Zopa

Zopa was the world's first person-to-person online lending marketplace, where ordinary people lend money to other people at rates they agree between themselves via the Zopa marketplace.

a) Media relations

Zopa does not do any advertising; its only above-the-line marketing is PR. It can be found here www.zopa.com.

Although a previous PR agency helped the business obtain some good media coverage at the initial launch back in 2005, little ongoing coverage followed. Zopa chose to replace the previous agency and hired Beacon Strategic in the summer of 2006.

Beacon has been retained by Zopa ever since, and has secured extensive coverage across a wide range of media, helping to build increasing awareness and appeal and with it, an increasing rate of new business growth. In 2009 alone, following a remarkably successful first half of the year in terms of high profile media coverage, Zopa's business volume more than doubled.

Beacon targeted distinct sections of the media to build this business-generating awareness and profile:

National press 'money' sections - extensive coverage achieved including large, solus features on the 'bank of you and me' in all national press personal finance sections. These features included case studies of borrowers and lenders.

• The Telegraph
• The Guardian
• The Times
• The Independent

National press Business sections and Columnists -

• The Telegraph
• The Guardian
• The Independent

Broadcast TV and radio - a number of big successes across some of the most watched and listened to news programs on British TV and radio:

• BBC 6:00 News
• Channel 4 News
• BBC Working Lunch
• BBC Radio 4 Today Programme - (please access recording off Zopa hompage) and a second appearance on August 22nd (scroll down)
• Bloomberg TV

Online finance websites - frequent high profile coverage on the UK's leading personal finance websites:

• This Is Money
• LoveMoney
• Motely Fool
• Money Magpie
• Yahoo! Finance

NB - These cuttings are just some examples. To see the full range of coverage - more than 172 separate items - that Beacon has helped Zopa achieve go here.

b) Public affairs

In addition, Beacon has opened doors for Zopa to key Government and shadow ministers and civil service officials. As well as achieving significant progress towards pivotal lobbying objectives, Zopa has also enjoyed some remarkable name-checks from Ministers and in Government White Papers:

1. 'Reforming Financial Markets' White Paper, 8th July 2009:
   In this pivotal paper published by the Government in response to the banking crisis, Zopa is mentioned specifically as the kind of positive and consumer-oriented innovation that the Government wants to see more of in financial services.

   Section 9.18 -

   "...innovative products: peer-to-peer networks - for example, Zopa provides an internet service that connects potentials creditors to potential debtors and provides a credit checking service and a facility allowing users to select their preferred interest rate. Zopa has also explored the possibility of using rent payment history as a credit rating tool in collaboration with Notting Hill Housing..."

2. Digital Britain - The Final Report, 16th June 2009
   This high profile paper brought together the Government's thinking and intentions across all matters digital and is one of the central policy commitments in the Government's 'Building Britain's Future' legislative programme.

   Zopa is mentioned specifically in Section 75 -

   "...Digital innovation in finance: This initiative will identify and support new opportunities for how digital tools can radically change the nature of financial services, as UK-based businesses such as Zopa are beginning to demonstrate."

3. Tom Watson, on Twitter, when Cabinet Office Minister
   Tom Watson, the Labour Government's leading advocate on all matters digital, was introduced to Zopa by Beacon and has become a big fan and vocal supporter of the business in Westminster circles. Tom even posted the following on his very popular Twitter feed:

   "Met www.zopa.com. What a time in history to be a peer to peer lending pioneer. New mutualism for the modern age."

c) Social media

Beacon has advised and assisted Zopa in its productive efforts to harness the rapidly evolving Social Media opportunity. This has included utilisation of the company's own Blog, its very active and open discussion boards, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

The results have been excellent in terms of helping to build awareness, understanding and the appeal of Zopa through this increasingly mainstream avenue of communication. Zopa enjoys extensive positive coverage across the Blog world, and increasingly across Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

Just type 'Zopa' into Google's blog search, Twitter, Facebook or YouTube to see the evidence!