In October at ROMI ’24, Kateryna Herman, Team Lead of Brand and SMM for the Prom.ua marketplace, shared a case about a convenient payment tool on the platform. The specialist’s presentation demonstrated Prom.ua’s leadership in the Ukrainian e-commerce market and the company’s innovative approach to brand development in the digital world.

Almost every Ukrainian has bought something on Prom (the slang name) – the country’s largest marketplace. From a cat toy to a generator, the product range is truly impressive. More than half of online shoppers, approximately 6 million people, choose Prom for online shopping. The platform also unites 60,000 sellers, each with their own characteristics. That’s why the team strives to create a single, comfortable, and safe experience for all buyers, regardless of which seller they interact with. To achieve this, they develop tools and services that make shopping on Prom.ua simple and pleasant.

What is Prom Payment and How Does It Work?

This is a secure way to pay for online orders on the Prom.ua website. Funds are transferred to the seller only after the buyer receives the product and confirms its quality. This means the online buyer is always protected: if the product does not meet their expectations, they can refuse it, and the money will automatically return to their card. Prom Payment is a convenient and secure choice for those who value their time and want to be confident in their purchase.

Prom Payment seems like a simple button on the product page or in the cart. Specialists expected this intuitively understandable tool would quickly become popular. However, despite clear explanations of the safe online payment benefits, the Prom team encountered an unexpected result. It turned out that customers already preferred their usual money transfer methods and were not in a hurry to change them. After a year and a half since Prom Payment’s launch, only 20% of site users knew about the service, and even fewer – just 10% – used it.

Based on the statistics, the initial results of Prom Payment usage were not overwhelming. However, thanks to a set of measures, including placing banners throughout the user journey and personalized offers on the Thank You Page, the team managed to increase the number of service supporters by 20%. Despite this achievement, digital specialists plan to expand Prom Payment’s functionality and continue advertising campaigns to further popularize the service.

To promote the internal Prom Payment product, the marketplace team developed and implemented a large-scale media campaign aimed at direct interaction with the target audience. By allocating 60% of the budget to targeted advertising, they achieved incredible results. By using digital channels and detailed analytics, they created advertising materials that not only attracted audience attention but also prompted active actions.

The promo video view-through rate was 60%, proving the content was well-created. As a result of the campaign, awareness of Prom Payment increased to 81%, and the share of purchases made using this service reached 50%. These results speak to the effectiveness of the chosen strategy and the successful promotion of Prom Payment as a separate brand. Above all, the convenience of the service convinced consumers of its advantages, which in turn contributed to changing their behavior and increasing transaction volumes through Prom Payment.

Its current popularity is confirmed by both external and internal studies.

 According to Kantar data, Prom’s service is one of the most well-known among Ukrainian online shoppers. At the same time, regular user surveys (NPS) show that Prom Payment consistently ranks in the top four most valuable platform features, alongside assortment, prices, and convenience. Most of all, users prioritize the safety, reliability, and cost-effectiveness of this payment method.

Insight 1. The advertising campaign results clearly demonstrated that product quality is a key success factor. Before launching the campaign, the Prom team carefully checked how well their service met user needs: positive customer reviews confirmed that the product was truly innovative in its niche. That’s why the advertising campaign was so effective – it was promoting not just a product, but a solution that was in demand in the market.

Insight 2. Surprisingly, changing the habits of loyal users was the most challenging. This segment showed the lowest conversion to Prom Payment (28%), while the new audience converted at 40%. However, a positive trend was subsequently observed: more and more core users began actively using Prom Payment, appreciating all its advantages.

Insight 3. Lastly, the right choice of timing, creative approach, and optimal ad placement worked. The decision to launch the campaign in 2022, when the media space was not yet so saturated, was quite bold. Thanks to the successful choice of placement strategy and analytics provided by the digital media advertising agency NewAge, they managed to attract an audience under conditions of lower competition and at more favorable prices. Even the creative content not only did not cause negative reactions but also attracted users’ attention. Thanks to this, Prom.ua’s digital experts were able to successfully create and develop a new brand within the famous marketplace.

The Prom Payment case study showed how the company successfully addressed the challenge of changing consumer habits. Through a carefully thought-out strategy that included developing an intuitive product, a large-scale advertising campaign, and in-depth data analytics, Prom.ua achieved significant results. Increased service awareness, user growth, and positive customer feedback indicate the effectiveness of the chosen approach. The Prom Payment case is a vivid example of how, through innovation and digital marketing, one can not only improve user experience but also change the market.