Theme: Customer Engagement is More than a Transaction
ROCHESTER, N.H. (June 30, 2006) — 50 executives from three dozen financial institutions gathered at the recent BrandPartners Symposium to explore trends in retail communications: what’s in and, more importantly, what’s next in retail communications for financial service organizations. This fifth annual Symposium, held at the Wentworth by the Sea Hotel in New Castle, N.H., focused on how customer engagement tactics are changing retail delivery and creating new banking experiences for consumers.
“The financial service industry is changing rapidly and seeking ways to forge deeper connections with clients at retail,” said Geoff Walters, Executive Vice President and Managing Director of Retail Markets for BrandPartners. “This annual gathering allows financial executives to tap into the latest retail trends from leading experts and exchange ideas with peers.”
John Mathes, Vice President and Director of Brand Strategy at BrandPartners; Bradley Walker, founder and CEO of Nanonation, whose software platform integrates digital media content and monitors, measures, and manages each customer interaction; and Jason M. Dias, nationally recognized speaker and consultant on Generational Marketing and Management, led symposium attendees on an exploration of customer experience for customer retention.
“Today’s battleground for wallet share takes place at retail,” said Mathes, adding that most banks don’t have a retail floor strategy. “Engagement happens inside your customer; not inside the advertising medium. If you can engage your customer, you’re on the way to a relationship; not just a transaction.” Mathes guides clients in translating brands into retail selling spaces. He joined BrandPartners five years ago, after 20 years of experience in retail advertising agencies.
In the keynote address, “Driving Sales Through Customer Experience Technologies,” Walker explored ways to power customer connections through digital merchandising and seamlessly integrate digital media content, technology and measurement into each customer interaction. He presented a 360° Integration Strategy leveraging digital media in delivering effective self-service initiatives and provided insights into Nanonation retail clients’ customer experience management (CEM) successes.
In a provocative presentation of demographic shifts, Jason Dias advised financial services executives to “protect your best customers and best employees — the ones your competition is eyeing right now.” He offered insights on how bankers can, and must, engage their most senior customers and the baby-boomer generation as the largest transfer of wealth in history takes place. “Take care of your oldest to youngest customers and teach your employees to be engaged with each of these generations,” he urged.
Participants, who represented financial services organizations ranging from successful community banks and credit unions to large regional and national banking institutions, also attended workshops on audio branding, digital marketing, and layered environmental communications at the historic Mill Headquarters of BrandPartners.
About BrandPartners
BrandPartners provides an integrated approach to customer environments through brand translation, integrated business strategies, design-build services, retail display and in-branch communications products and services, from concept and design through implementation and training. The company serves domestic and international markets from its Rochester, N.H. home office, New York design studio, and several regional U.S. offices. BrandPartners installations are in more than 1,800 companies at more than 28,000 retail locations worldwide.
