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Experian Marketing Services, a global provider of integrated consumer insights, targeting, data quality and cross-channel marketing, hosted a fireside chat with U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team goalkeeper Tim Howard at its 2014 Client Summit. In the following video clip from that fireside chat, Howard discusses how he decides to align with brands that match his personal and professional image. Specifically, Howard describes the formula he uses to make business partnership decisions. “We try and look for a good fit,” said Howard. “There’s not always a blueprint for that, but it’s a feeling.” He continues, “I don’t want to lend my name to just any old company. I have put in a lot of hard work into my own brand, which is basically on the field, trying to be a decent guy and a good player.” A video of the entire fireside chat featuring Howard and moderator Rick Erwin, president of consumer insights and targeting at Experian Marketing Services, can be viewed on the company’s YouTube channel with this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T19JM3i-brY Insights and stories shared by Howard connected directly to the theme of the 2014 Client Summit, reinforcing the importance of storytelling for marketers and how brands need to deliver exceptional and authentic customer experiences. During the Client Summit, Experian Marketing Services also unveiled several new capabilities that will help marketers drive customer acquisition, increase brand loyalty and improve marketing return on investment. The biggest highlight was the announcement of the Experian Marketing Suite, a cohesive, end-to-end marketing capability that enables brands to deliver authentic customer experiences every time, in any channel and via any device. To watch additional Client Summit videos, including event keynote sessions, visit http://ex.pn/W8ktEQ.
At Experian, we have a firm commitment to social responsibility. We show that commitment through a broad range of efforts that help communities realize their social and economic potential by investing in community and education programs that foster the financial health of individuals and small businesses across the globe. As part of this commitment, Experian has more than 100 employees who are certified as Experian Education Ambassadors. These ambassadors educate consumers throughout the United States about credit reporting, credit scoring, fraud and identity theft and other issues in which Experian has expertise. Presentations take place at youth organizations, schools, colleges and universities, faith-based organizations – anywhere people gather and request information about these important subjects. Experian Education Ambassadors volunteer their time, often nights and weekends to support programs and events in the communities where they live and work. They do this because of the personal gratification they receive from helping others. They do it because they work for Experian, and people expect us to be able to answer their questions about credit reports and credit scores. Experian is also awarding thousands of dollars in financial literacy grants to non-profit organizations serving in need consumer groups including youth, minority groups, first time home buyers, military, and small business entrepreneurs become more financially literate and capable throughout their lives. Investment in Early Education And recently, Experian partnered with Ubuntu Education Fund (Ubuntu) in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, adding a new dimension of our culture of Corporate Social Responsibility at Experian. This partnership with Ubuntu included a donation of $15,000 to provide school supplies and educational development to children in the Port Elizabeth area, and parallels a nationwide school supplies donation drive across Experian’s North America region. Donations will go to local charity partners with the mission of improving education for underserved children. We believe investment in early education and development of youth is essential in any country to help give young people a strong foundation to succeed in life, This partnership with Ubuntu Education Fund, which will use our financial contribution to help not only provide basic education supplies, but also holistically care for children to give them a better chance of success. To learn more about our commitment to corporate responsibility go to: http://www.experianplc.com/corporate-responsibility.aspx
Experian Marketing Services, a global provider of integrated consumer insights, targeting, data quality and cross-channel marketing, gathered more than 1,000 top marketing executives from the world’s leading brands for the 2014 Client Summit. The event reinforced the importance of storytelling for marketers and how brands need to deliver exceptional and authentic customer experiences. During the Client Summit, Experian Marketing Services unveiled several new capabilities that will help marketers drive customer acquisition, increase brand loyalty and improve marketing return on investment. The biggest highlight was the announcement of the Experian Marketing Suite, a cohesive, end-to-end marketing capability that enables brands to deliver authentic customer experiences every time, in any channel and via any device. A video of the live unveiling and demo of the Experian Marketing Suite at the Client Summit can be viewed here: http://ex.pn/V2tgas The Experian Marketing Suite allows brands to accurately capture, link and enrich customer