Driving Habit Change in Fintech
Led and achieved a successful product launch of the world-first innovation in fintech.
4.8 ★
Top 20 in App Store
70%↓
Decrease in Cost Per Install
20%↑
Increase in user engagement
“Matt has a deep understanding of the customer journey. He's able to identify and capitalise on key growth opportunities. He's a master of leveraging data to inform his decisions, and he's able to develop and execute effective marketing campaigns that deliver measurable results.”
Elaine Lee, Head of Product
Matt established and led our growth function here at Wisr. He is an incredible asset and a lovely human. He has excellent depth of knowledge on all things growth marketing. He shares his knowledge with passion and in a very straightforward way. He has taught us a tremendous amount and has made a big and highly measurable impact here. I hope we get to work together again.
Ben Berger, CPO
I thoroughly enjoyed my time working with Matt and came to know him as a truly valuable asset to our team. He is intelligent, passionate, and incredibly hardworking. Beyond that, he is an impressive team player who can develop and manage strategy, work cross-functionally with peers and mentor and train junior team members effectively. His knowledge of data and analytics and expertise in mobile app and product growth was a huge advantage to our entire team and business. He put this skill set to work in order to launch and scale acquisition of Wisr Today, a psychology-based money coaching app.
James Goodwin, Chief Growth Officer
Matt inspires me with his ambitious drive for constant improvement. He’s a great counterpart to a design team, in particular the way he pushes design concepts further and the wealth of knowledge he adds to experiments and a/b testing. I love that Matt always comes to sessions prepared, has a point of view but with zero ego. Articulate, a bridge between data/marketing/design and a great human - I’d recommend him to any values-driven, innovative team.
Gloria Chan, Head of Design
Matt has tremendous energy and a big heart. He is everyone's biggest supporter, and brings positivity, gratitude, and encouragement to work on a daily basis. He consistently seeks and takes on feedback and is an agile learner with a strong growth mindset. He's also a great coach and developer of teams, with strong communication skills. He would be an asset to any team!
Lili Sussman - Chief Strategy Officer
Wisr Finance
Client
Year
2023
Background
Wisr Today launched as a world-first psychology-driven fintech app, utilising Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) methods to help users build better financial habits. The app stood out by integrating psychological science into money management, with personalised coaching and habit tracking.
Challenges
- Low conversion from registration to trial start (15.8% in Month 1)
- Limited user lifecycle engagement and retention
- Scaling user acquisition with limited budgets
- Competitive app landscape requiring standout ASO and sentiment management
Key Goals
- Improve trial conversions and engagement through optimised user onboarding and habit coaching journeys.
- Build a robust lifecycle marketing automation system to improve activation and retention.
- Scale user acquisition with cost efficiency, while testing creative strategies across Meta, Google, and ASA.
- Boost app discoverability with an impactful App Store Optimisation (ASO) strategy.
Our Role
Wisr Today was a pivotal project that brought key founding members of the GFP team together. We led the
end-to-end build from user research and CVP validation to UI/UX design, feature innovation, and customer engagement. Using Braze, we implemented personalised onboarding and lifecycle automation to drive acquisition, boost engagement, and support long-term retention.
TARGET AUDIENCE
Helping Manage Your Finances
The Wisr App is designed for Australians aiming to improve their financial well-being through smarter money habits. It primarily targets individuals who wish to reduce debt, build savings, and enhance their financial literacy.
HIGHLIGHTS
Boosting trial starts
Our first priority was to make sure as many people as possible were signing up for a 7-day trial. The onboarding process was identified as a critical touchpoint that could either encourage or deter users from starting their journey. In the original version of the app, friction in the early stages of use led to a high dropout rate, particularly during registration and the transition to trial.
To address this, we redesigned the onboarding journey that simplified user interactions and focused on making the first moments in the app as seamless as possible. This involved
reducing cognitive overload by streamlining the sign-up process and
clearly communicating the value proposition from the outset.
A
more intuitive and frictionless onboarding experience increased the likelihood that users would engage with the app immediately, helping to drive conversion from registration to trial start from 15.8% in Month 1, to 25.3% in Month 3.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Creating a seamless money-tracking journey
Our goal was create an experience that allows users to track and improve their spending habits with minimal effort. Through
progressive disclosure, the home screen displays information through small, actionable steps where users will learn and then track their spending.
As users progress to “Track”, they are subject to
a key habit-forming action in improving their spending habit through a clear calendar interface. Placing the amount spent and resistances left below the button - highlights their status so far and
further motivates users to continue their resistance streak and reduce their spending.
