This brand helped alleviate a refugee crisis through its creative use of data!

From the desk of Miles Everson:

Hello!

I’m thrilled to share with you another case study that highlights the effectiveness and transformative power of guerrilla marketing.

For those of you who may not know, guerrilla marketing is an unconventional strategy that enables marketers to engage with their target audiences in a genuine, unforgettable, and meaningful way.

I am a huge fan of this strategy because it encourages marketers to leverage out-of-the-box strategies.

Today, I’ll be putting the spotlight on a guerrilla marketing campaign that addressed a social issue in a meaningful and creative way!

Ready to know more?

Continue reading below!

This brand helped alleviate a refugee crisis through its creative use of data!

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 sent shockwaves across the globe.

The sudden eruption of hostilities disrupted international markets and heightened security concerns worldwide. As a result, international headlines were dominated with reporting on the conflict’s various facets.

Yet, beneath the conflict and all the headlines lies a major humanitarian problem: The mass displacement of millions of Ukrainians from their homes.

Shortly after the hostilities began, almost 10 million Ukrainians crossed the Polish border and headed to Poland’s cities for shelter.

While fleeing to Polish cities helped refugees find shelters, most of the major city centers they went to were overcrowded already, leading to rental hikes and increased competition for jobs in an economy that also grappled with inflation.

Since this problem could balloon into a full-fledged crisis, a solution was necessary… and this came in the form of redirecting refugees into numerous, smaller cities.

However, how could this be done effectively?

That’s where  Mastercard  came in!

In 2022, Mastercard launched the  Where To Settle  (initially  released  as WhereToStay) platform, a tool that Ukrainians arriving in Poland can use to find areas within the country where they can live based on their needs and prospects.

To draw attention for the project, Mastercard partnered with  McCann Poland, an ad agency.

Where To Settle is a simple tool that can be used on both mobile and desktop devices, and doesn’t require registration nor login. All a user has to do is answer a form where information such as household size, occupation, region, and the preferred means of transformation is provided.

During its initial launch, the platform enabled users to learn about the approximate cost of living in various Polish cities, towns, and regions so they can determine the best location for them to live in in terms of family situation and budget.

Data used for Where To Settle was gathered from average housing costs and average wage data provided by Poland’s Central Statistical Office, which were then aggregated with data on spending trends of everyday purchases gathered by Mastercard.

A year after Where To Settle’s launch, Mastercard also partnered with the  Morizon-Gratka Group, a classified ads operator, to enable users to search for current job and apartment rental offers in the areas they want to live in.

This brings us the most important question:

Was the campaign successful?

YES!

According to figures as of 2023, Where To Settle attracted over 240,000 unique users to the platform and had received over 73,000 completed forms.

When cross-referenced from the data gathered by the platform and the number of Ukrainian refugees, it was estimated that approximately 20% of displaced people benefitted from the platform.

Mastercard also benefitted, as the platform contributed to an increase in usage intent among non-Mastercard users.

Following engagement with the Where To Settle Platform, 57% of Poles and 80% of Ukrainians expressed intent to use Mastercard Services.

As of June 2025, the Where To Settle platform still works, which means users still have access to all of the data it offers.

… BUT wait, there’s more!

The Where To Settle Platform earned accolades from awards-giving bodies like  Cannes Lions  in 2023,  Clio Awards, and  D&AD  in 2024!

Kudos to Mastercard and the teams involved with the platform!

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The mass displacement that results from armed conflict is a problem that can easily balloon into a full-fledged humanitarian crisis.

Problems of this nature cannot be resolved easily and requires massive effort, time, and resources to fully address.

That said, this didn’t stop Mastercard from doing what it can to help alleviate the problem.

By coming up with a creative way to leverage technology and data, Mastercard was able to help thousands of displaced Ukrainians find a place where they can live peacefully and comfortably according to their needs and living situation.

This campaign shows that with enough out-of-the-box thinking, any brand can pull off initiatives that promote public welfare while simultaneously generating brand awareness.

So, the next time you come up with your own campaign, take inspiration from Mastercard’s Where To Settle platform!

Hope you’ve found this week’s guerrilla marketing insight interesting and helpful.

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Stay tuned for next Thursday’s Gorillas of Guerrilla Marketing!

Do you want to know  how one guerrilla marketing campaign aided animal conservation efforts in December 2023?

See it in next week’s article!