High interest rates and a downmarket reputation don’t usually make for good marketing. But online lender Bond Street is trying to turn that messaging around with a content marketing strategy that focuses more on user experience than the nitty gritty.
“That’s really helped us organically build a reputation within certain industry categories and geographies,” said Michael Jones, director of community development at Bond Street. “We’ve concentrated our efforts towards initiatives in which we can serve as both an advocate and resources to small businesses.”
Many small business lenders strive to build a community by creating products and services to help people beyond just a transaction, said Ian Benton, an analyst in Javelin Strategy’s small business practice. And it’s not just the nonbank lenders. Banks are just as focused on the customer relationship, which was once built and developed in person around a transaction. Technology has widened the gap between the borrower and the lender so much so that the lending industry is almost entirely commoditized and shopping for lenders is easy.
“Customers don’t need to have the previous relationship, so banks and fintech providers are looking for reasons to strengthen those customer relationships,” he said.
More in Marketing
DMexco ’26 Briefing: From scaling AI operations to teaching the next generation of ‘bold’ CMOs
DMexco 2026 media partner Digiday hosted two panels that outlined the challenge of AI at scale and the CMO of the future.
Marketers bemoan the culture of ‘good enough’ as standards fall amid the AI bubble
‘Drowning in measurement,’ marketers mull priorities in an internet where ‘two audiences’ exist.
Future of Marketing Briefing: Imagining the ad business hiding inside Meta’s Muse
Meta’s Muse is ad-free for now. Don’t expect that to last.