Problem
EQ Bank has launched a new platform that positions itself as a disruptor in the financial services category by showing Canadians how it will do more for them than their current institution.
Called "Make Bank," the new platform is the first work for EQ Bank to be developed by The Hive, which was named AOR in the spring. It is also an emotional connection that looks to tap into the frustrations of Canadians who feel that everything in their day-to-day life simply takes from them, while positioning the bank as a partner that makes for them.
Consumer research conducted by The Hive.
"It was important for us to not just reflect back the tension we heard when people described how they currently feel towards their existing bank," says Dustin Rideout, CSO and partner at The Hive. "'Make Bank' is about boldly declaring how EQ bank provides its customers a real solution to what they feel is missing."
The campaign is a fully integrated push by the challenger bank, running nationally across video, OOH and digital and social media, with influencer support. While the hero video and various speak directly to that tension between customers who want to make more and the parties that take from them, OOH executions feature portraits of Canadians paired with headlines inspired by the consumer research, says Mitch Duesling, Account Creative Strategy Director with the Hive. "Canadians are known for being fairly apathetic when it comes to their banking - many staying with the same institutions for life - but when you dig a little deeper, we heard a growing sense of resentment and impatience at the way their money is being handled,"
The goal is to depict how EQ Bank will "drive change in Canadian banking to enrich people's lives," says Caleb Rubin, VP of marketing for the institution.
"This next stage of our brand story is about boldly declaring that EQ bank is the next-gen bank empowering Canadians with the tools to maximize their potential," he explains. "There's a reason more than 250,000 Canadians are already making bank with EQ Bank. We're challenging what's been done before because we know Canadians deserve better. And this is just the start." EQ leveraged Environics Prizm segmentation data, in partnership with Corus, Rogers and Google, to maximize reach against the diverse Canadian consumer.
The campaign will be in key urban Canadian market through the fall, with future waves of this platform already in development. Epitaph handled media planning and buying for the effort.
A. Determine EQ's Bank Brand Positioning Strategy. Provide rationale to support your response
B. Based on the information provided, Write a Positioning Statement For EQ Bank