We aim to help marketers offer the best customer experience they can and continue to build their brand equity during this time of crisis.This week's themes are: Increase in worry – Focus on services – Improve in-person customer services
In the last couple of weeks, some clients have reported a reduction in COVID crisis meetings and a focus on the longer-term economic recession. In response to this new phase we are excited to provide an online dashboard so that banks can view the trended data for themselves. The link will give you direct access to the dashboard, no log-ins are required but please use Google Chrome and access via a laptop.
The dashboard is a beta version, so we welcome feedback. One feature to point out is the ability to click on data points to view the underlying comments for the experiences, so if response to advertising is positive, you can click to see what people are saying about it.
Increase in worry
Concern about the coronavirus pandemic ticked up again this week and is at the highest level we have seen since last month. However, on a positive note, 74% of people feel that banks are doing enough to help them.
Focus on services
48% of people reported having a paid media experience this week, which is up from a low of 35% at the end of June. Advertising that is focused on services and help is resonating well. NatWest’s “Financial Health Check” is generating a good response in the current climate and we see sponsorship for the English Cricket Team coming through this week. Not only are people picking up the logo on the cricket shirts and expressing pleasure at the sponsorship, “Nat west sponsor the england cricket team. Very positive as I am a great fan of cricket”, they are noticing advertising during the cricket itself, “Watching the cricket during a break in play. An ad for Nat West, seeing a savings goal, and offering a free financial health check”. This is contributing to NatWest having the highest Engaged Paid Experience Reach this week – a first since the pandemic began. Halifax’s service-oriented advertising and the iconic Lloyds black horse advertising are also performing well.
Improve in-person customer services
Whilst the number of people visiting branches and ATMs is returning to pre-COVID levels, this week we are seeing poor experiences with these channels across brands. People are frustrated that the levels of service are not back to what they expect. “They had a cheap blackboard in the window with CLOSED on it. This was at 3.15 in the afternoon! They are only open 3 days a week and not full banking hours. This is supposed to represent one of the world’s major banks. Pathetic. Very angry. They are using Coronavirus as an excuse not to open as their customers want them to. They are supposed to be there to serve us. Not just please themselves.” Barclays | Branch | Fairly Negative | Much less likely to Choose.
In summary
- Keep advertising focused on services and help
- The return of sports sponsorship is appreciated
- Take care to manage expectations of service through branches and ATMs
Contributor:
Mark Thompson, Experience Director & Kaat Defreyne, Senior Experience Executive