Why a virtual bank is making bank branches part of its US launch

Iam Bank, a startup virtual bank based in Ireland that has offices in the U.K. is set to launch in the U.S. this fall — and it’s going to do it via a physical bank branch. The bank, which is now in the process of buying a Chicago-based bank it declined to name, said it will set up its first branch, known as a “customer experience center” in Milwaukee in the fall.

“We’ve done a lot of research and it all comes down to trust and credibility,” said Simona Stankovska, head of communications for Iam Bank. “For us, the research shows that people have a massive distrust of purely digital offerings. They need to have a human touch, they need to be able to communicate with someone.”

Despite expectations about the death of the branch, recent surveys support Iam Bank’s view that consumers — especially millennial ones — will continue to demand a human touch to banking.

Read the full story on tearsheet.co

https://digiday.com/?p=236068

More in Marketing

Hyve Group buys the Possible conference, and will add a meeting element to it in the future

Hyve Group, which owns such events as ShopTalk and FinTech Meetup, has agreed to purchase Beyond Ordinary Events, the organizing body behind Possible.

Agencies and marketers point to TikTok in the running to win ‘first real social Olympics’

The video platform is a crucial part of paid social plans this summer, say advertisers and agency execs.

Where Kamala Harris and Donald Trump stand on big tech issues

The next U.S. president is going to have a tough job of reining in social media companies’ dominance and power enough to satisfy lawmakers and users, while still encouraging free speech, privacy and innovation.