American Express - Hilton Honors Co-Brand

Hilton co-brand with American Express for a series of business and personal cards that includes hotel rewards programs, points for free stays, and points for exclusive experiences.

Role: Lead UX Designer 
Agency: Dentsu mcgarrybowen
Duration: Jul 2019 - Jan 2020

Challenge

There are 4 types of Hilton Honor card products. When users land on the experience, they enter this page through targeted click-ads. Their expectation is to continue to a card-specific marketing page.

However, the page is static, showing all 4 cards with the same level of visual importance. This makes the user work harder for necessary information and breaks the individualized experience. As a result, the page is seeing an 81% bounce rate.

Problems to tackle

  • The site doesn’t cater to users in different stages in the conversion funnel

  • Users do not understand how points convert to rewards

  • Physical card looks very similar which makes it difficult to differentiate on the website

  • Card names are long, confusing, and don't differentiate each card

  • The website uses jargon and industry-specific language which is difficult for an average user to understand

  • There is no highlighted value between personal and business cards 

2020 live site

Goals and Metrics

Drive conversion

Track success metrics towards increased number of users applying for the Hilton Honors card

Individualize experience

Design a tailored experience for a range of users landing on the site in different phases of the conversion funnel

Lacks product clarity

Provide more descriptive content to help match the best cards for different types of users

Missing information

Make a clear differentiation between each card and highlight their benefits

Missing value prop

Get users engaged and excited about the benefits of Hilton Honors

Brand represention

Design a visual language middle ground to represent both the Hilton and American Express brand

Part 1: Quantitative Research

User flow in the conversion funnel

The majority of traffic for this page is from users clicking on targeted ads. The ads display a specific card that the user has been researching. When a user clicks on the ad, they enter the AMEX x Hilton Honors landing page. The page has general information of all 4 cards above the fold, this breaks the individualized card experience that the user was previously on. This page has seen high bounce rate and low conversion.

Data Findings

Average Time On Page

The average time spent on this page is 4 minutes. This is longer than the average consideration time compared to other AMEX financial products. Assumptions: users are confused and trying to figure out what they are looking at

Bounce Rate

The majority of visitors enter by clicking on a targeted ad.

Data shows an 81% bounce rate for this page. Key assumptions are that users are not finding what they are looking for, or need more information before making a decision

Conversion

Users convert the Hilton Honors American Express Card and Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card

Very few convert with the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card and Hilton Honors American Express Business Card

Heatmaps

The heatmap shows users are interacting throughout the page and scrolling to the bottom. They may not find the information they are looking for or none of the card products fit their needs which result in visitor leaving the page

  • Users click the card image

  • Users click the info icon under Built-in travel benefits

  • Less users convert at the bottom than at the top of the page

  • Users click on logos at the footer

Part 2: Qualitative Research

Understanding target audience

Ten 90-minute focus group tests and interviews were conducted to identify marketing messages that resonate with users and overlapping patterns of current cardholders and prospective customers

To better communicate with users in the page redesign, we looked at what type of travel spoke to current cardholders and future prospects. This allows us to gear the imagery, and language, and highlight key benefits that speak to users.

Testing out language and imagery

👩‍🔬 Test Goal: Gauging participant’s appetite with “Adventure” through “Wildly Familiar”, “Redefining Vacation”, and points ads

Wildly Familiar

  • Most preferred Wildly Familiar

  • Participants liked the way it conveyed a combination of fun and luxury

  • It was perceived as more young, modern, upscale, and aspirational

  • It refreshed the way participants thought about Hilton - more modern and luxurious

Redefining Vacation

  • It felt less relatable

  • It was perceived as immature (vs. the elevated feel of Wildly Familiar)

  • They didn’t understand the meaning of the drawings

  • They didn’t like the look of the drawings and felt they didn’t fit with their upscale impressions of Hilton and American Express

Points based

  • While they would want to look into the offers further, the numbers got participants’ initial attention

  • Participants also want to understand the benefits better (e.g., what are 130,000 points worth? What does Gold status include?)

Findings

Overall, participants booking Hilton Hotel are risk averse and like to know what they are getting into. In travel, they prefer tame experiences as opposed to extreme “adventure”. Participants expressed that they like staying at the Hilton because of the consistency, convenience, and luxury.

  • Participants identified with the “adventure/comfort” platform overall

  • While “adventure” may seem too extreme in some cases, virtually everyone could identify with the idea of exploration or new experiences

They like adventure, but not TOO much adventure

Participants really enjoy comfort and luxury

  • Most identified with the idea of coming back to comfort they could rely on after a day of travel

  • At a minimum, they want comfort and cleanliness

  • Many are looking for much more from a hotel, including very comfortable beds and pillows, happy hour, on-property restaurant, room service, pool, and spa services

Personas

Aligning cards to different personas and user needs

Part 3: Redesign

Key Design Pillars

Flexible Modules

Implementing a dynamic page to cater to the user's individual journey. Modules on the page can be rearranged based on which ad users are clicking to land on the page. This helps continue a seamless narrative for the user journey

Implementing an Dynamic landing page

The benefit of Atomic Design is that modules can be flexible. Items within modules can be hidden or shown to provide a better individualized experience

Engaging users with interactive modules

This page should get users excited and engaged about Hilton Honors points, benefits, and values

Content Hierarchy

Continuing User Journey

The “At A Glance” module adjusts according to the ad the user clicks on to land on the page. If the ad speaks about “Earn 80,000 points”, this module will show the Hilton Honors x American Express Card.

Users can toggle between other card products, View Full Details (for bottom-funnel users), and Compare All Cards

Guided Quiz

A quiz can help make recommendations for Top-Funnel users who are early in their research and unsure what product fits their lifestyle

Point Slider

The focus group shows many participants are unsure of what they are getting out of the points program. Most participants just go for the biggest number. This module can help users connect Hilton Honors points to rewards to free stay, rewards, and experiences

Wireframes

Translating strategy into design

Users are landing on the page at different stages of the conversion funnel, the site needs to answer questions for both users in the top-funnel as well as middle funnel

Content Hierarchy

Flexible Modules Wireframe

The content on this page will rearranged based on how the user enters the site. The author of the targeted ad can determine if the ad will navigate to Top Funnel, Middle Funnel, or Bottom Funnel page layout

Top-funnel and Middle-funnel

This is catered towards users who need more guidance in finding a card, they are starting their card search and are not familiar with Hilton Honors and are sure which card is right for them. Users have been researching content Content is organized with more information leading into the card products.

Bottom-funnel

This is catered towards users who have done their research and are ready for conversion. This design prioritizes the cards the user has been on a journey exploring.

Final Design

Combining Designing System from AMEX and Hilton, our team found a harmonious approach in combining the two brand identity