Elena Grițco. How to create impactful campaigns for entrepreneurs

Interview with Elena Grițco, SME & Corporate Brand Manager at maib.

Elena, you work with maib’s business audience. Is there a difference in how you create campaigns for this segment compared to other clients?

Definitely. First of all, it’s important to understand that the business audience differs fundamentally from the retail audience: it has a different decision-making process, different priorities, and different expectations of the bank. That’s why what works well in B2C usually doesn’t work here.

When we prepare a campaign for business clients, we always start with the most important question: “What exactly do we want to achieve?” Do we want to promote a product? Introduce a new service? Highlight the benefits of a business card? Based on this, we establish the campaign’s objectives, budget, target audience, communication channels, and key performance indicators (KPIs)—without them, it’s impossible to evaluate the campaign’s effectiveness and draw conclusions.

And once you’ve defined the audience and the key message, what happens next?

Next comes the active phase—preparing creative materials and crafting messages. We almost always conduct A/B testing, and sometimes even A/B/C testing, for both visuals and messages. This allows us to make decisions based on real data rather than guesswork. We use various communication channels: email, SMS, digital, Reels, online media, and radio. We choose these channels deliberately – based on the stage the client is in and the action we want them to take. Email works well for explaining terms and conditions in detail, Reels for quickly capturing attention, and digital banners help build brand awareness throughout the entire campaign. Based on the results, we see which messages work better and which work less well, and on that basis, we optimize the campaign – we scale up what’s working and drop what isn’t.

What is the most important thing for maib in such promotional campaigns?

Two things are very important to us: clarity and transparency – and these aren’t just communication principles, but also part of maib’s values. The client must understand right from the start exactly what they’re getting and under what conditions, without feeling like there are hidden details or additional terms somewhere.

Can you give a concrete example of such a campaign so that readers can understand how this approach works in practice?

For example, we currently have the “20% Cashback on Online Advertising Payments” campaign. This is intended for businesses that hold a Visa Business credit card.

You’re not talking about just any business card, but specifically a credit card?

Yes, we’re talking specifically about the Visa Business credit card. We’ve noticed that more and more companies are actively promoting themselves online, advertising on Google and Facebook, and investing in digital marketing. The Visa Business credit card is particularly useful here: it allows you to manage your advertising budget without tying up working capital. And we thought—why not make these expenses even more advantageous? Therefore, holders of the Visa Business credit card can use this card to pay for advertising campaigns on Google and Facebook and receive a refund of some of their expenses through the Moneyback campaign.

So, if I have one of these cards and pay for ads on Facebook or Google, do I get back some of the money I spent?

Exactly. But first, you need to sign up for the campaign – you can do this easily using a dedicated form on maib.md. After that, everything works automatically: you pay for advertising on Google or Facebook with your Visa Business credit card – and you’ll get a refund of 20% of the amount paid. The minimum transaction amount must be 500 lei.

So, if I paid, for example, 1,000 lei for Facebook ads, will I get 200 lei back?

Yes, exactly. The refund will be credited to your card by the 10th of the following month. Also, the maximum Moneyback amount is 2,000 lei per month per client.

Does this mean a company can save about 100 euros per month just on advertising expenses?

2,000 lei per month is roughly 100 euros, and for a small business, this is a real savings that can be redirected toward other company needs. In fact, that was the idea behind the campaign – to help businesses spend more wisely on marketing, without any extra effort on their part.

But since we’ve gotten to talking about the Visa Business credit card, it would be good to say a few words about the card itself. If it’s a credit card, does that mean it allows the company to use a credit limit?

That’s exactly why we chose the Visa Business credit card for this campaign. It’s a credit card with a limit of up to 300,000 lei, which the company can use for its day-to-day business needs – including paying for online advertising. Thus, the card solves two problems at once: it provides access to credit and allows for the reimbursement of a portion of promotional expenses.

But what exactly can you pay for with such a card? Gas? Office supplies?

Basically, anywhere that accepts card payments: fuel, office supplies, restaurants, travel expenses, online payments, including international ones. The card is accepted worldwide. And what’s important for businesses is that it allows for a clear separation of company expenses from personal ones, which significantly simplifies bookkeeping.

A credit limit of up to 300,000 lei seems quite substantial. For many companies, this is more than enough to cover a temporary cash shortfall.

Exactly. And here, the grace period becomes a real tool for covering cash shortfalls. If the client uses funds from the credit line and repays them within 60 days, no interest is charged. In other words, the company can, for example, pay for a major purchase or an advertising campaign now, when needed, and repay the funds when the money comes into the account – without any additional charges.

Is it difficult to get such a card? Or is it a standard procedure for opening a corporate banking product?

The procedure is standard. The company undergoes an assessment as a legal entity – its turnover and existing liabilities are analyzed. If it already has an account with maib, all it needs to do is submit an online application or apply at a branch. If the company is not yet a client of the bank, the process begins with opening an account. In both cases, the process is fairly quick. After approval, the card can be delivered – to the office or home, at a convenient time.

Getting back to Moneyback. How long does this campaign run?

We launched it in April and have already extended it through December 31 of this year. However, like any promotional campaign, it has a specific budget allocated for refunding our clients. If the budget is exhausted early, we will certainly notify our clients in advance via our website, social media, and newsletter.

What else have I left out?

For us, any promotional campaign is first and foremost a way to create real value for the client, not just to draw attention to a product. We want to be a business partner – and that means our solutions must address the real needs of entrepreneurs, not just look attractive on a banner.

Our campaigns are always different: they’re based on our clients’ needs, the market situation, and the challenges businesses face today. We’re constantly testing new ideas and formats – because our business audience needs to understand quickly and clearly what exactly they are getting and why it’s useful right now.

If we were to sum up everything we’ve discussed in a single sentence, it would sound something like this: maib doesn’t just try to launch promotions for businesses, but to create solutions that help entrepreneurs every day?

Absolutely. The digital market is changing very rapidly – the tools, platforms, and advertising formats that worked a year ago may no longer be relevant today. Businesses are forced to constantly adapt, and we want the bank to adapt alongside them – quickly, with new solutions, not with ready-made templates. That’s why we strive to make the client feel that the bank is on their side – not just when signing the contract, but every day as they make decisions, manage expenses, or plan their next move. Transparent terms, clear communication, real benefits – that’s how we view our partnership with businesses.