Anita Thapa Acharya holds the pivotal role of Head of Brand and Promotion at City Express Money Transfer (CEMT), a prominent remittance company in Nepal. Her professional contributions have significantly shaped the company’s branding and promotional strategies. Established in 2007, City Express Money Transfer has rapidly emerged as a frontrunner in the remittance sector, operating under the esteemed City Express Group.
Licensed by Nepal Rastra Bank to facilitate money transfer services within the country, CEMT has garnered substantial popularity among Nepali migrant workers. With an extensive network of over 25,000 payout locations across Nepal, CEMT facilitates transactions in more than 100 foreign currencies, serving clients across continents. In a recent conversation with the HRM Nepal, Acharya shared her wealth of professional experience and insights.
Q: How is City Express Money Transfer positioning its brand?
A: City Express Money Transfer has been the fastest growing and now one of the leading remittance companies in Nepal. With over 17 years of experience, CEMT boasts of over 2,500 payout locations spread across Nepal and has been catering its services worldwide with top-notch customer services. CEMT has been felicitated by Nepal Rastra Bank for outstanding contribution to the remittance sector since the last two consecutive years. CEMT is not a new name in any household receiving remittances now and has been serving millions of customers worldwide.
Q: How would you like to recall the journey of City Express Money Transfer?
A: My seven-year journey with City Express Money Transfer has been nothing short of exhilarating. From overcoming initial challenges to reaching significant milestones, it’s been a thrilling rollercoaster ride. Initially, understanding the market dynamics and trends required time, but I quickly caught up and now there’s no looking back. Throughout this journey, I have experienced tremendous personal growth. My leadership skills have flourished, strategic thinking has become second nature, and problem-solving abilities have sharpened. The grand festival schemes, ground-level activations, successful BTL (Below the Line) campaigns, community engagement initiatives, and CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) activities – all of these achievements were made possible by our exceptional team. It truly is a testament to the power of teamwork.
Q: What specific aspects of City Express Money Transfer’s service resonate most with remitters, making them feel comfortable and secure using their platform?
A: CEMT stands out for its unparalleled reach. With over 25,000 payout locations across Nepal and a global network, sending and receiving money is convenient and accessible for everyone, anywhere. As a trusted partner licensed by Nepal Rastra Bank, CEMT has earned the confidence of millions worldwide for many years. For added peace of mind, remitters receive SMS confirmation and can track their transaction progress at any time. CEMT caters to your individual needs, offering a variety of options including cash pickup, bank deposit, and mobile wallet transfers. Our commitment to safety, compliance, and regulation by financial authorities ensures a secure and trustworthy experience for all our customers.
Q: In your opinion, which of these qualities – credibility, reliability, timeliness, service facilitation, or incentives – is the single most powerful tool for attracting new clients? Why?
A: All are very essential factors but credibility stands out. Credibility establishes the foundation of trust between the company and its customers. Customers are more likely to use a service they find reputable and trustworthy. Since ours is a service providing business, customer retention plays a major role. We have customers using our services since our inception.
Q: In a world where digital innovations are transforming branding and marketing, how is City Express Money Transfer leveraging these advancements to reach its target audience?
A: In today’s high-tech era, digital innovation has profoundly transformed brand and marketing strategies. As people increasingly embrace mobile applications and cashless transactions, the trend has shifted from traditional marketing to digital channels. At our company, we actively engage with customers across social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. We share valuable content, run targeted digital campaigns, and promptly address customer queries. Additionally, influencer marketing has played a pivotal role in resonating with our target audiences, promoting our services, and enhancing brand credibility.
Q: What do you anticipate for branding as the rapid technological revolution continues to reshape people’s thinking and preferences?
A: The rapid pace of technological revolution is continuously reshaping consumer behaviour, expectations and preferences. The next technological revolution will be the use of artificial intelligence (AI). Since AI is taking over everything, it might automate and optimise marketing campaigns, ensuring that the right message reaches the right audience at the right time. The future of branding undoubtedly hinges on technology and seamless integration across all channels. As digital landscapes evolve, brands must adapt to stay relevant and engage their audiences effectively.
Q: As per your experience, how effective do you think is digital marketing?
A: Digital marketing has been tremendously effective in terms of increasing brand awareness, generating leads, expanding new markets, customer retention and gaining customer insights and feedback which have helped us to identify areas for improvement. Digital marketing campaigns can also be cost effective as compared to traditional marketing. Digital marketing allows us to reach the global audience and market our services to people living in different countries and regions, expanding our customer base significantly.
Q: What are the major differences you have experienced while campaigning through traditional and digital media platforms?
A: We follow a mix of both the approaches – traditional marketing and digital marketing to leverage the benefits of each, depending on the goals, target audiences and budget. We recognise that some of our audience may be less familiar with digital innovations and technology. In such cases, traditional approaches remain effective. However, for the diverse range of customers across various devices and platforms, digital marketing becomes essential. It enables direct interaction between the brand and the audience through various social media platforms.
Q: Given that remittances reach one-third of Nepali households, City Express Money Transfer clearly plays a vital role. How is the company expanding its client base beyond these existing users, and in how many countries does it currently operate?
A: We are all aware that Nepal is a remittance-based country with remittance inflow amounting to more than a quarter of the country’s GDP. Almost 56% of Nepali households and one in every two rural households receive remittance. City Express Money Transfer has a direct presence in more than 50 countries now. We, thus, look forward to providing enhanced service accessibility to all our customers. To expand the client base we can tap into new markets, new corridors and attract new customers through improved services, innovative approaches and targeted outreach efforts.
