Kudzu is an online banking app and financial literacy support tool developed by its parent company, Systems and Methods, Inc. (SMI). SMI created the Kudzu app to meet the needs of underserved and unbanked populations, offering an alternative to predatory banks and payday lenders.
As the vision for the Kudzu app became clearer, the marketing team recognized that it would need a comprehensive digital marketing strategy—especially since development was already underway. They sought the help of a marketing agency to assist with the launch and promotion of the app.
Despite its potential to help people in need of better banking services, Kudzu lacked a well-defined brand or marketing plan. The SMI marketing team also specialized expertise in financial services and B2C marketing that launching such a product would require.
This lack of support and strategic direction led to misalignments between the sales and marketing teams. Without external help, the project was at risk of failing. The core challenge was finding an agency partner that not only possessed deep expertise in fintech, but also shared Kudzu’s values.
Eventually, the executive team aligned on the need for a marketing partner who could provide expert guidance and help execute the marketing quickly and at scale.
After a brief search, SMI found CSTMR’s website and booked a meeting with our CEO, Rory Holland. CSTMR’s financial services expertise and mission-driven approach were key factors in their decision to explore the relationship further. After speaking with Rory and the CSTMR team, SMI felt a strong sense that they would offer the right blend of industry and channel expertise to help SMI launch Kudzu as a standalone brand.
The entire team quickly came to see the engagement with CSTMR as a game-changer. Rather than diminishing the role of the internal marketing team, CSTMR brought expert strategic and tactical support that amplified the team’s effectiveness and greatly reduced stress.
The development of the Kudzu brand served as a proving ground for SMI’s other branding and marketing needs as well. CSTMR also supported the Kudzu brand post-launch and helped SMI with initiatives for other brands.
The collaboration with CSTMR has been transformative for both the Kudzu intitiative and the SMI organization as a whole. In less than a year since engaging our agency, Kudzu has seen a significant jump in their performance metrics.
Launching a new brand with new products into a competitive market like digital retail banking can mean slow going. Kudzu experienced the opposite. They even engaged CSTMR to support four additional projects in the first year. Sustained, strong growth is allowing SMI to build out the strategy and foundation of Kudzu, so it can reach even more consumers who need a non-predatory digital banking partner.
“The CSTMR team is so pleasant and not afraid to challenge us, but also just incredibly warm and easy to be with. The vibes are good, the energy is good, and it's been nothing but positive for us.”
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