Comments on: Make Banking Sexy http://marketingteaparty.com/2009/12/22/make-banking-sexy/ Leading the revolt against bad marketing advice and half-baked ideas. A blog by Ron Shevlin Wed, 08 Sep 2010 05:26:48 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: CU Water Cooler » Blog Archive » CU Water Cooler – 12/23 http://marketingteaparty.com/2009/12/22/make-banking-sexy/#comment-538 CU Water Cooler » Blog Archive » CU Water Cooler – 12/23 Wed, 23 Dec 2009 12:42:43 +0000 http://marketingteaparty.com/?p=1077#comment-538 [...] • Make Banking Sexy « Marketing Tea Party by Ron Shevlin [...] [...] • Make Banking Sexy « Marketing Tea Party by Ron Shevlin [...]

]]> By: Jeffry Pilcher http://marketingteaparty.com/2009/12/22/make-banking-sexy/#comment-537 Jeffry Pilcher Wed, 23 Dec 2009 02:17:36 +0000 http://marketingteaparty.com/?p=1077#comment-537 You're right Ron. Banking could be more sexy. Heck, I think most people would settle for "less boring." If the folks at Charmin can do it with toilet paper, marketers can do it with banks too. Can a courageous competitor choose a risqué direction with sex appeal (i.e., fistfuls of flesh)? Sure. Do I expect to see any financial marketer hitch their wagon to T&A? Not likely. Banking seems like it's more ready for some metaphorical Viagra than a full-blown sexual revolution. (Richard Branson's Virgin banking not withstanding.) You’re right Ron. Banking could be more sexy. Heck, I think most people would settle for “less boring.” If the folks at Charmin can do it with toilet paper, marketers can do it with banks too. Can a courageous competitor choose a risqué direction with sex appeal (i.e., fistfuls of flesh)? Sure. Do I expect to see any financial marketer hitch their wagon to T&A? Not likely. Banking seems like it’s more ready for some metaphorical Viagra than a full-blown sexual revolution. (Richard Branson’s Virgin banking not withstanding.)

]]> By: Ron Shevlin http://marketingteaparty.com/2009/12/22/make-banking-sexy/#comment-536 Ron Shevlin Tue, 22 Dec 2009 22:23:12 +0000 http://marketingteaparty.com/?p=1077#comment-536 Sigh. I don't get it. I write about sex, and you guys want to talk about branch design. Sigh. I don’t get it. I write about sex, and you guys want to talk about branch design.

]]> By: Robbie Wright http://marketingteaparty.com/2009/12/22/make-banking-sexy/#comment-535 Robbie Wright Tue, 22 Dec 2009 21:00:07 +0000 http://marketingteaparty.com/?p=1077#comment-535 I've never got the whole "let's make a branch where people want to hangout" thing either. People don't want to hang out at a branch or the grocery store because it is chore. An errand. A pain in the a$$. Rather than dropping $3 Mil on some new, kick ass branch, spend $3 Mil on your IT systems, core processing, and debit cards to make sure that you can create they most stable, efficient, and least painful process as possible. I’ve never got the whole “let’s make a branch where people want to hangout” thing either. People don’t want to hang out at a branch or the grocery store because it is chore. An errand. A pain in the a$$. Rather than dropping $3 Mil on some new, kick ass branch, spend $3 Mil on your IT systems, core processing, and debit cards to make sure that you can create they most stable, efficient, and least painful process as possible.

]]> By: Ron Shevlin http://marketingteaparty.com/2009/12/22/make-banking-sexy/#comment-534 Ron Shevlin Tue, 22 Dec 2009 20:05:30 +0000 http://marketingteaparty.com/?p=1077#comment-534 @JP: I'm not confusing "warm and welcome" w/ sexy. I only raised the point about the branches to demonstrate the focus (obsession) many bankers have w/ creating a retail-like branch (or store) experience. My (tongue-in-cheek) point was that if banks truly want to follow the retail playbook, they have to play by the complete book. Which for some retailers, involves selling sex. @benry: You're absolutely right, I DO need to visit a NSCU branch in Vancouver. Who do I bill the travel to? @JP: I’m not confusing “warm and welcome” w/ sexy. I only raised the point about the branches to demonstrate the focus (obsession) many bankers have w/ creating a retail-like branch (or store) experience.

My (tongue-in-cheek) point was that if banks truly want to follow the retail playbook, they have to play by the complete book. Which for some retailers, involves selling sex.

@benry: You’re absolutely right, I DO need to visit a NSCU branch in Vancouver. Who do I bill the travel to?

