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How understanding the market beyond internal data guides confident decisions.
In conversation with Kaitie Weaver, Director of Brand Marketing at Helcim and Darren Belgrave, Director of Marketing Operations
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Helcim is a fast-growing payments company known for transparent pricing and merchant-first values. Their marketing and operations teams rely heavily on data and analytics, but until recently, they hadn't done structured, external research to guide long-term brand strategy.
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“Research is no longer a one-off task. It's how we grow.”
Kaitie Weaver
Director of Brand Marketing
How Helcim approached insights before Cashew.
Kaitie: We leaned heavily on internal data. It is incredibly rich, but it created an echo chamber. Our merchants repeated the affordability and transparency messages we had always promoted, which left major questions unanswered.
Darren: Decisions were often based on instinct from internal dashboards. We were hesitant to make bigger brand bets because we did not know how our story resonated outside our existing base.
Kaitie on looking beyond internal data.
“It speaks to the echo chamber that happens when we only look within ourselves. Sometimes we need to get out of our bubble.”
Kaitie
Helcim on the research process with Cashew.
Kaitie: At first, we wanted to know everything. Personas, messaging, competitive insights - you name it. Cashew helped us focus on what mattered most first. We started with a brand and competitor mapping study, which gave clear direction and kept us from getting lost in noise.
Darren: It also demystified research. We were not just handed a report; we were part of the process. Seeing where our assumptions were holding us back was eye-opening.
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“Cashew made research accessible — like teaching a man to fish.”
Darren Belgrave
VP of Marketing
Helcim on outcomes after external research.
Kaitie: The insights were a revelation. Internal merchants emphasized affordability, but small businesses outside our customer base cared more about ease of use, reliability, and support for growth. Many even said they’d pay a premium as long as it worked. That shifted our thinking.
Darren: We gained clarity on our competitive strengths and gaps. Suddenly, we could make confident decisions about messaging and brand strategy instead of guessing.
Kaitie on validated decisions.
“One line that stood out was, I’ll pay a premium as long as it works. That was eye-opening and showed us affordability alone won’t win.”
Kaitie
Helcim on practical outputs from research.
Kaitie: Four key areas really stand out: Guiding us to the right first step instead of trying to do everything at once. Making research understandable and engaging for our team. Surfacing what non-customers actually think and feel. Showing us where we could win, which messages resonated, and how to confidently launch our first brand campaign.
Darren on Cashew as a partner.
“Cashew didn’t just deliver a report. They guided us to the right questions, helped us focus, and showed us insights we couldn’t see from our internal data alone.”
Darren
Helcim on long-term impact.
Kaitie: The research strengthened alignment across marketing, sales, and leadership. We have a clearer understanding of competitor perception, messaging rooted in reality, and more confidence to make strategic, brand-led decisions.
Darren: It also built internal credibility and momentum for deeper studies. Research is now part of how we grow, not just a one-off exercise.
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Stronger alignment across marketing, sales, and leadership.
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Market truths beyond the existing merchant base.
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Clear understanding of competitive perception and whitespace.
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Messaging rooted in market reality, not assumptions.
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Accessible, collaborative expertise that demystified research.
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Clear next-step priorities across teams.
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