This is the sign outside of the bank today. Have they done this to …
1. Prove they are nice guys really.
2. Fool kids into thinking Santa banks with them so they will come in and open a savings account.
3. Demonstrate they truly have ‘lost it’ – as best exemplified by the stupid keyring security they introduced, which I still hate and you can read about here.
If any other organisation did this, you’d think it was cute – however because a bank has done it, you think they’re being manipulative, corporate sharks.
Why don’t they understand that in the main, people don’t like banks … don’t trust banks … don’t respect banks …
A few of them are starting to get it – with the latest being WESTPAC in Australia who have done a wonderful campaign [with a real, differentiated idea] thanks to the brilliance of the nicest, smartest and greatest planner ever – Mark Sareff of the Campaign Palace … but in the main, they are as blinkered to the needs and wants of consumers as they’ve ever been – probably because everyday consumers don’t make them as much money as the needs and wants of the Investment Bankers.
Banking needs a reality check … and they would do well to start by reading ‘Banks Behaving Badly by Maria Preudergast – afterall, it helped us win Egg in America [that and the involvement of the greatest business cynic of them all, Geoff Burch]