LendingTree Spring Helping LendingTree build relationships beyond the loan
Overview
LendingTree had transformed how people shop for loans. But with more than 20 million registered members who had little reason to return after a transaction, the company saw an opportunity to build relationships that lasted beyond lending.
Working with Lippincott, LendingTree developed Spring—a personalized financial health experience designed to help members improve their credit and make more confident financial decisions.
I contributed to the content strategy, helping shape a system that could deliver relevant guidance to members throughout their financial journeys.
The challenge
LendingTree’s business was built around transactions, not ongoing relationships. Once members secured a loan, they had little reason to stay engaged.
The challenge was to transform a one-time interaction into a lasting relationship—giving people a reason to return, engage, and trust LendingTree with more of their financial lives.
The approach
Reimagining the customer relationship
Lippincott’s Jobs-to-Be-Done research revealed an important insight: people didn’t want a traditional financial advisor. They wanted a supportive ally who could help them make their own decisions.
That insight informed nine product propositions, ultimately refined into a new vision for Spring: an accessible, personalized partner in financial health.
Making content the engine of personalization
Rather than treating content as static information, we designed a flexible system of recommendation cards that could adapt to individual members.
We defined seven content types—from quick, digestible prompts to deeper educational insights—creating a framework for communicating with the right person at the right moment.
Designing for an ongoing relationship
The recommendation system was designed to learn from member behavior and surface timely, relevant guidance as financial needs evolved.
This turned content into an integral part of the product experience: helping members take meaningful steps toward better financial health while creating new opportunities for sustained engagement.