identities across channels while providing added intelligence to understand customer behaviors and preferences. Also included in the Marketing Suite is an Interactions Manager, which marketers can use to engage with their customers across channels an devices and then analyze and measure marketing performance. “This year’s Client Summit tapped into the heart of good marketing and provided our clients with a balance of inspiration, education and networking,” said Ashley Johnston, senior vice president, global marketing at Experian Marketing Services. “Our star-studded lineup of keynotes and educational panels left attendees with tangible and progressive strategies for becoming even better marketers and storytellers.” The 2014 Client Summit was held at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, Nev. Sessions included a keynote address by Adam Savage, co-host of MythBusters, discussing the synchronicities of art and science and how they can make both creatives and technologists better storytellers; a storytellers panel featuring Grammy winner and hip hop icon Jermaine Dupri along with top marketing leaders from The Limited, ShoeDazzle and Red Envelope. The Summit also featured two intimate fireside chats — one with U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team goalkeeper Tim Howard and one with Michael Strahan, co-host of LIVE with Kelly and Michael and Good Morning America, analyst for Fox NFL Sunday and pro football Hall of Famer. Comedy Central, GameStop and Zappos also were among the main stage client spotlight presentations, with marketing leaders from those brands providing specific and actionable examples of how they have raised the bar on customer experience, engagement and impactful storytelling. A highly anticipated event each summer for marketers, Experian Marketing Services’ Client Summit recently was recognized with a Stevie Award for Best Tradeshow/Conference at the American Business Awards. This year’s event continued the tradition of excellence and was praised by attendees. “Experian Marketing Services’ Client Summit once again proved to be one of the year’s ‘don’t miss’ marketing events,” said Don Steele, senior vice president, fan engagement, multiplatform marketing at Comedy Central. “I had a great time networking with colleagues and peers and hearing from some of the world’s best storytellers. It was a fantastic time at a great venue, and I can’t wait for next year.” More information on the Experian Marketing Suite can be viewed here: http://ex.pn/1shO4pY
Today, we stand at the forefront of a digital revolution that is reshaping the financial services industry. And, against this backdrop, financial institutions are at vastly different levels of maturity; the world’s biggest banks are managing large-scale infrastructure migrations and making significant investments in AI while regional banks and credit unions are putting plans in place for modernization strategies, and fintechs are purpose-built and cloud native. To explore this more, I recently had the privilege of attending the annual Reuters NEXT live event in New York City. The event gathers globally recognized leaders across business, finance, technology, and government to tackle some of today’s most pressing issues. On the World Stage, I joined Del Irani, a talented anchor and broadcast journalist, to discuss the future of lending and the pivotal role of data and AI in building a more inclusive financial system. Improving financial access Our discussion highlighted the lack of access to traditional financial systems, and the impact it has on nearly 100 million people in North America alone. Globally, the problem affects over one billion people. These people, who are credit invisible, unscoreable, or have subprime credit scores, are unable to secure everyday financial products that many of us take for granted. What many don’t realize is, this is not a fringe subset of the population. Most of us, myself included, know someone who has faced the challenges of financial exclusion. Everyday Americans, including young people who are just starting out, new immigrants and people from diverse communities, often lack access to mainstream financial products. We discussed how traditional lending has a limited view of a consumer. Like looking through a keyhole, the lender’s understanding of the person in view is often incomplete and obstructed. However, with expanded data, technology, and advanced analytics, there is an opportunity to better understand the whole person, and as a result have a more inclusive financial system. At Experian, we have a unique ability to connect the power of traditional credit with alternative data, bringing a more holistic understanding of consumers and their behaviors. We are dedicated to leveraging our rich history in data and our expertise in technology to create the future of credit and ultimately bring financial power to everyone. The future of lending After spending two days with over 700 industry leaders from around the world, one thing is abundantly clear: much like the early days of the internet, today, we are at the cutting-edge of a technical revolution. Reflecting on my time at Reuters NEXT, I am particularly excited by the collective commitment to drive innovative, and smarter ways of working. We are only beginning to scratch the surface of how data and technology can transform financial services, and Experian is positioned to play a significant role. As we look to the future, I am excited about the ways we will create new opportunities for businesses and consumers alike.
