Know-How Exchange : Advertising/PR

Where? What country? What's important to the target audience that you can tap into?

Have you conducted any qualitative research among the target audience to find out what is causing their reluctance to use credit cards? What words do they use? What do they say? What emotions come through? Why are they skeptical?

Why should they want to use credit cards? What's in it for them (other than the short-term monetary reward)? What is the benefit? Why is debt good?

I would think that monetary rewards would be incentive to use credit/debit cards. Depending on what you're selling, you may also want to promote a guarantee because if they're unhappy, they can go to the card company to have payment stopped anyway (with credit cards).

Some examples of incentives I have seen done here in the States are:
- the chance to win having that purchase paid for.
- the chance to win $xx or some trip

The person would be entered every time they make a purchase with the card.

Of course, you could also do a promotion that isn't an incentive, but one that educates. Promote the benefits of credit card use over cash (in the States, we get extra protection on the sales, extended warranties, billing information that helps us with tracking purchases for taxes, ability to borrow money, etc.).

How can you get them over their reluctance to use the cards? Are their true stories you need to respond to or is this a cultural difference between cash/credit?