From mistaken identity to market momentum
Key Illuminated Insight
In categories where everyone sounds the same, clarity becomes the differentiator. When your audience finally understands what makes you better—they don't just notice. They convert.
How Qtrade broke through category confusion and doubled online conversions with 50% less spend
About the client
Qtrade is a Canadian digital brokerage platform with a 25+ year legacy, built to serve self-directed investors with smarter tools and a stronger online experience. Despite consistently earning top marks from analysts for usability and performance, they were struggling to grow awareness and differentiate in a highly commoditized category.
The challenge
Digital trading is a crowded, commoditized space. Most platforms blur together—low fees, DIY access, and little brand recall. Qtrade had real advantages: powerful tools, a clean user interface, and consistent third-party recognition. But to the average investor? They either hadn’t heard of Qtrade or worse, confused it with a better-known competitor, Questrade.
The Real Problem
After years of focusing almost exclusively on lower-funnel acquisition tactics like paid search, display, and social, Qtrade was suffering from a comprehension issue. The audience they most wanted to attract, experienced investors, had outgrown entry-level trading platforms and didn’t understand what made Qtrade different.
Recognition wasn’t translating into consideration. And digital dollars were being spent without long-term brand lift.
The Fix
In partnership with HiFi, we brought the brand to life in owning the ‘Q’ in messaging through a new campaign called The Qfactor: The relentless pursuit of better when it comes to investing.
We tackled the comprehension gap at its source, then amplified the message where it mattered most.
→ Ran a full brand and messaging audit to diagnose breakdowns in comprehension across key channels
→ Conducted deep client and brand research to surface how they described the product and where that diverged from internal messaging
→ Repositioned Qtrade’s narrative to focus on what seasoned DIY investors actually wanted: smarter tools, better insights, and a platform built for grown-up traders, not beginners
→ Developed a sharp creative platform that made the benefits crystal clear and impossible to ignore
→ Rolled out a full-funnel media plan designed to break through the noise, build awareness, and convert attention into action
→ Paired efficient digital placements with high-impact IRL opportunities including full takeovers at Canadian airports and golf courses, all mapped directly to target insights around travel and leisure patterns
This wasn’t just an awareness play. It was a strategic shift from competing on price to owning a more compelling story in-market.
The Outcome
→ Online conversions doubled with 50% less spend year-over-year
→ Cost per acquisition landed 26% below benchmark, while sales jumped by 41%
→ Organic website traffic rose by 60%, thanks to clearer messaging and consistent campaign visibility
→ Among those who saw the campaign, likelihood to consider Qtrade hit 85% compared to just 9% among those unaware
This wasn’t a rebrand. It was a reset of how the market saw Qtrade, and how investors saw their own potential.