Meet Visa: How the diversity of our network defines our strength

Sixty years ago, Visa began by asking a simple question: “what if money became fully electronic?” Back then, few could imagine a world beyond cash and cheques, but by introducing card payments to the masses, Visa helped expand economic access in new ways and became a trusted engine of commerce in the forging of a new globalised economy.

These values of access, equality and inclusion have been core to Visa’s brand ever since. We believe that economies that include everyone everywhere, uplift everyone everywhere. However, just as the world has changed, brands must be able to adapt as well. As consumer behaviour changes, brands have a duty to be so much more than just a good product or service and to focus just as much on how that company benefits the world as a corporate citizen.

This is why we are reintroducing our iconic brand to the UK and inviting everyone to ‘Meet Visa’. The new brand positioning profiles people living their best lives through a range of commerce experiences - from helping people get paid faster to connecting buyers and sellers across the world. The film brings our purpose to life and celebrates the diversity of our network.

No other period has demonstrated the need for purpose as clearly as the COVID-19 pandemic. At Visa, we’ve seen first-hand how digital payments have kept money moving and businesses selling to their communities. Small businesses have been amongst the hardest hit, which is why we’ve committed to digitally enabling 50 million small businesses globally in order that they can rebuild and recover. By working with our diverse network of partners, we were able to provide people the help they needed to participate and take advantage of the digital economy, from small businesses to gig workers to consumers.

But it’s also important to recognise the importance of social change, and the power of brands to make a difference to empower people in their day-to-day lives. For example, Visa has a strong commitment to celebrate and support women’s football at all levels. We are proud to support women athletes at a time of rising global awareness and momentum around gender equality, equity and women’s empowerment. It’s important for us to align our brand with others who represent our core values of access, equality and inclusion. This also helps to guide how we select the Team Visa athletes we support.

Defining your purpose and living it can help you lead rather than follow at a time when the world is charting a path to recovery. At Visa, we believe social purpose and value go hand-in-hand with our business strategy, our operations and our philanthropic investments. Over the next few months and years, we will continue to evolve our brand with our business, establish purposeful partnerships, and develop new payments flows that encourage access.

Visa is a network working for everyone, and our solutions can have so much positive impact on individuals, businesses and economies. At the heart of our business we stand for inclusion, equality and access, and every day we have a responsibility to help people in every corner of the world participate in the global economy.