Banking Transformed with Jim Marous

The battle to become the primary financial relationship for consumers continues to intensify, with the lines blurring between traditional banks, digital banks, robo-advisors and tech firms offering financial services. With the COVID-19 crisis driving consumers to digital banking options, the desire for new ways to bank became a necessity. Consumers are finding alternatives to the bank that has dozens or hundreds of branches. From low cost options designed to replace check cashing facilities to more sophisticated alternatives that are focused on investment accumulation, the marketplace is crowded. We are fortunate to have Andy Rachleff, co-founder and executive chairman of Wealthfront on the show today. Along with Dan Carroll, Andy has built Wealthfront into one of the premier financial services organizations, expanding from a foundation of digital wealth management to providing high interest digital savings and a new checking option.

The Digital Banking Report has just completed research on the impact of the pandemic on financial marketing. We found that changes in almost every area of financial marketing were more dramatic than in any of the previous 7 years. This is primarily because consumer adoption of digital alternatives advanced a decade in a matter of weeks.We found major changes in marketing spend, solution prioritization, use of data and technology, and even marketing talent deployment that will unlikely revert to pre-pandemic norms. Some of these changes represent accelerations of previous trends, while some are new trends altogether. It is yet to be seen the duration of these changes, but each deserves a careful review.To discuss the findings of our State of Financial Marketing report, we are joined by Barry McCarthy, president and CEO of Deluxe Corporation, the sponsor of the report. In this episode, we discuss this year’s findings and the ramifications for financial institutions in the future.

While COVID-19 forced people into a digital-only lifestyle, there was still a desire for humanized experiences. Some banks and credit unions were prepared to deliver these personalized digital engagements, while others fell short of expectations at the worst possible time.More than ever, consumers are looking for assurance and comfort regarding their finances and want their financial institution to know them, understand them and reward them. They are also highly sensitive to efforts that feel self-serving or inauthentic.To understand how consumer expectations have been transformed during the pandemic, we are joined by Beth Johnson, chief experience officer at Citizens Bank. In the episode, we discuss the findings of the bank’s inaugural Banking Experience Survey, which looks at the ways consumer expectations have changed and what financial institutions must do in the short and long term to succeed.

In a world impacted by COVID-19, brand recognition and authenticity have never been more important, while the reach of traditional marketing channels continue to erode. This is where influencer marketing can help.With social media becoming more entrenched in people's daily lives, the use of influencer marketing continues to skyrocket. Beyond celebrities, a new breed of niche influencer can provide financial institutions access to a huge following of potential prospects not available with other promotional methods.To understand the potential of influencer marketing on building brand recognition and value, we are joined by Elma Beganovich, one of the co-founding sisters of New York-based A&E, a digital agency with a powerful portfolio of Fortune 500 companies including Netflix, Wells Fargo, Procter & Gamble, and Johnson & Johnson.In the episode, we discuss how financial institutions of all sizes can benefit from influencer marketing and how to implement a stronger social strategy.

The COVID-19 crisis has put a spotlight on the outdated tech infrastructures of many traditional financial services companies. As cloud computing has matured, banks and credit unions have hesitated to embrace the technology, worried about security, unsure of the benefits and unwilling to hand over control of their data.The pandemic is expected to accelerate a shift to the cloud, not only because many of the concerns have been addressed, but also because fintech and bigtech organizations are built around modern technologies that provide them a competitive advantage.To understand the potential of cloud technology and the options available to financial services firms of all sizes, we are joined by Tom Eck, global chief technology officer at IBM and Spiros Margaris, Venture Capitalist and Founder of margaris ventures. In this episode, they discuss how cloud computing fits into the entire digital transformation journey and why cloud computing is more than just a new technology.For more information, please visit: https://ibm.co/32YLeSg

With an immediate shift to a work-at-home reality and increased use of digital channels, organizations need to think beyond immediate operational challenges, anticipating consumer’s need for increased emotional engagements, improved personalization and a new focus on experiences beyond daily transactions.Not to be forgotten is the need to invest in best-in-class digital capabilities and functionality, as consumers are becoming increasingly intolerant of poor digital performance.To understand the COVID impact on customer experience, we are joined by Harley Manning, vice president and research director for Forrester’s customer experience practice. Pam Piligian, SVP of marketing and communications from Navy Federal Credit Union also joins us.In the episode, we discuss how the pandemic has changed CX in banking and how Navy Federal Credit Union continues to deliver industry leading customer experiences.

Most traditional banks were unprepared for the flight to digital that occurred due to COVID-19. Mobile-only challenger bank Current has seen customer growth skyrocket during the pandemic, appealing to lower-wage earners who don’t want to worry about minimum balances or overdraft fees.Serving over 1 million active users and projected to double in size by the end of the year, Current serves a sweet spot of workers who live paycheck to paycheck and previously frequented very expensive check cashing facilities or risked paying penalty fees at traditional banks.We caught up with Stuart Sopp, founder and CEO of Current, and previous Wall Street trader, to discuss the strategy of lowering the barriers for financial inclusion to a growing demographic of younger, lower paid consumers who want hassle-free basic banking services. In the episode, Stuart discusses how the pandemic served as a launch pad for the challenger bank and how to differentiate a challenger bank in a crowded marketplace.

At no time has the importance of innovation and the deployment of advanced technologies in banking been more evident than today. With more consumers embracing digital banking, banks are being challenged to replicate the level of engagement of bigtech and new tech organizations such as Amazon, Google, Netflix, Zoom and Alibaba.One of the perennial global leaders in technological innovation for banking is CaixaBank, Spain's leading digital financial services provider. As a pioneer in digital transformation, the application of artificial intelligence, innovative product design, and hybrid cloud utilization, CaixaBank continues to be at the forefront of what banking can become.We are joined today by Benjami Puigdevall, long time veteran at CaixaBank and current CEO of imagin, a digital lifestyle platform created and supported by CaixaBank. On today’s episode, Benjami discusses digital transformation at CaixaBank, the importance of an innovation culture and the development of imagin.

COVID-19 has had an immediate impact on loyalty and reward programs due to the unprecedented period of low travel and entertainment. As people stopped flying, staying in hotels, and eating out, loyalty programs had to respond quickly.Organizations that can identify, communicate, and act upon a brand purpose that overlaps with the values of the consumer will be better positioned to thrive as we enter a new normal. In other words, loyalty that focuses much more closely on consumer preferences rather than merely shelling out points will win in the long run.We are joined today by Mary Hines, chief marketing officer for the US Consumer Bank at Citi. On today's episode, Mary discusses the importance of turning loyalty program interactions from something that is occasional to something habitual.

Many fintech firms struggle to gain scale, funding and brand recognition in an increasingly crowded banking ecosystem. Leveraging the power of digital technology and over a century’s worth of brand expertise, Goldman Sachs introduced its consumer banking platform, Marcus in 2016.   Through acquisitions, partnerships with firms like Apple and Amazon, and significant organic growth, Marcus has grown into a multiproduct platform, with $80 billion in deposits across the US and UK, $7 billion in consumer loan and card balances and millions of customers — all without the traditional brick-and-mortar branch model.   We are joined today by Dustin Cohn, Head of Brand and Marketing over Consumer and Investment Management for Goldman Sachs and the Marcus brand. On today’s episode, Dustin discusses the building of a new digital banking brand within a legacy financial firm and the mission of creating a unique customer experience.