CompuCredit Corp. this week opened two Spanish-language Web sites that promote its Aspire Visa credit cards to the expanding U.S. Hispanic population.
The Web sites are labeled aspireamas.com and aspireahora.com. Aspireamas.com is a site where consumers can apply for an Aspire Visa card. Aspireahora.com is for pre-approved consumers who were notified via direct mail to place orders for cards.
“Hispanics represent a significant portion of our target market, because we provide credit to the underserved market. Typically a large percentage of Hispanics that are new to the country have not yet established credit and fall within the underserved credit market,” said Mark Pendleton, marketing director for the Atlanta-based credit card marketer.
Twelve percent of CompuCredit's customer base is Hispanic, he said, adding that 10 percent of all new accounts this year have requested card fulfillment and marketing materials in Spanish.
Pendleton said that the company does not target based on a specific age or economic demographics, but rather on a credit model. The marketer focuses primarily on consumers with limited or poor previous credit that are “out of the radar of mainstream issuers,” such as students and immigrants, he said.
CompuCredit is sending an undisclosed number of Spanish-language direct mail pieces to pre-approved consumers directing them to Aspireahora.com or a toll-free telephone number to place orders for the cards. Pendleton said that the company is screening for Hispanic consumers with a Spanish-language indicator system that selects based on surnames.
The 3-year-old company is running limited tests of banner advertisements to link consumers to Aspireamas.com, Pendleton said, declining to disclose where the ads are being tested. CompuCredit is also in the process of developing a 30-second direct response television campaign to be placed on Spanish-language television networks directing consumers to Aspirmas.com and a toll-free phone number.
Consumers that visit Aspireamas.com are provided with the option of linking to aspirecard.com, the corresponding English-language Web site.
CompuCredit will rollout account management and online bill payment on and presentment services on Aspireamas.com by the third quarter of 2001.
Pendleton said 5 percent of all of the company's accounts are acquired online. CompuCredit serves over 2 million cardholders.
