Articles by Ron Shevlin

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What Bank Marketers Should Know About The Fed’s Survey of Consumer Finances

According to a recent Federal Reserve Bulletin: “The Federal Reserve Board’s triennial Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF) collects information about family incomes, net worth, balance sheet components, credit use, and other financial outcomes. The 2013 SCF reveals substantial disparities in the evolution of income and net worth since the previous time the survey was conducted, […]

It’s All About Redefining Data Analytics In Banking

If running an ad hoc report gives you the info you need to make a great decision, taking six months to build a predictive model is not better.

We Heart Banks (What’s Up With The Positive Sentiment?)

Banks are back in the favorability of

Banks’ Digital Marketing Hyperopia

Don’t bother looking it up. Hyperopia is a term that refers to far-sightedness–for the purpose of this blog post, it’s important to know that it’s the opposite of myopia. Myopia being the term used by Kevin Tynan, CMO of Liberty Bank for Savings, in an editorial in American Banker titled Banks Have a Case of […]

The Mobile Moments Of Opportunity (Or Why Mobile Wallets Haven’t Caught On)

The mobile moments of opportunity come from providing capabilities that go beyond simply digitizing the existing set of capabilities.

Rethinking Social Media Marketing

Does Social media marketing have a strong influence on consumers' decisions? Banks must re-think the objectives of social media marketing.

Competing On Performance: Marquis’ Member Value Statements

We need a single score to capture financial health, Marquis' MVS is a great step towards changing how banks approach marketing.

What Are The Major Misunderstandings About Bank Customer Rationality In Marketing?

We throw around terms like logic, emotion, and rational too loosely in marketing. Don't always buy into the conventional wisdom.

The Debanked: An Update On Unbanked Consumers

Unbankedness is not the problem that many people want to make it out to be. It's time to revise our definition of the term unbanked.

PwC Data on Banking in 2020

PwC released an excellent report recently, titled Retail Banking 2020: Evolution or Revolution? Reading through the report triggered some thoughts: PwC: Fewer than 20% of (banking) executives feel well-prepared for the future. My take: The other 80% told the truth. ———– PwC: 70% of global bank executives believe it is very important to consider how […]

The Myopia in the Banking Industry

The path to success in banking isn't about moving money faster. It's about developing products and services to help the next generation.

Why Do Consumers Open Bank Accounts?

Consumers open a bank account because they need/want to. What factors influence that decision, and how do they actually make that decision?

Maybe The Experience Doesn’t Matter (That Much)

If your bank helps consumers make better financial decision, it won't matter how large your institution is, or the location of your branches.

The Questions About Bank Branches That No One Is Answering

What impact do branch openings and closings have on revenue growth and overall bank profitability? Ron Shevlin explores it in this piece.

Are Customer Satisfaction Scores Measuring Satisfaction Or Sentiment?

Every year, ACSI breaks down banking customer satisfaction. However, it appears to reflect customer sentiment more than confidence.

The Power of Brand Management

Does brand management really pay off for banks and credit unions? Or is branding just an empty and abstract concept propagated by consultants?

‘Does Social Media Work?’ Is A Dumb Question

Social media is critical. Anyone who says otherwise is kidding themselves. It's a way to get banking products right in front of customers.

5 Traits Of High-Performing Financial Marketers

High performing banks and credit unions grow checking accounts seven times faster and loans four times faster than everyone else.

Should Financial Marketers Measure Net Promoter Scores?

Marketers like the simplicity of net promoter scores. But do these numbers correlate with business performance orr are there other metrics?

The Empty Promise Of Big Data

An analytics expert outlines why financial marketers should dodge the “big data” trap and dump the term completely. A good discussion ensues.

Are There A Billion Mobile Bankers In Banking?

Someone recently forecast that, by 2017, there will be one billion mobile banking consumers across the globe. Having forecast mobile banking consumers myself (just US, not globally), I’m interested in these projections as a sanity check against my own numbers. Here’s my quick and dirty analysis to see if the 1 billion number is reasonable. […]

Bank Branch Bulking Is The Key For Banks With Shrinking Networks

While I'm not a big fan of banks investing big dollars in branches, the proclamations of the death of bank branches are misguided.