Driving QR Payment Adoption with DV360: Gulf’s App-First Campaign

Client Overview
Gulf is one of Georgia’s leading fuel brands, known for innovation in customer experience and loyalty programs. In 2025, Gulf set out to make QR payments via the Gulf app the preferred way to pay at the pump. The brand launched a compelling promotion -25 Tetri per liter and needed a campaign that could convert short-term interest into long-term digital payment adoption.

Campaign Objectives

• Drive high-volume installs of the Gulf mobile app within a two-week launch window.
  
  
  

• Shift user behavior from in-person transactions to QR payments within the app.
  
  
  

• Target three core audience segments with tailored messaging:
  
  
  

  • Deal Seekers - price-driven users unfamiliar with Gulf.
    
    
    

  • Gulf Customers - regular buyers unaware of the app.
    
    
    

  • App Sleepers - existing app users not using QR payments.
    
    
    

• Achieve above-benchmark conversion rates while maintaining precise cost efficiency.
  
  
  

Targeting Strategy
A multi-channel, full-funnel approach was deployed to maximize both acquisition and behavioral shift:

1. Precision Audience Segmentation

• Custom audience sets based on buying patterns, brand familiarity, and app usage history.
  
  
  

2. Platform Mix

• Google Ads - high-intent targeting for immediate installs.
  
  
  

• DV360 - scalable reach and display remarketing to retarget interested users.
  
  
  

• YouTube - awareness and education on QR payment benefits.
  
  
  

3. Personalized Creative

• Different value propositions per segment: discounts for deal seekers, convenience for loyal buyers, habit reinforcement for app sleepers.
  
  
  

Campaign Components

Results & Impact (2-week campaign)

• 88,000+ app page visits.
  
  
  

• 12,000+ installs in just 14 days.
  
  
  

• 14.05% conversion rate from visit to install.
  
  
  

• Significant behavioral shift toward QR payments, indicating strong long-term adoption potential.
  
  
  

Why It Worked

• Treated the campaign as a digital transformation, not just a promotion.
  
  
  

• Combined precision targeting, creative personalization, and performance tracking.
  
  
  

• Focused on habit change rather than one-time engagement.
  
  
  

Takeaway
With the right segmentation, targeting, and creative strategy, Gulf turned a limited-time fuel discount into a catalyst for lasting customer behavior change - making QR payments a new norm at the pump.