Competitive Compass

Fulcrum Thought: When every product can be copied, every perk matched, and every channel saturated, what remains uniquely yours? Lens of Insight: 3/5 What Dupe Culture Can Teach Banking Dupe culture may have started in beauty, but it holds a mirror up to every industry, including banking. It’s not about cheap imitations; it’s about smart value signaling. Consumers, especially Gen Z, aren’t turning...

Fulcrum Thought: Are we building a set of products,or an ecosystem that customers can live inside? Chase’s Investor Day I listened and read through Chase’s Investor Day slides and it feels like a Business Tale for the Boardroom . Once upon a fiscal year, there was a very large bank named Chase. It was already the biggest and busiest in the land, with over 84 million loyal customers and many gold s...

The Switching Surge and Open Banking Joint Ventures Are Brand Glue, not just Brand Boosts Brain Grenade: The Tribe/Lifestyle Card Fulcrum Thought: What partnerships could we forge that make switching feel less like changing a service and more like losing a part of your identity? The Switching Surge and Open Banking Patrick has made his most recent presentation available for you to consume in a rep...

Visa Just Redefined the Playing Field Summer Will Be Travel’s First Tariff Test Financial Profiles Q1 2025 Credit Card Application Behavior Report Fulcrum Thought: If AI is choosing what gets bought, are your products built to be picked or ignored?   Visa Just Redefined the Playing Field Visa’s 2025 Product Drop wasn’t an update; it was a full-blown platform shift . In a single move, Visa reimagin...

Proof Over Promises, Results Over Rhetoric Fulcrum Thought: If your next move had to prove results, notjust promise them, what would you stop testing and start scaling? A Grateful Milestone Today marks something truly special: the 250th edition of this newsletter. Five years ago, it began as a simple idea shared with just 500 readers. Today, it's a thriving community of over 13,000 minds, and...

· Switching Surge and Open Banking ·  Private Student Loan Predictions ·  Private Student Loan CI Trends . Full Stack Loyalty Program Consumer loyalty is no longer a passive promise. It’s an active, dynamic relationship that must be continually earned. The surge in switching behavior we’re witnessing isn’t just a blip; it signals a lasting shift in how consumers evaluate their financial partners....

Fulcrum Thought: Is this a pause to recalibrate, or an excuse to pull back? Q1 2025 Earnings Markets feel jittery, but the data tells a more balanced story: • Consumer spending was up YoY—without any seasonal boost from Leap Year or Easter • Marketing spend rose ~10% on average across major banks • Only one issuer pulled back on marketing spend • As Brian Moynihan said: “Consumers are still solidl...

Week at a Glance: 1.    Marketing on Offense 2.    Campaign of the Quarter 3.       Banking Experience   Fulcrum Thought: Are we spending to win, or just spending to keep up?   Marketing on Offense When is the path ever truly free of hurdles? In our world, certainty is always a moving target. While many may argue that this time is different , I’d challenge you to consider: what if this uncertainty...

Week at a Glance: 1.    Self, comprehensive financial empowerment 2.    New Offers: Cross-Sell, Win Back, and Loyalty 3. Financial Services in 2025 Fulcrum Thought: How do you thriveamidst continuous financial transformation? Rapid technological advancements, evolving consumer expectations, and an increasingly competitive landscape mean agility is essential. With fintech disruptors constantly rais...

-      Fulcrum Thought -       Innovative Financial Services Email Marketing—2025 -      Chase United Credit Card changes -      New Partnerships Redefining the BNPL Sector -      The Future of Flexibility   Fulcrum Thought: In a DoorDash and Instacart world, why are we still only offering "dine-in" or "take-out" when the consumer now expects everything delivered straight to th...

-      The Evolution of Optimism -      First & Second Generation Americans -      Global Citizens and Banking in the US -      Business Travel: MICE -      FS Weekly Digest -      Lightbulb Moments   Today’s customer is optimistic yet selective, diverse in background, and mobile in habits. To capture their loyalty, FIs must become architects of a new, sustainable optimism – one that empowers...

Today at a Glance: -   US Deposits Competitive Intelligence Trends for 2025 -   US Deposits Predictions for 2025 -   Welcoming & Onboarding for Financial Services in 2025 -   Financial Profiles: Q4 2024 -   Financial Services Weekly Digest   I’m noticing an interesting bifurcation in our marketing strategies. Credit Card marketing is almost exclusively premium credit cards, or extremely rich c...

