Winner Weber Shandwick and MasterCard Worldwide: MasterCard: Leading the Way and Changing the Game

MasterCard went public on May 25, 2006, and found quick success on the New York Stock Exchange. By 2008, global market volatility and a sagging US economy had investors questioning whether it was enjoying success at the detriment of customers.

MasterCard worked with Weber Shandwick, its longtime agency partner, on an investor education campaign that sought to communicate its business model, which had undergone a dramatic change since the IPO. The company hoped to position itself as a "top- of-market" investment, help its corporate model stand out, and emphasize MasterCard's global footprint.

The financial communications program targeted the investors; shareholders; current and potential customers; key business leaders; and the business and financial press.

MasterCard and WS conducted an in-depth analysis showing that financial stocks insulated by consumer credit interest were of importance to investors and analysts; stock performance was increasingly being determined by metrics based on innovation and growth potential in emerging markets; and MasterCard's global reach extended beyond that of its competitors.

The team focused efforts on MasterCard's "firsts," including its "first-to-IPO" status, and its international nature, including its "giocai" post-IPO restructuring, which placed a president in every region. In addition, this campaign would be executed in the wake of the Visa IPO on March 19, 2008.

The team briefed the media prior to Visa's IPO, with a profile of MasterCard CEO Bob Selander appearing in Institutional Investor on March 18, 2008. A key part of the outreach effort also included the second annual MasterCard Worldwide Centers of Commerce Index, a ranking of the contribution of the world's cities to the global economy.

One judge called it a "very comprehensive program [that] showed the benefit of clear messages to create a differentiated investment story backed by facts and results."

Following Visa's IPO, MasterCard's stock reached a 52-week high of $320.30. More than 300 unique media placements were achieved in the campaign's first week and economic trend pieces were generated. Outlets that covered MasterCard as a result of the effort included BusinessWeek, The Wall Street Journal, and the Financial Times. And the company is poised to generate more than 50% of its revenue from outside the US.