Competition winner:
Hello bank! The Birth of a Mobile Bank
| The case |
Who – the protagonists
Gunter Uytterhoeven, Marketing Director at BNP Paribas Fortis, Tom Kestens, Head of Hello bank! Belgium, and Joris Vanvolsem, Program Manager at BNP Paribas Fortis. All eager to turn Hello bank! into the uncontested leader in mobile banking.
WhatHello bank! describes its approach to banking in four words: simple, smart, human and safe. It is part of BNP Paribas Group, a European leader in banking, but with strikingly different branding. It was launched as the first 100% digital mobile bank in Europe, offering a fast, easy, always-available mobile and internet banking service. Why
Hello bank! was the first bank of its type to launch on the market, offering a radically different approach: a 100% mobile bank, not simply a mobile app. The thinking behind the initiative was to acquire new customers within a specific target segment while preserving the key relationship between the customer and their banker. The company was determined to ‘plant a flag’ and be on top of the mobile banking market within three years after launch. The Hello bank! team knew they would need to be constantly revising their approach to accommodate a rapidly changing environment and stay ahead of the competition. WhenFrançois Villeroy de Galhau, Chief Operating Officer of the, BNP Paribas Group, inaugurated the launch of Hello bank!, the newest retail bank in Europe, on 16 May 2013, saying: ‘Hello bank! offers a fresh approach to banking aimed at all those who are living the mobile experience.’ WhereThe bank operates in Belgium, Germany, France and Italy. Key quote‘You don’t want to teach young people old ways, like Internet banking.’ – Gunter Uytterhoeven What next?Uytterhoeven, Kestens and Vanvolsem agree that Hello bank! is primed to build its success in the next three years. But how can they maintain the momentum and bring a new generation of mobile customers on board? How can they solidify the position of Hello bank!? Is it possible to build strong customer relationships in a mobile environment? And what about key issues such as safeguarding customers’ privacy and security while at the same time staying one step ahead of technological developments? |
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Hello bank! The Birth of a Mobile Bank |
| The authors |
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Steve Muylle and Stijn Viaene
This case is about an established company launching a very new company to address drastic changes in the marketplace (adoption of mobile technologies, changing customer behavior, increased competitive activity, new entrants from the technology sector), and explores potential synergies between the two companies, within and across four domestic markets in Europe. It addresses how established companies can respond to important shifts in their markets brought about digital technologies.