Advertising in the Wild

The biggest banks in the country still make it surprisingly difficult to apply online for a business loan or line of credit. Of the five largest, only two let a prospective customer start an application online. A third only lets existing customers apply. I went to each bank's small business lending pages and clicked "Apply," or the closest thing to it, to see where it actually takes you. Where "Apply" takes you: Chase: "Find your nearest branch." The header of Chase's busines

Chase ran the same $400 checking bonus offer through two different shared mail (co-op) companies in the same week: Save and Valpak. Both are competing vendors that bundle multiple advertisers into one mailing to split the postage cost. Piece 1 - Valpak Arrived inside a Valpak envelope. Chase bought the envelope's own front and back cover ($400 offer on the front, refer-a-friend on the back) plus one of three Chase inserts riding inside, the other two promoting Business Checki

Here is Fortiva Credit Card (Master Card) running a sponsored placement in Gmail's Top Picks section. The campaign is running through Google Performance Max with affiliate tracking parameters layered on top of standard UTM values. The ad copy: "Up to $1,000 limit. Apply today, even with poor credit. Instantly prequalify, unsecured credit card." The offer is aimed at people with poor credit and the copy says so directly. Opening the email shows a product shot of two Fortiva Ma

New "In the Wild" submission from one of our eagle eyed marketing friends. If you're an American Express Business cardholder, you may have seen this paid ad in your Gmail Promotions tab recently. A clean, simple sponsored email: Amex® Business Line of Credit — Short or long-term loans that can help keep your business moving forward. No offer, no rate, no urgency. Just a quiet nudge with a Learn More button. Amex Subject Line: Amex® Business Line of Credit — Short or long-term