Umpqua Go-To
How do you make a human-centered brand digital while still maintaining customer relationships and personal connection?
Foot traffic within Umpqua Bank retail stores was taking a nosedive. People no longer want to go into the bank. Year over year, Umpqua was closing stores. Banking was transitioning to the digital world with a groundswell of AI offerings in the market, but Umpqua’s roots and brand were anchored in human relationship.
So how do you move a human-centered brand into the digital world and still maintain customer relationship and connection?
Umpqua focused on developing technology to build a human-digital platform. The initial application that was piloted with 1,000 customers was called BFF, your “Best Financial Friend.” The app allowed a customer to connect directly to their banker via a secure chat application, on the go. The new channel allowed customers direct access to their banker via a chat app, whenever they may need them. The transactional conversations that occurred over chat helped to build trust between the banker and the customer over time, and ultimately led to much deeper conversations about finances.
Meet Your Go-To Bank Person
BFF evolved into Umpqua Go-To as the app went to beta. The BFF name didn’t test well in relation to the value prop. People didn’t need a new best friend! They needed a professional, accessible human to support them with their financial needs.
Two years post-launch, the use of Umpqua Go-To skyrocketed from the first 1,000 customers, to over 60k and growing, deepening relationships and growing deposits for the bank, while maintaining human connection through a digital application.