Back to Creative Director
Redefining the Value of Cashback
skills
UX Design, Campaign Development, Digital Advertising, Brand Strategy
Roles
Director of UX, Creative Director, Brand Strategist
Date
2026
The Business Challenge
ibotta delivers real value, but value alone doesn't create brand love.
Customers appreciate the cashback they earn—saving hundreds of dollars over time is meaningful — but the experience often feels transactional and effort-intensive. While the core product works, it requires customers to adapt to the platform rather than the platform adapting to their shopping behavior.
As a result,ibotta had become a useful tool, but not yet a beloved brand.
The Customer Reality
The platform was designed around brands and offers, but customers shop around needs, occasions, and value.
The existing experience encouraged users to browse by brand, creating a disconnect with today's increasingly value-conscious and brand-agnostic consumers. Shoppers weren't looking for coupons; they were looking for smarter ways to save money while accomplishing everyday tasks.
What customers needed wasn't another cashback platform. They needed a seamless lifestyle tool that fit naturally into the way they already shop.
“You know $100 is not nothing, but it’s like pulling teeth to get it.”
The Strategic Opportunity
The opportunity was larger than improving usability.
ibotta had the potential to evolve from a cashback app into a value-exchange platform that created meaningful benefits for both shoppers and sellers.
To achieve this, the brand needed to shift its narrative from couponing to value creation. The core ibotta brand could become the foundation for both its consumer and business audiences, while allowing each side of the marketplace to receive messaging tailored to their specific goals.
For consumers, the story becomes saving time and money. For brands and retailers, the story becomes measurable growth and customer acquisition.
“Customers love ibotta, even with all the issues with redemption. They could easily trun that goodwill into a lifestyle brand.”
The Transformation
For Shoppers
Eliminate receipt scanning through POS and loyalty program integrations.
Introduce "ibotta Dollars" as an instantly accessible and usable value.
Shift the experience from brand-first browsing to category-first, need-based discovery.
Reduce friction throughout the savings journey, making rewards feel automatic rather than earned through effort.
For Sellers
Reposition ibotta as a precision performance marketing platform rather than a digital coupon provider.
Deliver self-service tools that provide campaign visibility and control.
Offer transparent attribution and measurement capabilities.
Surface audience insights that help brands understand and influence purchasing behavior.
The goal was to create a platform that felt equally valuable to both sides of the ecosystem while maintaining a single, cohesive brand story.
Leadership Insight
From the beginning, it was clear that ibotta's leadership team saw a future far beyond cashback. They consistently spoke about the company's potential as a performance marketing platform and envisioned expansion into categories beyond traditional CPG.
Those ambitions were both exciting and achievable.
However, the experience reinforced an important lesson: growth strategies are most successful when they begin with customer needs.
While leadership must define the vision, customer behavior should shape the path to achieving it. Before expanding into new markets or new capabilities, it's critical to ensure the core experience is delivering on customer expectations.
My role wasn't simply to support leadership's vision. It was also to advocate for the customer and ensure that every strategic decision remained grounded in what users actually wanted.
The lesson was simple: respect the vision, but never lose sight of the customer.
Cash Back Podcast : 30-Second Host-Read Ad
Here's a question: if someone owed you ten bucks, you'd probably want it back, right?
That's kind of how I think about ibotta. Every time I shop, there's cash back available on things I was already going to buy. Groceries, everyday essentials, online purchases—it adds up without asking me to change my routine.
It's money I would've left behind if I hadn't opened the app. And honestly, getting cash back never gets old.
Download the ibotta app today at ibotta.com/app and start rescuing your money.
ibotta. It's your money. We just rescue it.
Marketing School Podcast: 30-Second Host-Read Ad
Here's a question: do you actually know which marketing dollars are driving sales—or are you still relying on metrics that only tell part of the story?
That's why brands partner with ibotta. Instead of optimizing for clicks or impressions alone, you can connect your campaigns to real purchases with closed-loop measurement. That means less wasted spend, clearer insights, and more confidence in every marketing decision.
If you're looking to make your media budget work harder, visit ibotta.com/partners.
ibotta. It's your spend. We just rescue it.