We believe that financial literacy leads to empowerment. That is why Experian supports initiatives and partners with community organizations to deliver financial education. We also develop products and services that give more control to consumers over their credit profile and financial health. As part of advancing our mission of Financial Power to All®, we are proud to announce we are helping more than 5,000 Hispanic individuals nationwide by relieving $10 million dollars of consumer debt. To provide families with this boost, we joined forces with ForgiveCo, a Public Benefit Corporation (PBC), to administer the acquisition and cancellation of qualifying consumer debt for the selected recipients. Beneficiaries will also receive a one-year premium Experian membership for free that offers access to their Experian credit report in English and Spanish[i], FICO® Score[ii], bilingual educational content, and other financial resources. We hope this effort helps raise awareness of the importance of financial literacy for everyone, and that Experian has resources to help individuals reach their financial dreams. To amplify the message, we collaborated with multi-platinum, award-winning singer and songwriter Prince Royce and you can see his video here. In fact, we have been making a concerted effort the last several years to evolve our educational resources and products to better support all underserved communities. Some of our other activities include the creation of the B.A.L.L. for Life initiative that connects African American and Hispanic youth with financial education, supporting scholarships for Asian Americans through the Ascend organization, providing custom resources for Out & Equal and Born This Way Foundation for the LGBTQ+ community, supporting the NextGen Innovation Lab for Disability:IN, and sponsoring credit counseling for the military community with Operation HOPE. For resources in Spanish, Experian offers a credit e-book and consumers can access a full suite of articles at the Ask Experian blog here. [i] Only Experian credit reports are available in Spanish. All other services associated with an Experian membership are available in English only. English fluency is required for full access to Experian’s products. [ii] Credit score calculated based on FICO® Score 8 model. Your lender or insurer may use a different FICO® Score than FICO® Score 8, or another type of credit score altogether. Learn more.
Amid some of the financial challenges that underserved communities experience, members across the financial services community remain committed to championing initiatives and programs that drive greater financial inclusion. In fact, collaboration has led to the inclusion of non-debt related payment information on consumers’ credit profiles, as well as digital services that make it easier to manage money. These efforts have helped to broaden access to fair and affordable financial resources for more individuals. While significant progress has been made, there is still more work to do. However, some of the misconceptions and myths about the financial services community are hindering further advancement. Debunking these myths will accelerate progress by building trust between the financial services community and consumers. Person withdrawing money from ATM contactless Myth #1: “Financial institutions have no interest in underserved consumers or credit invisibles.” The truth is, banks and credit unions want to say “yes” to more prospective borrowers, including individuals and families from underserved communities. Beyond being the right thing to do, it’s an opportunity to potentially build lifelong relationships with a relatively untapped market. A show of good faith to communities who have largely been ignored by the financial system could lead to customer loyalty that may extend to their family and friends. That’s why participants across the financial ecosystem have been proponents of including expanded data sources—such as on-time telecom, utility and video streaming service payments—on to consumer credit reports, as well as exploring other Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)-regulated data sources, including payment data on short-term small dollar loans and expanded public records data. Making this data more accessible to lenders provides a more comprehensive view of a consumer’s ability and willingness to repay outstanding debt—an actionable solution to extending credit to consumers without lenders taking on additional risk. Myth #2: “There is a lack of trustworthy financial education resources.” The financial services community and affiliated organizations recognize that empowering people with financial knowledge and skillset are critical to consumers’ financial success. In fact, banks and credit unions are partnering with nonprofits and non-governmental organizations to better understand the unique challenges and opportunities within specific communities and provide relevant tools and resources. For example, Experian’s B.A.L.L. for Life (Be A Legacy Leader) program, launched in partnership with the National Urban League, serves as a catalyst for engaging with Black communities and low-income youth through live events and digital financial education. Subject matter experts, professional athletes, celebrities, and other influencers share their experiences and expertise, covering topics such as banking, credit, financial management and investing. In addition, to help people improve their financial management, Experian partners with the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC). The NFCC connects consumers with certified financial counselors to help them address various pain points, including debt management, homeownership, student loans or small business cash flow issues. Myth #3: “Underserved communities have few opportunities to build credit and enter the mainstream financial system.” People from underserved communities, as well as younger consumers and recent immigrants are often excluded from the mainstream financial system because they lack an extensive credit history. Historically, it’s created a vicious cycle; in order to get credit, you have to have credit. Fortunately, there has been a sea change in innovative solutions to address the specific needs of these populations. These include new credit scoring models and microfinancing which provide financial services to individuals who may have been excluded from traditional banking systems. In addition, by incorporating expanded data sources, such as telecom, utility and residential rental payments onto credit reports, lenders have more visibility into consumers who may have been excluded by traditional credit scoring methods.These programs help individuals and families from underserved communities establish and build a credit history that could enable loans, or the ability to rent an apartment or open their dream business. An example is Experian Boost®, a free feature that allows Experian members to contribute their history of making utility, cellphone, insurance, residential rent and video streaming service payments directly into their Experian credit profile. By incorporating nontraditional credit data like paying utility bills on time, online banking transactions, rental payments and verified income data, more people can establish a credit profile that can potentially qualify them for a loan. More Inclusion, Fewer Myths It’s encouraging that community organizations and banks are beginning to see the economic and social benefits of aligning on financial literacy and inclusion. As more initiatives come online, underserved populations will be able to establish a better financial foundation. Then, we can declare the myths to be history.