The pandemic will accelerate branch trends, from mergers to technology applications to right-sizing. Between limited staff resources and a short time-line, FI’s consulting partners will become the front line of successful change.
As the winter reluctantly releases its hold on most of the US, the sales season is off to a fast
Customer experience will be one of the most powerful differentiators for banks moving forward. In 2020, signs suggest that banks will be pushing for a more personalized experience, increasing the number of bank-consumer interactions that feel like one-on-one encounters. That includes an expanded array of “moments of truth”—brief but important moments of connection to help customers manage their financial journey. In some cases, this will mean bringing humans back into processes that have been automated in the past, to make sure customers still get the human touch where it matters. Above all, the future of banking will be about building consumer trust and sustaining a brand image that reinforces that trust.
alked with more than a few leaders who feel like trade shows are a catch-22. Attending and exhibiting is expensive, and the ROI doesn’t always seem to balance that. At the same time, the FOMO is real. Being absent from a big industry show seems like a risk that’s not worth taking.
How do you escape this catch-22? You need a strategy. Specifically, you need a strategy to make the trade show pay off. It’s easier said than done.
I’ve thought a lot about trade show strategy, and from my perspective, it comes down to how well you execute your booth design. That’s because you could have the best PR team in the world hyping up your booth and driving foot traffic toward it, but your PR team can’t help you if people aren’t drawn to what they see when they get there. Your product is crucial, of course—however, as Peter Thiel observes, the idea that “a great product will sell itself” is a harmful myth. You have a great product, but you need great packaging and presentation, too.
That’s where your booth comes into play—and becomes the star. Your booth is an opportunity to create an immersive 3D experience of your brand. Product demos are wonderful, but it’s even better when people can experience your product surrounded by your brand’s story, vision, and style, while at the same time, engaging with your salespeople.
A really excellent booth makes your brand into a place where people want to spend their time. This amplifies any positive emotions they’re feeling, so they associate those strong, positive feelings with your product.
The only way to accomplish this reliably is to go big.
By “go big,” I mean to make use of exhibits that are 30×30, 40×40 or larger. Assets should be coordinated, so they play off each other and saturate the visitor’s field of view with a stunning, creative concept. This is how you engage customers effectively. It’s also how you can entice the fly-by journalists looking for eye candy to post on their distribution channels (I call that “free promotion”).
Okay, you might be thinking, but what if I don’t have the resources to reserve a big booth?
In my experience, it’s a fatal mistake to outfit a small booth with small assets. Big imagery takes up more space in front of people’s eyes, and it makes your booth harder to forget. So, I argue that for smaller booths, going big is even more important. That’s how you can position yourself to deliver an immersive experience at a trade show.
Surviving in today’s competitive financial services world means effectively engaging your customer and, as was evident at the recent New
Will bank branches continue to exist in the future? “The answer is a very resounding YES,” says Chase Bank’s Co-President Gordon Smith. In fact, the country’s largest bank is making strides to expand Chase Retail on a national scale, intending to open more than 400 branches this year. To kick off the cascade, Chase recently unveiled its new flagship location on NYC’s Madison Avenue, triple the size of the average American bank branch. The opulent yet sleek new branch features a high-tech take on a rotunda and infrastructure for community financial education sessions called “Chase Chats.”
With the turning of the leaves here in the Northeast comes the refocusing of marketing efforts, with the realization by
Boston, MA Image 4’s Vice President of Operations Elizabeth Hummel has been elected President of the New England Financial Marketing
Tradeshow season is in full swing, and Image 4 is in the thick of it, both as a support partner