I Can’t Wait to Go to Eastern Bank and Party with My Racially Diverse But Uniformly Attractive Group of Friends!
Here is a short rant for a rainy Wednesday morning:
What’s up with all the banks trying to be my friend or show me that their bank is the “fun” bank? Who green-lighted this advertising direction? Because they’re all doing it, and it makes absolutely no sense to me. In fact, it seems like being buds with your bank would adversely affect the relationship.
Let’s take a look at how this might play out:
SCENE: Me and my bank are knocking back a few shots of tequila between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Me (drunk and slurring): “I love you, Bank. You’re, like, my best friend, ever! You and me, we look out for each other. Like this month, when I default on my loan? I know you’re going to be totally cool with that ’cause you really care about me.”
Bank (suddenly sober): “Hit the curb, lady, and gimme back that free tote bag!”
So banks (and the geniuses behind their campaigns), listen up:
I don’t want to party with you. All I want from you is a good interest rate and responsible money management. Sure, throw in a lollipop with my roll of quarters when I go through the drive-thru with my son, but if you start inviting me in for a cold one, my money’s going under my mattress.
Darn, you were faster on the draw (pen?) with this topic. I’ve been watching a number of different service providers become The Fun Bunch.
“Hey, maybe we’ll be so cute and funny our marketing campaign will go viral!” And, you know you can’t go straight there. “So, let’s get friendly first. People will think of us as The Friendly Bank. Friendly banks have lots of followers on Facebook.” …and, well, you get the picture.
With social media marketing programs becoming de rigueur across the B2B
world, everyone wants to add humor and a personal touch to their
programs.
It’s so true. Everyone is trying to be fun and fun certainly has it’s place, but not at the exclusion of the real selling points. Like, isn’t there a way to be entertaining while still giving me the confidence that you are going to manage my money. Not, you know, manage to make sure my bank-branded coffee mug (or martini glass) is full?
Your ‘short rants’ are increasingly simplistic and off target. Banks, like every business, want to show community involvement. You don’t have to believe that, and you can keep your money under your mattress, but step back from your rant and look at the world from a more realistic lens.
Oh, Pete. I actually think this post brings home a very real problem in advertising. Everyone is doing the same thing and it’s not working. We don’t choose our bank because they are fun or friendly, we choose our bank because we trust them. We believe that they are going to do a good job managing our money. I just think this recent trend of being “the fun bank” isn’t working. So yes, I was making a joke of it, but it really does bother me since it just seems to off the mark.
Perhaps banks should follow the advice you rhapsodized about when you visited the Diesel Cafe when they resorted to print 8.5 sheets to post on their front door. Your jokes fall hollow. Your insights are insipid.