]]> By: Jeffry Pilcher http://marketingteaparty.com/2009/12/22/make-banking-sexy/#comment-533 Jeffry Pilcher Tue, 22 Dec 2009 19:19:58 +0000 http://marketingteaparty.com/?p=1077#comment-533 Forgot the link to the now-demised UNCB "Gold Café": http://thefinancialbrand.com/2008/12/18/uncb-gold-cafes-are-gone/ Forgot the link to the now-demised UNCB “Gold Café”:
http://thefinancialbrand.com/2008/12/18/uncb-gold-cafes-are-gone/

]]> By: Jeffry Pilcher http://marketingteaparty.com/2009/12/22/make-banking-sexy/#comment-532 Jeffry Pilcher Tue, 22 Dec 2009 19:18:56 +0000 http://marketingteaparty.com/?p=1077#comment-532 I think you have "sexy" confused with "warm and welcoming." There's nothing sexy -- nor particularly retail -- about having stuffed chairs, WiFi and coffee. I've helped design hundreds of branch experiences (including the upscale North Shore branch model mentioned above), and never once do I recall anyone considering chairs+coffee+WiFi to be either "sexy" or "retail." You may have an issue with the idea that people will "hang out" at the bank, a notion I choke on myself. This (flawed?) strategy is probably behind the demise of the Gold Coast café branch concept: If you want to see retail branches -- real retail branches, not just chairs and coffee -- look at these: http://thefinancialbrand.com/2008/11/05/deutsche-bank-branch/ http://thefinancialbrand.com/2008/10/28/jyske-bank-branch/ If you want to see sexy branches -- a real sexy branch, not just chairs and coffee -- look at these: http://thefinancialbrand.com/2008/10/15/chebanca-branch/ http://thefinancialbrand.com/2009/01/08/barclays-bank-of-the-future/ I think you have “sexy” confused with “warm and welcoming.” There’s nothing sexy — nor particularly retail — about having stuffed chairs, WiFi and coffee.

I’ve helped design hundreds of branch experiences (including the upscale North Shore branch model mentioned above), and never once do I recall anyone considering chairs+coffee+WiFi to be either “sexy” or “retail.”

You may have an issue with the idea that people will “hang out” at the bank, a notion I choke on myself. This (flawed?) strategy is probably behind the demise of the Gold Coast café branch concept:

If you want to see retail branches — real retail branches, not just chairs and coffee — look at these:
http://thefinancialbrand.com/2008/11/05/deutsche-bank-branch/
http://thefinancialbrand.com/2008/10/28/jyske-bank-branch/

If you want to see sexy branches — a real sexy branch, not just chairs and coffee — look at these:
http://thefinancialbrand.com/2008/10/15/chebanca-branch/
http://thefinancialbrand.com/2009/01/08/barclays-bank-of-the-future/

]]> By: Tweets that mention Make Banking Sexy « Marketing Tea Party by Ron Shevlin -- Topsy.com http://marketingteaparty.com/2009/12/22/make-banking-sexy/#comment-531 Tweets that mention Make Banking Sexy « Marketing Tea Party by Ron Shevlin -- Topsy.com Tue, 22 Dec 2009 17:54:58 +0000 http://marketingteaparty.com/?p=1077#comment-531 [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by rshevlin, Amy. Amy said: RT @rshevlin: New blog post: Make Banking Sexy http://bit.ly/8xK0sv [...] [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by rshevlin, Amy. Amy said: RT @rshevlin: New blog post: Make Banking Sexy http://bit.ly/8xK0sv [...]

]]> By: benry http://marketingteaparty.com/2009/12/22/make-banking-sexy/#comment-530 benry Tue, 22 Dec 2009 17:07:21 +0000 http://marketingteaparty.com/?p=1077#comment-530 Ron, it sounds like you need to visit a North Shore Credit Union (www.nscu.com) branch. You can hang out, sit in comfy chairs, drink coffee, and get Wi-Fi access. We started building these when I worked there and they just rolled out a similar design for their new Whistler branch. Details: http://www.webermarketing.com/showcase_northshore_merch.html Ron, it sounds like you need to visit a North Shore Credit Union (www.nscu.com) branch. You can hang out, sit in comfy chairs, drink coffee, and get Wi-Fi access. We started building these when I worked there and they just rolled out a similar design for their new Whistler branch. Details: http://www.webermarketing.com/showcase_northshore_merch.html

]]> By: Credit Union Warrior http://marketingteaparty.com/2009/12/22/make-banking-sexy/#comment-529 Credit Union Warrior Tue, 22 Dec 2009 14:59:33 +0000 http://marketingteaparty.com/?p=1077#comment-529 Leather chairs, fully stocked humidors, and stripper poles would be excellent additions to some bank lobbies--especially the "too big to fail" ones that have used and abused customers and taxpayers over the years. Heck, maybe they could increase non-interest income with cover charges, alcohol sales, and the house take from dancer tips. Leather chairs, fully stocked humidors, and stripper poles would be excellent additions to some bank lobbies–especially the “too big to fail” ones that have used and abused customers and taxpayers over the years. Heck, maybe they could increase non-interest income with cover charges, alcohol sales, and the house take from dancer tips.

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