Kim Kadlec: Making Visa's Marketing bold, modern, and culturally relevant

Visa’s European chief marketing office Kimberly Kadlec wants the brand to be seen as more than a payments company. She aims to frame it as a tech company with the ability to power commerce and economic progress at scale. In the age of AI this move away from being seen as “a credit card company” is an essential ambition.

Kadlec believes that by shifting this perception, the brand has both its biggest challenge and its greatest opportunity.

“We want every touchpoint – from our campaigns to our partnerships and sponsorships – to showcase how innovation and trust work together at Visa. That means creating bold, modern, culturally relevant marketing while continually reinforcing Visa’s role as the safest, most reliable payments network,” she explains.

Marketing motivations

Now in her tenth year at the business after joining from a near two-year stint as president of Publicis Groupe in December 2016, Kadlec is motivated by the insights that connect consumers to brands in a cultural manner.

She believes that marketing as a career choice attracted her as it allowed her to lean into her fascination of “what makes people tick” - from their choices, to what inspires them, and where they choose to place their trust. Kadlec has come to see marketing as being a form of storytelling that shapes culture and creates value.

“Over the years, I’ve become increasingly motivated by work that connects brands with culture in a way that moves industries forward. That’s ultimately what led me to Visa – a brand that sits at the nerve centre of global commerce and shapes how people and businesses transact every single day,” she explains.

A major supporter of sport

“We want every touchpoint – from our campaigns to our partnerships and sponsorships – to showcase how innovation and trust work together at Visa. That means creating bold, modern, culturally relevant marketing while continually reinforcing Visa’s role as the safest, most reliable payments network,” adds Kadlec, elaborating further on how she sees the brand moving towards the tech reframing.

To ensure its connection with people all around the world, Visa has recognized the power of sport to bring people together all around the world, from the FIFA Women's World Cup to the NFL. There are arguably no bigger events globally than the Olympic Games, the Paralympic Games and the Winter Olympics, which the brand has been a key partner for 40 years, making it one of the longest continuous sponsors running through until 2032.

Throughout February, Visa is activating across the Winter Olympics being held in Italy. She sees it as an opportunity to link it culturally at a global scale, linking the company’s operation excellence, security and trust with the movement.

“Beyond brand association, the Games are a catalyst for payment innovation, acceptance expansion and the growth of the payments ecosystem. It allows Visa to support athletes, engage fans and help merchants and cities modernise their payment infrastructure, creating long-term value that extends well beyond the event itself,” she explains.

A key ongoing element of the activation is the Team Visa athlete programme which has supported more than 700 Olympic and Paralympic athletes and hopefuls who have been identified as being aligned with Visa’s core values. The current Games feature 45 Olympic and Paralympic athletes and hopefuls, representing 22 countries across 14 sports, who are being championed through the ‘Everywhere You Want To Be’ brand campaign.

The campaign, by Droga5, focuses on the journey of the athletes in the build-up to competing in the winter games and how they celebrate their achievements. It is running across multiple markets, featuring locally tailored stories, films, social content, and real-world activations to relay each athlete’s journey.  

“Unlike many sports campaigns that spotlight the outcome – the medals, victories and podium moments – this work shifts the lens to the journey itself: the resilience, progress and community that shape world-class athletes long before the spotlight finds them. It brings to life the belief that everywhere you’ve gone shapes where you’re going next, and that Visa is always with you for whatever’s ahead,” she says.

The world of marketing according to Kim Kadlec

What excites you most about being a marketer?

Marketing sits at the intersection of creativity, culture and technology. It’s one of the few disciplines where you can take a human insight, apply strategic thinking, and then use creativity and data to turn that into something that has potential to change behaviour. Good marketing doesn’t feel like marketing at all – it helps propel culture and innovation.

Is there a particular campaign from your career that you are particularly proud of?

One of my favourite campaigns I’ve worked on was Visa's 'Level Up Your Game' platform in the lead-up to the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024, which paired Team Visa athletes with Gen Z creators across Europe. Seeing athletes collaborate with musicians, technologists and filmmakers to turn movement into music or sport into storytelling was incredibly powerful. It brought to life the idea that progress is made through small steps, perseverance and creativity, and showed how passion - in any form - can be transformed into something extraordinary when people are given the right support.

Equally special was our Games-time campaign in Paris and other host cities, where we partnered with street artists and young creatives to celebrate local merchants and neighbourhood culture. By turning city streets into canvases and guiding visitors towards small businesses, we created something that felt deeply rooted in place and community.

These two campaigns reflected different sides of the same ambition: using the energy of Paris 2024 to uplift emerging talent, support local ecosystems and create meaningful connections between sport, culture and commerce.

What makes the ideal agency partner for you?

The ideal agency partner brings curiosity, courage and commercial understanding in equal measure. I value partners who challenge assumptions, bring fresh perspectives and understand the business problem behind the brief.

Most importantly, the relationship has to be built on trust. The work is always stronger when agencies feel like true extensions of the team.

You took a sidestep to return to work agency side as president at Publicis Groupe. What did that experience teach you? What had changed since your days at Saatchi’s?

Stepping back into agency life was energising. Agencies move at an incredible pace as they’re close to culture and have a wide range of clients to work with and take inspiration from.

Today’s briefs demand connected thinking, backed by measurable impact, and the best agencies are architected around that. My experience both agency and in house, has reinforced my view that the strongest work comes from close collaboration built on trust and shared goals.

What frustrates you most about being a marketer?

Over-complication is probably the biggest challenge. Marketing can sometimes disappear into jargon, frameworks and internal debates. In reality, simple ideas can solve complex business problems and make the world a better place.

The other challenge is balancing short‑term performance with long‑term brand building. The industry has become very good at measuring immediate outcomes, but some of the most valuable things marketing creates – trust, consistency and relevance – compound over time and sometimes the smallest pivots can propel quantum leaps.

With precision, data and a clear strategy, ideas and creativity can thrive. I know that marketing can be the driving force of innovation, and I count myself lucky to work in this industry.