Visa calls in Hill & Knowlton to challenge 'just a payment firm' perception

Visa Europe, the payments business, wants to be seen as a technology company by both the business community and consumers.

The remit will also see H&K communicate Visa Europe’s commitment to invest €100m a year in contactless, mobile and ecommerce payment technology.

The buzz around e-commerce and mobile payments has seen start-ups and established companies challenge Visa’s foothold.

Ericsson has created a consumer mobile money service called Ericsson Money and former Marks & Spencer boss Stuart Rose has recently started online payment service Mobile Money Network.

Visa Europe’s comms shift comes after the appointment of Hotwire director Eleanor Orebi Gann as head of technology and business PR.

She said: ‘In the past, Visa has not talked about its strong tech background and pioneering innovations around touchless and mobile payments.

‘I want H&K to help us promote that Visa gets this technology right, first time, so that consumers and businesses know our system is secure with all the fail-safes one has when using a Visa card.’

H&K technology MD Grant Currie will head the Visa account.

Visa Europe already retains H&K in the UK for its financial, consumer and corporate campaigns.

This article was first published on prweek.com