About
As we continuously look to redefine banking, we conceived a mini-series “SPARKS”, inspired by true client stories, as one of our ways of disrupting the industry via digitally oriented content marketing instead of relying on traditional advertisements and promotions to foster brand love.
Innovation presentation
Banks in Asia-Pacific have found themselves under growing pressure in a fast changing environment, contributed by a smattering of financial crises, sluggish economic growth and the emergence of new competitors from “the rapidly- developing fintech sector, offering new banking, payment and financing options”1.
In addition, customers are expecting more value and won’t hesitate to try new service providers to fulfil changing needs. This “lack of trust, changing consumer behaviors and expectations set by digital innovators and increased competition from new players are eroding traditional banks’ relevance” 2.
Whilst DBS has taken steps to stay ahead by innovating the business as a whole to be digitally -led – which led to us being awarded “World’s Best Digital Bank in 2016” by Euromoney – we recognise the need to do more:
• To stand out from a highly commoditised industry not only in S ingapore where we’re headquartered, but also across the region especially in the developing markets of China, Indonesia and Taiwan where we’re not as well known
• To reinvent not only how we innovate banking as a service, but also to challenge consumer perce ptions that banking is only about transactions – to put customers back at the heart of what we do
Aligned with DBS’ commitment to understanding what truly matters in life and integrating banking seamlessly with everyday life, we constantly challenge ourselves to humanise banking by embracing innovation and digital banking. Through the compelling stories we tell in “SPARKS”, we are able to bring to light real challenges we resolved, real lives and communities we impacted, bringing to life our ethos of “Liv e More, Bank Less”.
1. “Banking in Asia-Pacific”, ey.com, 2015.
http://www.ey.com/Publication/vwLUAssets/EY-banking-in-asia-pacific/$FI… Accessed: August 2017
2. “Customers’ Lack of Trust and Desire For Innovation Are Eroding Bank Relevance”, fintechnews.sg, 2016. http://fintechnews.sg/5972/fintech/customers-lack-trust-desire-innovati… Accessed: August 2017
Uniqueness of the project
An industry first online mini-series, SPARKS follows a group of bankers navigate work and personal lives. The different episodes were inspired by true client stories, depicting how the bankers challenge the status quo and go above and beyond when solving unusual client challenges. By giving a first look and some insight as to what goes on behind the scenes in banking, this allowed us a different form of storytelling that reflected our values to debunk the myth that banking is only about transactions. The mini-series also allowed us to engage customers where they were – online. With more people spending their time online, YouTube behavior3 allowed us to let SPARKS drive conversatons4. The longer format also helped convey these stories with more depth versus traditional 30s/60s TVC while keeping audiences entertained. Spearheaded by Singapore, we adapted SPARKS regionally to build and tell a different side of banking consistently – how we enable consumers to live more and bank less.
3. “What Consumer Brands Need To Know About YouTube”, Entrepreneur.com, April 2015. https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/245513 Accessed: August 2017
4. “Singaporeans Watch Online Videos The Most”, Singapore Business Review, November 2016. http://sbr.com.sg/leisure- entertainment/in-focus/singaporeans-watch-online-videos-most Accessed: August 2017
