How An Award Strategy and Digital Content Drove Global Growth for a Trusted Fintech Brand.
Overview
In just 13 months, B4B Payments transformed from a long-established fintech specialising in expense management into a high-profile player in the global Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) market. Partnering with Blue Train Marketing, B4B was able to quickly claim its position in the BaaS space underpinned by 26 industry award shortlistings and five major wins, which created a sustained programme of third-party validation and high-impact social proof across digital channels.
This case study outlines how Blue Train Marketing took an integrated approach to achieving the strategic objective including an award strategy, content creation, and narrative development which helped reposition B4B Payments in a fast-evolving market.
About the Client
B4B Payments is one of the most established names in fintech, with more than two decades of innovation in expense management, prepaid solutions, and payment technology. Known for its reliability and flexibility, the company has earned deep operational trust across regulated sectors.
Challenge: Repositioning After Acquisition
Following its acquisition by Banking Circle Group, B4B Payments entered a pivotal new phase – expanding into the rapidly evolving Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) market.
However, this presented a challenge:
- The BaaS landscape was crowded and sometimes clouded by negative perceptions due to unregulated entrants.
- B4B needed to quickly translate its legacy credibility into a clear, authoritative BaaS identity.
Objective
To leverage B4B’s legacy strengths and newly integrated Banking Circle technology to establish a credible, authoritative BaaS market position, but without the need for large-scale advertising budgets.
Strategy: Turning Legacy into Leadership
The strategy was designed to turn B4B’s operational depth into visible market authority in a cautious and compliance-driven BaaS landscape.
Blue Train Marketing worked with the B4B Payments team to develop a cost-effective, insight-led strategy built on three key pillars:
1. Narrative Development & Unique Value Discovery
Through in-depth narrative workshops with internal teams, we uncovered hidden USPs in B4B’s technology, compliance processes, and customer delivery model.
These insights formed the foundation for refreshed marketing messaging and campaign storytelling.
2. Digital Campaign Assets
We created a series of short-form videos, digital visuals, and market-specific assets tailored to B4B’s new positioning and ideal customer profiles (ICPs).
These assets were deployed by B4B Payments’ in-house marketing team to reinforce consistent messaging across digital channels.
3. Strategic Industry Awards
Awards were a key pillar of the plan due to their unique ability to add credibility and increase profile in a highly cost-effective way. We crafted award submissions that showcased how Banking Circle’s proven BaaS technology had been combined with the trust, expertise and compliance for which B4B Payments had become known. The awards became high-trust market signals and storytelling opportunities that communicated clear and powerful differentiators between B4B Payments and the new and less experienced players in the BaaS market.
This structured approach led to dozens of shortlistings and multiple high-profile wins, giving B4B rapid proof points of excellence and credibility in a cautious market.
Execution Highlights
- Tight deadlines met through a structured, journalistic workflow.
- Every award submission designed to tell a coherent, differentiated story.
- Consistent collaboration between Blue Train Marketing and B4B’s internal teams ensured narrative alignment across sales, marketing, and executive leadership.
Results: Quantifiable Growth and Recognition
Together, these recognitions created sustained third-party validation in a market where trust and compliance are decisive.
These achievements became more than accolades — they served as credible proof points in B4B’s repositioning journey, driving stronger brand authority, industry trust, and inbound engagement.
Client Testimonial
“At B4B Payments, we’ve been supporting clients and partners with innovative payment solutions for over two decades, and we know the importance of telling our story well.
When it came to award submissions, we needed a partner who could help us achieve excellence and a level of quality — and Blue Train did exactly that.
Their copywriting expertise brought our story to life with clarity and impact, helping us achieve award success on tight deadlines.
What stood out most was their approach – structured yet flexible, empathetic, and genuinely invested in our success. Working with Blue Train felt less like working with an agency and more like collaborating with an extension of our own team.”
— Jodie Taylor, Head of Marketing, B4B Payments
Impact
By combining strategic storytelling, targeted awards, and digital content, Blue Train Marketing helped B4B Payments:
- Reframe its market narrative from fintech veteran to global BaaS innovator.
- Strengthen its credibility through independent validation.
- Amplify its visibility across industry, media, and partner ecosystems.
Takeaway
Helping B4B Payments redefine its market position wasn’t about starting over — it was about articulating and amplifying the value that already existed.
If your fintech brand is ready to evolve its market position through award-winning content, digital strategy, and B2B storytelling, get in touch with the Blue Train Marketing team today.
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