Based on James Clear’s Atomic Habits and BJ Fogg’s Behavior Model, we utilised these key tools - Cue, Action & Reward to create and
form
habit loop that builds long-term engagement.
APP STORE OPTIMISATION
Fueling Discoverability & Trust
With a highly competitive fintech landscape, ensuring Wisr Today’s visibility in the App Store and Play Store was critical for sustained growth. To enhance discoverability and user trust, we developed a robust ASO and sentiment management strategy.
By refining keyword strategies, optimising metadata, and improving creative assets, Wisr Today consistently ranked in the top 20 in the App Store with a 4.8-star rating and in the top 10 in the Play Store with a 4.4-star rating.
Additionally, we actively managed user sentiment by responding to feedback, addressing concerns, and implementing improvements based on user insights.
This proactive approach not only boosted ratings but also fostered trust and long-term engagement among users.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Psychology Behind the Design
USER AQUISITION
Optimised User Acquisition Strategy
With a limited marketing budget of AUD $350K per quarter, Wisr faced the challenge of acquiring users cost-effectively in a competitive market. The solution was a highly optimised user acquisition (UA) strategy that focused on rigorous testing and data-driven decisions.
Through A/B testing, Wisr refined its approach to audience segmentation, creative messaging, and channel selection. This iterative process led to a significant reduction in cost per install (CPI),
dropping by over 70% in just three months. By identifying the most effective channels—such as Meta, Google, and Apple Search Ads—and allocating budget more efficiently, Wisr maximised the return on investment for every dollar spent.
The strategic use of organic channels, such as influencer partnerships, also contributed to reducing reliance on paid acquisition, further driving down CPI and increasing the app’s overall cost efficiency.
MARKETING LIFECYCLE
Scaling Lifecycle Marketing
Wisr Today needed to establish a strong lifecycle marketing strategy that could foster user activation, retention and
re-engagement with users. To address this, a comprehensive automation system was designed to deliver the right message at the right time based on user behaviour and engagement. This system took users on a journey that started with immediate onboarding support, followed by tailored financial advice and habit-coaching prompts.
These personalised journeys were carefully calibrated to nudge users towards key milestones, such as setting up savings goals or tracking spending, while offering ongoing support to encourage long-term commitment. By automating these journeys, Wisr was able to engage users without overextending resources.
The ability to personalise content at scale not only enhanced user experience but also increased engagement, as users felt supported and understood throughout their financial transformation.
This strategy drove
a 20%+ increase in user engagement, keeping users consistently involved with the app and reinforcing their financial behaviours through timely, personalised interventions. It also increased the audience size and communications
sent from
60K to over 3.5M per quarter,
with a rise in user journey comms engagement
from 9% to 12.5% – primarily using organic methods.
The
result was
a more engaged user base that was more likely to
convert from trial to paid membership and stay active over time.
CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT AUTOMATION
7 Ways We Approached CEA Through Emails
Our CEA strategy via email can be divided into 7 main approaches:
- Onboarding
- Conversion to Trial/Monetisation
- Feature Activation
- Education/Content Engagement
- Re-engagement/Retention
- Feedback Collection
- Notifications/Updates
1. Onboarding
Objective: Help users discover value fast, complete setup, and begin habit loops.
Psychology Principles
Foot-in-the-Door Technique
Encouraging a small, low-risk action first increases the likelihood of future engagement or conversion.
Email on the lefts use Call-to-Action (CTA) with Low Commitment.
Example: “Start your next lesson” and “Try Wisr Today for Free”
Behavioural Triggers
Clearly defined goals tied to user behaviour help bridge the intention-action gap—nudging users toward taking that next step.
E.g. “Improve your savings habits” and “Find more savings”
Social Proof
Including a relatable user quote builds credibility and reassurance. It implies that others are benefitting, reducing hesitation for new users.
2. Conversion to Trial / Monetisation
Objective: Drive users to start a trial, upgrade to paid, or re-subscribe.
Psychology Principles
Reciprocity Bias
Offering a discount upfront creates a feeling of indebtedness, nudging the user to reciprocate by engaging with the app or signing up.
E.g. "VIP Offer for a Limited Time – 50% off"
Scarcity & Urgency
Emphasising limited-time access creates urgency and encourages immediate action, reducing procrastination.
E.g. “Limited Time Offer,” “Get started now”
Goal Gradient Effect
Previewing future wins (like mood shifts, better savings) creates anticipation and encourages continued usage.
