Banking

It seems that community banks are under siege. From new and more stringent regulations to the presence of fintech startups to widening demographics that demand more personalization than ever before, it’s gotten harder and harder to stay relevant and compete. Innovation has to take into account the hard trends shaping our marketplace and set aside the space to anticipate and build foresight.  

You have gotten your degree and settled in your career, now what? For many young adults, starting a family could be on the top of their priority list. So it’s pretty safe to assume that finding a house is on the list as well. As is the case with the job market and economy as a whole, Millennials are the largest – and potentially the most lucrative – segment in the housing market. In fact, this group has a collective spending power that exceeds a trillion dollars.[1]

Not unlike retailers, banks are challenged to provide a quality, consistent customer experience in their locations and online. Analysts have said that we’re in the Age of the Consumer, and that is apparent – people want to feel like their bank knows them, understands what they want and need, and helps to fulfill those wants and needs from any channel they choose. They want personalization, both with regard to the relationship they have with their bank, and in the product/service mix they are offered.

My HORNE Cyber Solutions colleagues and I just spent two wonderful days at the annual Alabama Banker’s Association (ABA) Bank Operations and Management Summit. Talks and discussions during the event centered on three overlying themes. We have discussed some of them previously in this blog, and all are pertinent to your banking organization.  

The competitive spirit is a driving force that pushes each of us to reach unimaginable heights. It’s also what makes sports stories so endearing – particularly those where an underdog overcomes great obstacles to win.  I particularly like this quote from Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) in the movie Rocky: 

By 2020, Millennials will account for $1.4 trillion in spending. That’s a massive increase from annual current levels of about $600 billion. Already, this generation is 80 million members strong, and their measurable impact is growing exponentially as they age into adulthood.[1] This demographic thinks differently about money and banks than their predecessors. They are financially informed, and prioritize quick, convenient and mobile banking solutions.

How’s this for a statistical wake up call? By 2020, it is estimated that one in three Americans will be labeled a Millennial – and by 2025, 75% of our workforce will be composed of Millennials. They may take a bad rap, but there’s no doubting it – Millennials are the future leaders of American business. It’s probably why there is so much discussion around how to attract and retain this large, active demographic as a customer base.

I have fond memories of working as a bank teller in a small town during my college years, serving customers and hearing their stories. I’ll never forget my first Friday. It seemed like I’d cashed a thousand checks and it’s a miracle I balanced my drawer. But nothing was more satisfying than handing a smiling worker the cash they’d earned over a long, hard week.

Once considered a service exclusive to large banks, wealth management has become a growing source of non-interest income for community banks.

Last weekend, my wife, teenage daughters, and I took part in Toyota TeenDrive 365. Toyota offers this interactive defensive driving education program with a stated goal of creating the next generation of safe drivers. 

Jeff Bezos launched Amazon.com on July 16, 1995 with a vision of a virtual bookstore powered by (relatively uncharted) e-commerce technology. He built a strategy, took a chance, and within a few short months, Amazon had sold books in 45 different countries. Sales hit $20,000 a week – astounding for a start-up in any industry.

Berkeley, California in the 1960s was a radical place. The vibrant, politically active culture would inspire future generations to challenge the status quo and stand up for their beliefs. It was during this charged, forward thinking era that a Dutchman named Alfred Peet opened a small store in Berkeley selling coffee beans.