Build a Bank Brand Worth Fighting For

Fintech disruptors like Chime, Revolut, Venmo and the Cash App have shaken up the banking world by positioning themselves against traditional banking's pain points, yet most established banks continue to compete on incremental improvements rather than bold differentiation.

Consumers are drowning in nearly indistinguishable offers, a reality my guest on Banking Transformed, Laura Ries, calls out in her newest book, "The Strategic Enemy: How to Build and Position a Brand Worth Fighting For". Her antidote is intentionally counterintuitive: stop trying to be “better,” and instead become unmistakably different by defining, and then defeating, a single, visible foe.

Ries argues that when brands rally around an “enemy,” and reinforce the fight with a memorable “visual hammer,” they earn a permanent slot in the customer’s mind.

Our conversation explores how enemy-based positioning and vivid visual symbols can help banks escape commoditization, revitalize trust, and signal a bolder future.