More Branch Touch Points

In the beginning... there were financial institutions. Banks and Credit Unions were among the first adopters of digital signage as a marketing tool. Most would have a screen in a lobby area displaying CNN or C-SPAN with a stock ticker scrolling the bottom to keep patrons up-to-date on the latest financial news. Today, we're seeing a new trend - more digital, less print. Financial institutions have been witness to branch visitors being more engaged by the digital displays and have elected to add more screens in more places while finding the new method to be far more cost efficient.

Financial institutions are choosing to add screens in an effort to 'touch' their visitors in more places around the branch. The branch lobby is no longer the only place you'll find a screen and TV and news might not be the only thing to watch. The strategy behind engaging visitors has expanded to such places as the main entrance, deposit / withdrawal stands, teller lines, drive-thrus, coffee bars, and of course the main lobby. With screens in multiple areas, financial institutions are able to tailor their message for that screen - promoting products, welcoming visitors to the branch, introducing them to the tellers, etc.

The results are in - Banks and Credit Unions see far better recall with digital signs than the comparable print ones. So, with their visitors already receiving their marketing messages via screens, financial institutions are now switching gears. Now, they want to interact with their visitors by adding yet another touch-point in the branch - interactive kiosks. Touch screen kiosks allow the visitors to learn more about products/services they've seen on the digital displays. Many allow visitors to print requested information or possibly talk with a personal banker about the offering. Most importantly, an interactive kiosk is a simple way for a financial institution to gauge the success of the new age, digital banking center.

In addition, financial institutions are finding that digital is far most cost effective. In the past, if the Marketing Department needed to change a rate, they would need to re-print all their marketing materials displaying that rate. Now with a couple clicks, that rate is changed on all of their digital displays. Not only do they save money from printing and shipping, but the time that is saved is a huge factor. Marketing Departments could spend weeks waiting for new print materials while updating a digital sign only takes a few minutes.

So, more digital signs are popping up in the branch, kiosks are being implemented to engage branch visitors physically, and time and money are saved by going digital. What’s next for the financial centers? In my opinion, we will see marketing departments integrating all these systems along with social media to increase on the level of engagement they have with their visitors. Eventually, the branch will not only be a place for transactions and information, but will be a fun place for their customers to visit.