Using incentives as your primary growth channel - Natasha Saviuk (Wealthsimple)

Natasha Saviuk, Growth Director at Wealthsimple, joins Apptivate to discuss how incentives evolved from simple promotions into one of the company's most effective growth channels. The conversation explores the lessons Natasha brought from her background in neuroscience, how Wealthsimple scaled from $15 billion to more than $125 billion in assets under management, and why physical rewards often outperform cash incentives. Natasha and Taylor also discuss campus growth strategies, virality, incrementality, account transfer incentives, and the surprising results of campaigns, ranging from free bubble tea to Apple products and even a house giveaway.

• How did Natasha transition from neuroscience into growth marketing?
• What lessons from scientific research apply to experimentation?
• How did Wealthsimple approach growth in its early years?
• Why did bubble tea outperform cash incentives?
• How do incentives function as a standalone growth channel?
• How can marketers measure incrementality in incentive campaigns?
• Why did Wealthsimple pivot away from paid acquisition in 2022?
• How can incentives drive high-value customer behavior?
• How do you avoid attracting low-quality users through promotions?
• What can marketers learn from Wealthsimple's house giveaway campaign?

• (0:41) — Natasha's background and transition from neuroscience to growth
• (2:02) — Research, experimentation, and finding growth opportunities
• (4:03) — Introduction to Wealthsimple and early growth challenges
• (5:27) — Building network effects through campus growth strategies
• (7:05) — The bubble tea experiment and local partnerships
• (9:06) — Why physical rewards outperform cash incentives
• (10:50) — Incentives as a dedicated growth channel
• (12:23) — Measuring quality, incrementality, and long-term value
• (14:02) — The 2022 market downturn and shifting growth strategy
• (15:28) — Asset consolidation and scaling incentive programs
• (16:25) — Avoiding reward-driven user behavior
• (18:00) — Incentivizing long-term customer commitment
• (19:46) — How marketers can get started with incentives
• (20:10) — Common mistakes when launching incentive campaigns
• (21:14) — The Wealthsimple house giveaway campaign
• (22:31) — Rapid-fire questions begin
• (25:06) — Where to find Natasha and closing remarks

• (7:19)  “It's not until we started doing partnerships with the local food places, in particular bubble tea, that we really stumbled upon something that was working.”
• (16:50) “By having these stricter hold periods and clawbacks, it does deter people who maybe did just have the intention to gamify.”
• (22:18)  “Sometimes the channel you should invest in is one that doesn't even exist, and you kind of just need to try and see what's resonating with your audience.”

• Wealthsimple
• Natasha on LinkedIn