Going Beyond The Button

PayPal — one of the most recognized names in digital payments — needed to reshape how enterprise clients saw its value.

They partnered with BOL to re-educate the market, create a perception shift, and reignite growth that fueled measurable impact across enterprise accounts.

How do you navigate the post-COVID e-commerce slump?

At the height of the pandemic, PayPal was everywhere. Stimulus checks and social distancing powered an e-commerce boom that sent PayPal's stock soaring from $110.75 to $308.53 per share.

But when the world reopened, momentum slowed. Competition intensified, spending tightened, and enterprise buyers became more cautious.

To maintain its leadership in a changing market, PayPal needed to remind the world what it truly stood for — and what it had become.

How do you change the story when buyers still see you as "just a button"?

PayPal had quietly evolved far beyond payments. Through key acquisitions, the company had built a comprehensive ecosystem to help businesses acquire, grow, and retain customers:

• Venmo — peer-to-peer payments
• Honey — shopping rewards and loyalty
• Braintree — global commerce infrastructure
• Simility — AI-based fraud prevention

Yet among enterprise decision-makers, one perception persisted: "PayPal is just a button." This misperception was limiting growth. To change the story, PayPal needed a new message and a partner that could deliver it with precision.

How do you take a brand beyond the button?

BOL partnered with PayPal to launch Beyond the Button — a full-funnel, hyper-personalized ABM campaign designed to re-educate the enterprise market and spotlight PayPal's full stack of capabilities.

The campaign spanned:

• Dozens of personalized landing pages and ads
• Targeted videos, infographics, and articles
• Persona-specific emails and one-sheets
• OOH and digital placements for enterprise audiences

Every message laddered up to a single idea: PayPal helps enterprises grow far beyond checkout.

Bringing the Campaign to Life

PayPal's enterprise audience is broad and complex, spanning industries, regions, and roles. BOL developed a layered messaging strategy to ensure every stakeholder saw themselves in the story.

Industry-Based Campaigns

Custom content tailored to key verticals, showing how PayPal drives results in retail, travel, SaaS, marketplaces, and more.

Persona-Based Campaigns

Empathetic messaging that spoke directly to the needs of CFOs, eCommerce directors, and customer experience leaders — connecting PayPal's solutions to their daily challenges.

1:1 ABM Campaigns

Hyper-personalized outreach for high-value accounts, aligning PayPal's enterprise story to each target's business goals, pain points, and growth opportunities.

What happens when you redefine a growth story?

The campaign didn't just shift perception — it delivered performance.

"PayPal's Enterprise business grew 79% in volume last year, 61% growth in Q1 of the following year. Among our top 55 merchants, we increased business with 17 and maintained volume with 33 — a retention rate over 90%."

— Dan Schulman, CEO, PayPal

By the Numbers

• 79% growth in PayPal Enterprise (formerly Braintree) volume
• 61% growth in Q1 of the following year
• 90%+ retention rate among top 55 merchants

Even amid economic slowdown and industry competition, PayPal's enterprise business surged.

Does perception power performance?

By reframing PayPal as a growth enabler — not just a payment processor — BOL helped unlock new enterprise momentum and deeper customer relationships.

PayPal's success demonstrates a universal truth: when brands clarify their value and communicate it with precision, growth follows.

Looking to redefine your market perception? Let's talk about how BOL can help your brand go beyond the button.