your hands. What you’re bringing to the table is globally relevant, and there isn’t a country which can’t benefit from your services, so do you market widely but generally? Or, do you go beyond broad brushstrokes and target local consumers, but risk spreading yourself too thin in the process?

According to Wise, there’s certainly room for both, if executed correctly. While the brand has established an international marketing approach since its inception, in October 2024, it decided to try the latter approach, placing an emphasis on Canada by bringing to the country a mix of radio, TV, YouTube and social ads. A decision indicative of the company’s understanding that this population’s inherent diversity has created a large demographic in need of international financial support, Wise saw this as a prime opportunity to position itself as a rival to legacy solutions for cross-border payments – an opportunity worth dedicated investment and effort.

As it turned out, this specialised approach was well worth it. A mere two months in, the brand had already seen an awareness increase of 28%, which encouraged the team to launch a second iteration of the campaign. Seeing as official results are pending, given that this phase is running until the end of June, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to find out more about the strategy here, and how the learnings of the first edition have inspired the approach behind this follow-up outing. So, with that in mind, LBB’s Jordan Won Neufeldt sat down with Wise’s regional marketing lead for North America, Scott Viohl, for a chat.

LBB> Congratulations on the launch of your campaign’s second phase! How are you feeling right now, and was this move always in the cards?

Scott> This is an exciting time for Wise in Canada, and we are delighted to be deepening our local presence with the second phase of our brand marketing campaign. Our goal has always been to position Wise as the go-to app for Canadians who want seamless and efficient international money management, and this campaign is helping us achieve that.

LBB> Specifically, what made now the right time for this next phase? How does this fit into Wise’s overall ambitions as a brand?

Scott> Since entering the market in 2016, awareness of Wise has grown significantly. However, many people are still using legacy solutions for their international money needs without knowing that a better alternative is out there. Our goal with this campaign is to further boost awareness and consideration of Wise. We’re letting Canadians know that we’re here to help!

We know Canadians are increasingly demanding more transparent and cost-effective financial solutions – a trend fuelled by growing awareness of hidden fees and opaque pricing practices within the financial industry. This is particularly relevant to cross-border payments, which are typically still expensive and cumbersome when using traditional providers. Specifically, many may advertise ‘free’ or nominal fees on international transfers, but actually hide a much larger fee in the exchange rate. At Wise, we never hide our fees, so our customers always know exactly what they’re paying.

Taking all of this into account, our latest campaign aims to highlight the advantages of using Wise, an incredibly convenient, fast, affordable and transparent way to send, spend, and manage money in multiple currencies.

LBB> Building on this, why is it so important for Wise to double down on Canadian marketing, and how did this influence the creative?

Scott> Canada's diversity and global connections make it an ideal market for Wise. For many Canadians, especially those with strong international ties, managing money across borders is an essential part of everyday life.

Nevertheless, this campaign is in line with Wise's global brand positioning, which is characterised by an approachable, empowering, and clever style. Our creative, which has stayed consistent since the initial launch of the campaign in October 2024, explores our customers’ everyday experiences of leading international lives while showcasing Wise’s fast, transparent and affordable financial solutions.

To bring this campaign to life, we partnered with BigSmall on the creative and digital imagery, and Kingstar Media on the media execution.

LBB> What was the design process like? How did you ensure the work would be eye and attention-catching?

Scott> Our design process was centred around creating vibrant and engaging visuals that resonated with our audience and subsequently set Wise apart from other financial providers in the market. We collaborated closely with BigSmall to develop work that reflected the brand tone, personality and positioning that Wise has become famous for around the world, as well as bold colours, clear messaging, and relatable imagery to capture attention and communicate our value proposition effectively.

By testing these various creative concepts and gathering feedback, we also ensured our designs would stand out in busy environments like Toronto's transit network and Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport.

LBB> Were there any lessons you learned from the initial outing which have influenced your approach here? Tell us about them!

Scott> For our first brand marketing campaign in Canada, we focused on a mix of radio, TV, YouTube and social ads across Ontario and British Columbia. We did this to maximise our reach and engagement in markets where our core audience resides. As a result of this initial campaign, we were able to increase aided awareness by 28% in the first two months after launch (per YouGov surveys).

Encouraged by these results, we've increased our investment and extended the second phase from eight to 21 weeks, maintaining our focus on Ontario and British Columbia, as well as established channels such as radio, TV, and YouTube. To further enhance our reach and engagement, we’ve also strategically introduced out-of-home (OOH) advertising in key Toronto transportation hubs, leveraging fresh, eye-catching creative to ensure we’re dialling up our presence in the market.

Thus far, our approach has continued to prove highly effective. At the midpoint of this second phase, cumulative in-market awareness has increased by 80% from where it was in October 2024.

LBB> Tell us more about this new OOH aspect. How have you ensured strategic placement?

Scott> Coordinating the logistics of our out-of-home placements required meticulous planning and collaboration with local partners to ensure a seamless execution. Notably, all of our locations were selected to maximise Wise’s visibility and foster deeper interaction with our target audience in venues with higher dwell time, providing more opportunity for Canadians to absorb our brand message.

To this end, the OOH aspect of our campaign consists of subway station takeovers at two of the city’s most populated subway stations (Spadina and Bloor-Yonge), digital billboards at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport's transborder departures area, as well as in the UP Express terminal at Union Station, and interior and exterior ads on several TTC streetcars running between April and June.

LBB> What challenges have you faced in the runup to the launch of this second phase, and how have you overcome them?

Scott> One of the challenges we faced was ensuring that our messaging was both impactful and culturally relevant to the diverse Canadian audience. To overcome this, we worked closely with our agency partners and local experts to tailor our campaign so it would resonate with Canadians' unique experiences and financial needs.

LBB> Finally, is there an element of this campaign you’re particularly proud of?

Scott> This campaign embodies the vibrant and distinctive essence of our brand, and we are particularly proud of how it authentically resonates with Canadians. It creates excitement around Wise's mission to simplify and enhance the international payments experience, especially during a crucial time for consumers and businesses with cross-currency needs.