Last Halloween I happened to go to a bank branch... and it was decorated for the occasion, Jack-O-Lanterns, spider webs and some bats here and there... and it was fun... it felt like my the bank was relating to me and to the mood of the customers... after all Halloween was very present in our thoughts at the time. In my case because there was a party and people will disguise themselves and it will be fun, but I have friends with kids that were also in the mood because they shared those moments with them.In a nutshell, the bank was part of the moment and it felt just right to see decorations like those.
Later that day I accessed my online banking... and nothing, exactly the same as the day before or even the month before for that matter.
It is an interesting situation, as I was only fortuitously at the branch during those days, but I access the online and mobile banking much more (several times a week).
Most probably, I missed the efforts made by the bank in the branches for other "social events"... I don't even know if they actually did something for these events.
So, shouldn't Online and mobile banking interfaces start dressing up for the occasion? Should, at the very least, interfaces respect these social events? Christmas, the new year, Valentine's day, thanksgiving, Halloween, the national Day (independence, Canada's day, Saint Jean, etc), "take the bus" day, etc.
While mostly cosmetic, these changes can improve the "personality" of the bank and bring it closer to its customers. And that is a good thing, because we trust more and we care more about someone or something that is closer to us.
Happy holidays to all of you!
PS: and just as a test: have you spent more than the usual milliseconds looking at the cute Piggy Santa here? did it make you feel a teensy bit happier? why don't you tell me in the comment section?