E.g “What’s to come”
Visual Hierarchy & Colour Psychology
- Teal/Blue: calm, trustworthy
- Yellow: optimism, attention-grabbing
- Pink: warmth, friendliness
These colour choices help regulate emotional tone and direct the eye toward CTAs and important messages.
3. Feature Activation
Objective: Encourage usage of key or new features that drive perceived and recurring value.
Psychology Principles
Chunking / Micro-Learning
Breaking down a big goal into small, manageable tasks, reducing overwhelm and improving adherence.
E.g. “bite-sized daily coaching” and “Quick Wins”
Authority Bias
The second email is signed by Dr. Lili Sussman, using a photo and title ("Chief Strategy Officer"). This leverages the authority bias, increasing trust and perceived legitimacy.
Positive Reinforcement
Encouraging messages like “Be kind to yourself” and “You’ll love how quick and easy they are!” focus on self-care and progress, which can reinforce positive behaviour.
Time Anchoring / Low Commitment Framing
The phrase "It only takes 3 minutes!" reduces perceived effort and encourages action. This is known as effort justification: if a task seems easy or low-cost, users are more likely to start.
4. Education / Content Engagement
Objective: Strengthen user knowledge, build trust, and deepen perceived value through ongoing education.
Psychology Principles
Loss Aversion & Pain Point Framing
The quote describes feeling overwhelmed and hiding from bills — evoking emotional discomfort that motivates action.
Empowerment & Self-Efficacy
Highlighting Jane’s key results (“makes regular contributions”, “feels empowered”) promotes self-efficacy — belief in one’s ability to take control, which boosts motivation.
Preemptive Framing & Priming
The second email warns users about sales traps before they happen (Black Friday) — leveraging inoculation theory: preparing people to resist persuasion by exposing them to weakened arguments and refutations.
Psychological Tip (Nudging)
Yellow box explains how craving disrupts rational thinking. This acts as a meta-cognitive nudge, helping users pause and reflect.
5. Re-Engagement & Retention
Objective: Bring back dormant users or deepen relationships with engaged ones.
Psychology Principles
Priming with Emotion
The testimonial at the bottom uses emotional reinforcement:
“You feel more in control of your finances, and it helps you save money.”
This triggers positive affect, making users feel like taking action is empowering and rewarding.
Ease of Action
The call to action is clear and frictionless: “REJOIN NOW” — no complicated steps, reducing decision fatigue.
Implementation Intention / Micro-Habits
“The key is to stop waiting… and just start NOW.”
This nudges people toward forming implementation intentions — a proven behaviour-change tactic.
Addressing Cognitive Friction / Procrastination
The message tackles inaction inertia by acknowledging that:
“Motivation is unreliable…”
This frames the behaviour as normal and reduces shame, making the user more likely to act.
6. Feedback Collection
Objective: Improve product-market fit, UX, and personalisation by understanding user sentiment and friction.
Psychology Principles
Personalisation
Use of recipient’s name ("Hi Matt") creates a sense of individual attention and relevance. The personalised messaging increases engagement and trust.
Commitment and Consistency
The left email highlights:
"You’ve completed 100 lessons. That’s a huge achievement."
This leverages consistency bias—people like to act in ways that are consistent with their past behavior. Since Matt has been engaged before, he is more likely to continue participating (i.e., take the survey).
Minimal Cognitive Load
The language is concise, friendly, and non-technical. The structure is clean, with visual breaks, making the emails easy to skim and act on.
7. Notification/Updates
Objective: Alert users to time-sensitive events, new content, or app improvements.
Psychology Principles
Urgency & Timeliness
“Today is the big day”, “Ready to try it out?”, and “Update now”.
These create a sense of immediacy, triggering FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) and encouraging fast action.
Commitment & Progress
For existing users, introducing updates implies continued improvement in a product they’ve already invested time in, leveraging the commitment and consistency principle.
Clear Call-to-Action (CTA)
Prominent, minimal buttons: “Update now” and “Download on the App Store/Google Play”.
Reduces friction, supports decision simplicity, and directs users to a clear, immediate action.
Our work with Wisr Today drove substantial improvements in user acquisition, engagement and retention, establishing it as a standout innovation in fintech habit coaching. The app also empowered users to take control of their financial habits, helping them save real money and build confidence.
*While Wisr Today’s journey evolved with shifting business priorities, its impact remains – demonstrating how psychology-driven financial tools can create lasting, meaningful change for users.
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