FINOM, the European digital banking solution for small businesses, launched an unconventional marketing campaign using fax machines to highlight Germany's continued reliance on outdated administrative processes.
The "Faxvertising" campaign targets Germany's estimated 77% of entrepreneurs who still use fax machines for administrative tasks, according to BitKom research. The campaign features fax machines sending satirical resignation letters to business owners across the country.
"German businesses waste hundreds of hours annually on paperwork that could be automated," said Roman Bukh, Brand Director at FINOM. "By having fax machines deliver their own retirement notices, we're highlighting this absurdity in a way that resonates with our audience."
The campaign includes two distinct elements:
1) A nationwide distribution of humorous fax messages to small businesses — each written from the perspective of a weary fax machine begging to be retired from a life of bureaucracy. Messages included QR codes linking to free trials of FINOM’s digital banking platform.
2) A street marketing event in Berlin where fax machines took to the streets to speak out against bureaucracy. In some of the city’s most popular locations, dozens of fax machines appeared on branded pedestals, printing out their personal pleas to be retired — and calling for a switch to smarter solutions like FINOM.
The campaign resonated with its target audience, evident in significant engagement (NUMBERS) shown by social media monitoring.
Faxvertising campaign builds on FINOM's efforts to simplify financial operations for European entrepreneurs. FINOM offers comprehensive digital financial management services including business accounts with local IBAN, virtual and physical cards powered by VISA, international payments, E-invoicing, and expense management tools, as well as AI-powered accounting and business lending, specifically designed for small and medium-sized businesses. The company’s focus is helping small businesses reduce administrative burdens and be more competitive through intelligent digital financial management tools.