‘The biggest challenge is overcoming people’s apathy’: Inside Simple’s marketing strategy
Simple is re-introducing itself through an ad campaign its been running on billboards and subway ads in various U.S. cities.
The ads pair everyday concepts most familiar and tangible to the seven-year-old neobank’s target millennial customer base, like binge watching and sweatpants, to convey how enjoyable and sensible its own offering — banking and budgeting, the latter of which major banking institutions are only now building into their experiences — can and should be. The company also wants to show it’s not “just an anonymous organization that doesn’t have a point of view,” said Valarie Hamm Carlson, Simple’s vp of brand. It’s a group of people that share the view of everyday consumers that banking shouldn’t be complicated.
“Every once in a while we need to jump back out there and say, ‘here’s who we are and if you don’t know us we we want introduce ourselves’ so people get a sense of our personality,” Carlson said. “Ideally we want that to come from the product but it’s always good to have a little bit of air cover and we haven’t done a lot of that in the past.”
More in Marketing
Digiday+ Research: The 2026 guide to holiday marketing strategies, including A-Frame Brands, Mastercard and Ritual
Shoppers continue to grapple with higher prices and affordability, while brands face rising operating costs and increased pressure to prove their marketing dollars are delivering measurable returns.
Inside the indie agencies founded by Omnicom and IPG’s former staffers
Thousands of media practitioners and creatives have left Omnicom since its merger with IPG. Some have already founded their own agencies.
Who owns the creative brief? Brands and creators are renegotiating the relationship
Brands are moving creators beyond sponsored posts and into the creative process, reshaping who influences marketing decisions.