Western Union wanted to grow beyond its remittance core by serving international travelers, a valuable and underserved segment, but needed to know which travelers to target and what products they would want. Vivaldi Group ran segmentation research across the US, UK and German markets and identified three high-value traveler segments, each profiled by behavior, attitudes and product preferences. Western Union used the framework to launch new financial products in all three countries.
Western Union wanted to expand its financial services for international travelers, a valuable segment that was underserved relative to its core remittance business. It needed to identify which traveler segments were most attractive and what products would meet their needs.
Vivaldi conducted segmentation research that identified three distinct high-value traveler segments across the US, UK and German markets. Each segment was profiled with behavioral, attitudinal and product preference data to inform tailored product development and go-to-market strategies.
Western Union launched new financial products across the US, UK and Germany, informed directly by the segmentation. The three-segment model gave both near-term launch targets and a longer-term framework for evolving the traveler portfolio.
| Client | Western Union |
|---|---|
| Industry | Financial services, cross-border payments |
| Region | United States, United Kingdom, Germany |
| Objective | Financial services for international travelers beyond the remittance core |
| Vivaldi scope | Segmentation research, segment profiling, product and go-to-market direction (go-to-market strategy) |
| Outcome | 3 high-value traveler segments; new financial products launched in the US, UK and Germany |
Western Union’s business was built on sending money home. International travelers have overlapping needs, moving and accessing money across borders, but they behave differently, travel for different reasons and value different things. They were an underserved segment relative to the core business.
Travelers are not one market, though. Without knowing which groups were most valuable and what each wanted, new products would risk being too generic to win anyone.
Vivaldi ran segmentation research across the US, UK and Germany and identified three distinct high-value traveler segments. Each was profiled with behavioral, attitudinal and product preference data, so the product teams knew not only who the segments were but what they did, what they cared about and which features they would choose.
Those profiles fed directly into tailored product development and go-to-market plans for each market. Vivaldi’s go-to-market framework for market entry describes how segmentation feeds launch decisions.
Western Union is one of the 9 go-to-market strategy examples Vivaldi has published.
Western Union partnered with Vivaldi to expand beyond its remittance core into financial services for international travelers, an underserved segment with significant commercial potential. Vivaldi's segmentation research identified three high-value traveler segments across the US, UK, and German markets, each profiled with behavioral, attitudinal, and product preference data, directly informing new product launches and a longer-term framework for traveler portfolio expansion.
Western Union is a global leader in cross-border money movement and payment services, with a network spanning over 200 countries and territories and more than 500,000 agent locations worldwide. Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, Western Union generates annual revenues exceeding $4.5 billion and moves approximately $100 billion in principal transfers annually. The company is one of the most recognized financial services brands globally, particularly in remittance and international payments.
A segmentation of international travelers into three high-value segments across the US, UK and Germany, which informed new financial product launches in all three markets. It also gave Western Union a longer-term framework for growing its traveler portfolio beyond remittance.
Behavioral, attitudinal and product preference data for each segment. For Western Union that meant knowing how each traveler group behaves, what it values and which product features it would choose, so products and go-to-market plans could be tailored rather than generic.
Because travelers travel for different reasons and value different things, so one product for all of them wins none of them. Segmentation shows which groups are most valuable and what each needs, which is what makes a launch focused enough to succeed.
That growth beyond the core works best when it starts from a clear segmentation of the new audience. Western Union’s three-segment model gave near-term launch targets in three countries and a framework for the portfolio after that.