Why Intuit is marketing TurboTax and Credit Karma together for the first time

Intuit is releasing its first ad promoting TurboTax and Credit Karma together as it looks to extend its tax marketing window into the later parts of the year. The financial software company today will debut an ad that promotes TurboTax expert assistance within Credit Karma and the ability to receive tax refunds up to five days faster than normal when depositing the funds into a Credit Karma online checking or savings account. The spot shows a woman looking at a blurry W-2 form on her phone before putting on a pair of glasses and seeing how to get a bigger tax refund faster through TurboTax services within Credit Karma. TurboTax creative agency of record R/GA created the ad while Wieden+Kennedy handled TV media buys and PMG directed digital media buys. Dept was in charge of search strategy. Also read: IPG expected to sell R/GA to management-led group and PE firm The services in the ad aren’t new, as Intuit first rolled out early tax refunds into Credit Karma accounts in 2023. Instead, the spot serves as the beginning of Intuit’s efforts to market the two brands together as it looks for ways to keep taxes top of mind beyond tax season, which runs between January and April. As Intuit continues to market both brands together, it will promote how users can save, invest and spend their refunds smartly with Credit Karma, which will affect their taxes the following year. “Not only are they filing with us, they are now making their money go much further,” said Natasha Madan, chief marketing officer of Credit Karma. “If they’re trying to spend something or they want to invest somewhere, we can give them tax advice along the way. It becomes a year-long connection.” NextGen Marketing Summit Join us for a crash course on Gen Z, DTC marketing and the creator economy Register today Hitching TurboTax to Credit Karma’s year-round consumer interactions gives the brand an edge against competitors largely limited to marketing during the first four months of the year, said Trevor Kelley, VP of marketing of Intuit’s consumer group. “This allows us to take a singular moment, what’s essentially an annual event for most customers, and turn it into a sustained relationship,” he said. “Who else can do that?” Promoting TurboTax experts in Credit Karma also allows TurboTax to push its paid Full Service plan well before tax season begins, as those interested in hiring a tax expert typically begin looking for one in the summer or fall. Competitors have attempted to get consumers thinking about taxes in the months leading up to the season as well. For instance, H&R Block used social media late last year to question unqualified finance gurus and promote its own tax experts. @hrblock Sometimes "expert" advice may not be as expert as you'd think. When it comes to your taxes, don't go with anything short of a true professional. Get a real expert to help plan your retirement, like one of our Tax Pros. ♬ original sound - H&R Block TurboTax started its tax season campaign focused on Full Service earlier than normal as it aired its first ads on Christmas Day. “We just want to get ahead and get people thinking about taxes before January,” Jamie Lasser, director of brand marketing at TurboTax, told Ad Age in December. Intuit’s new focus on year-round tax marketing comes under Thomas Ranese, who joined Intuit as its chief marketing officer in December. Kelley said the company’s first collaborative ad should increase awareness of the cross-functionality between both brands. “Credit Karma members can be unaware that you can actually file your taxes within Credit Karma,” he said. “The same can be said for TurboTax filers, they’re not necessarily aware of the benefits that come with Credit Karma.” Those who are aware have responded well to announcements of cross-functional features, he said. Customer research showed that Credit Karma members who have yet to file with TurboTax are more likely to after learning it’s connected with Credit Karma, while TurboTax customers are more likely to stick with the company after seeing joint messaging. “We really do look at this as the beginning of a new era where you will continue to see top-of-funnel marketing and an increased focus on the end-to-end experience that exists within the shared platform between TurboTax and Credit Karma going forward,” Kelley said. ~ ~ ~CORRECTION: A previous version of the story misstated the availability date for depositing tax refunds early into Credit Karma accounts. Agency details have also been updated for the campaign.

Why Intuit is marketing TurboTax and Credit Karma together for the first time

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