Competitive Compass

Turning Data Into Relationships

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  • 2025 Omnichannel Marketing Trends
  • Q4 2024: New Product Innovations
  • Financial Services Weekly Digest
  • Lightbulb Moments: BofA Alaska Premium Credit Card


    • As I send my last newsletter for 2024, I saved one of my favorite reports for this edition: Nicole Bond and Kaitlin Ceckowski's 2025 Omnichannel Marketing Trends


    If you would like to have Nicole and Kaitlin join your first 2025 off-site or team meeting, please let me know, and we can work to get something on the calendar.

    The report is amazing, but the presentation is a must-see.

    1. “It’s a Fem-nomenon” — Tapping into Female-Led Influence
    Insight: The female-driven zeitgeist, influenced by cultural movements, fandoms, and economic power, is reshaping modern consumer behavior.

    • 45% of US women expect their financial situation to improve. This reflects growing confidence and economic influence.
    • Emerging fandoms like #BookTok (38.6M+ posts) create massive community-driven purchasing power.
    • My Takeaway: For financial institutions, there’s an opportunity to align with female-centric cultural conversations, particularly in areas like:
    • Empowerment Messaging: Financial tools to grow wealth, educational content on savings, or investing for female consumers.
    • Strategic Partnerships: Collaboration with women-led initiatives or influencers to build trust authentically.


      • 2. “Why So Serious?” — Consumer Fatigue Demands Lighthearted Marketing

      • Insight: Consumers are burnt out by “The Great Exhaustion” and crave marketing that is less formal, more playful, and entertaining.
      • 71% of US adults report feeling the day-to-day impact of inflation​.
      • 64% do not prefer “informative” digital ads anymore — instead, they seek curiosity-driven, entertaining content​.
      • My Takeaway: Banks often use overly formal, serious messaging. Breakthrough strategies include:
      • Human-Centric Content: Lighthearted campaigns that focus on easing financial stress or “fun” relatable savings challenges.
      • Unconventional Engagement: Absurdist or unexpected content (like Duolingo’s playful tone) resonates strongly across digital platforms​.

        • 3. Personalization Renaissance — From Data to Real-Time Personalization

        • Insight: Consumers demand tailored, real-time experiences. Advances in AI and first-party data unlock new opportunities for relevance.
        • 62% of adults are loyal to brands providing personalized offerings.
        • 94% of business leaders feel they’re not maximizing their data’s potential.
        • My Takeaway:
        • Banking-Specific Personalization: Offer hyper-relevant financial products (credit cards, loans, savings plans) at the right moment using AI-driven tools.
        • Data-Driven Loyalty: Use insights from customer behavior (spending patterns, life milestones) to deliver offers that feel “heard and understood.”

          • 4. Entertaining Content is Critical Across Digital Channels

          • Insight: Digital advertising fatigue demands creativity to stand out.
          • 74% of consumers feel they see the same digital ads repeatedly.
          • My Takeaway: A big bank’s CMO should rethink ad strategies:
          • Lean into short-form video or memes to communicate complex products (like mortgage offers) in a more engaging way.
          • Build content that feels native to platforms like TikTok and YouTube.
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            Competitive CompassBy Anuj Shahani
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