- Credit Marketing Outlook 2025 -  Travel Card CI Trends for 2025 -  2025 US Travel Card Predictions: Bespoke Travel -  Financial Services Weekly Digest -  Lightbulb Moments - AI Summary of notable news announcements -  2025 Retail Trends   Travel card issuers are embracing democratization in 2025, transforming formerly exclusive experiences into mainstream perks. As consumer travel demand continu...

Today at a Glance: How could you deliver your core offering in 10 minutes? Inside the Consumer’s Mind The Future of Flexibility: Exploring New Avenues for Cards to Bring Value US Mortgage CI Trends for 2025 US Mortgage Predictions in 2025 Financial Services Weekly Digest Lightbulb Moments: Spark Your Strategy (Vol. 29) CashApp Tortoise Shell Card As I wrap up two weeks in India, one thought keeps...

🚀 Polycultural Consumers. Streaming Trends. Travel as a Financial Priority. Financial services are shifting—fast. A new generation of consumers is redefining how they spend, travel, and engage with brands . This week’s podcast blends insights from three major reports to rethink: ✅ Are we speaking the language of polycultural consumers? ✅ Is our loyalty strategy built for a streaming-first world...

As consumer confidence soars , so does credit card demand —but it’s not just about more applications. It’s about who is applying and why . 📊 Here’s what’s happening in the market: ✅ More credit card applications : Strong economic optimism is pushing more consumers toward credit. ✅ Gen Z is leaning into credit : 40% would rely on credit if they had to tighten their budgets. ✅ Spending isn’t slo...

-       A New Era of Homeownership -       Shop Smarter, Pay Simpler -       Financial Services Weekly Digest -       Smart and Steady

Expanding Marketing, Unwavering Controls Do It For Me Economy   Lightbulb Moments FS Weekly Digest Edge Innovation   Expanding Marketing, Unwavering Controls Amex, Cap One, and a few others announced their earnings last week and I want to round out my 2024 Marketing Spend table. American Express spent over $6 Billion in marketing in 2024 and achieved 13 Million new card acquisitions for the year....

Robust earnings reflect strategic foresight Consumer Attitudes Towards Fintech PYMNTS Beyond Points and Perks Headlines on My Mind     Robust earnings reflect strategic foresight “Given how strong our results are, I almost feel we should just go home.” While no FI CEO said these words in Q4 2024, listening to many of the earnings calls gives me the feeling, this is exactly the sentiment. (BTW: Ale...

Today at a Glance: 2024 Marketing Spend | Q4 is the highest quarter post-pandemic Lightbult Moments Financial Services Weekly Digest 2024 is officially in the books, and the scorecard begins to roll in tomorrow with major earnings reports. As we reflect on last year’s milestones, let’s set the stage with a marketing spend update. Q4 2024 didn’t just meet expectations—it smashed them. It surpassed...

From “Brand Behind the Brand” to “Brand Beside the Brand” From Likes to Loyalty US Bank Smartly Card Financial Services Weekly Digest A Card as Clear as Your Ambitions Happy New Year! I hope your holidays were both refreshing and inspiring. As we dive into 2025—the "Year of Possibility";—the pace is already picking up. Our team is back in action, and the momentum is palpable. With a wealth of incr...

2025 Omnichannel Marketing Trends Q4 2024: New Product Innovations Financial Services Weekly Digest Lightbulb Moments: BofA Alaska Premium Credit Card As I send my last newsletter for 2024, I saved one of my favorite reports for this edition: Nicole Bond and Kaitlin Ceckowski's 2025 Omnichannel Marketing Trends If you would like to have Nicole and Kaitlin join your first 2025 off-site or team meet...

Content Consumption Post-election: offer unity and stability amidst change What is the going incentive to get a consumer to install your shopping app? Banksgiving and more... #SpotifyWrapped Content Consumption Social media is more than a platform — it’s the primary stage where consumers live, work, and play. With 90% of users engaging on social channels and younger demographics increasingly subst...

AI is everywhere—hailed as the cure-all for modern business woes. But when it comes to digital advertising and social media trends, one truth stands out loud and clear: personalization is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity. Two new consumer research reports reveal that in 2025, the key to impactful advertising lies in moving from "spammy" to "spot-on," and AI is the engine to make it happen. It s...

Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Holidays! This season, I’m reminded that true wealth lies in accomplishments and the connections we build—family, friends, and the community of readers like you who make this newsletter meaningful. Just as I reflected on resilience and growth during the Philadelphia Marathon this Sunday, I’m grateful for the support and inspiration from all of you. From my family to yo...