Blog · Financial Services
Top Blink Factor Design Moments of 2025: The Year’s Standout
Explore the biggest Blink Factor moments of 2025, from pop culture and fashion to ritual and spectacle, and see how visual impact…
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What were SLD’s favorite brand redesigns of 2025?
SLD designers share their favorite brand design stories of 2025, revealing how logos, color, and simplicity build trust and connection…
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Think Ahead for 2026: What Undercurrents Beyond Trends Brands Need to Know
Learn the key shifts redefining consumer behaviour in 2026 and how brands can adapt with AI collaboration, micro-communities, cultural insight, and emotional…
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Designing for Diversity: Why Inclusive Branding Is More Than Just Representation
In this blog we explore the concept of inclusive branding, the pros and cons of adopting it, and some examples of brands…
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What Keeps Customers Walking Into Branches
Today’s most forward-thinking banks are transforming their branches into relationship-driven spaces, blending intuitive design with technology and service strategies that put people…
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Why Established Brands Are Losing to Messier Competitors
We see the anti-brand strategy commonly adopted among smaller, indie brands. These niche, often digital-first companies are carving out loyal followings and…
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Open Banking Isn’t Coming. It’s Already Reshaping What Branches Are For.
As we enter the next decade, Open Banking will accelerate from the regulatory to the implementation stages in North America. Learn how…
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Think Ahead for 2025: What Undercurrents Beyond Trends Brands Need to Know
For 2025 we’ve identified five new signals of change marketers should heed…
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Website Design and The Blink Factor
In this blog, we'll explore the science behind first impressions and their effect on consumer behavior, how this applies to website design…
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Decoding Nostalgia: Why Brands Are Looking Backward
In this blog, we'll explore why nostalgia resonates so deeply with consumers, how it can be leveraged through strategic design…
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The Top Trends in Brand Strategy and Positioning
This blog will explore the top trends shaping brand strategy in 2024 and how they can direct your business toward new success…
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Future Of Cash in Retail Banking: Notes From Cash in USA Conference October 2024
The Cash in the USA conference, held on October 22nd in Nashville, explored cash's current and future role in retail banking. The…
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Elevating The Banking Customer Experience: Notes from the 2024 ICX/BCX Summit
At the 2024 Networld Media Group Banking Customer Experience Summit in Charlotte, experts gathered to discuss how AI, sustainability, and evolving consumer…
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Apple AI, Let’s Get Personal
we explore how Apple Intelligence can offer brands innovative ways to engage with their consumers…
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Unlocking Consumer Insights: Best Practices and Tips for Effective Design Concept Research
In this blog, we’ll explore effective best practices and tips for successful design concept research…
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Key Takeaways from the WBR Future Branches Conference: Strategies for Branch Evolution and Customer Engagement
The Future Branches Conference discussed strategies for staying relevant in a competitive landscape. Learn more about our takeaways from the conference including…
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Six Things That Banks Should Avoid During Customer Experience Transformation
Discover the critical mistakes banks must avoid during Customer Experience (CX) transformation to stay relevant in a rapidly evolving financial market…
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Is Retail Banking Ready For AI-Driven Advice?
Explore the importance of trust and human interaction in AI-driven financial advice. Learn more about how AI could enhance CX with human…
Read More » How Legacy Brands Can Become Relevant Again
Discover and learn from how legacy brands like Levi's, Old Spice, and Adidas regained relevance through perception shift and heritage leverage…
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5 Great Examples of Bank Branch Design
Explore different bank branch design in the world. Discover how the trend moves from transactional to experiential with thoughtful design elements…
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How will AI be Regulated? What Brands Need to Know
Learn about the latest AI regulations by the EU. Explore the implications for retail and CPG brands in North America and how…
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The Best and Worst Brand Stories of 2023
It’s always fun to wrap up a year with a retrospective on the most interesting brand stories. However, 2023 was not exactly…
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Think Ahead for 2024: What Brands Need to Know
Discover the key challenges brands will face as they explore the need to transform their identity and CX. Learn how to remain…
Read More » The Future of Seamless Banking and Financial Advice: EU/UK vs. North America
Explore the nuanced regional differences in banking preferences. Delve into the contrasting approaches to seamless banking in North America and the EU/UK…
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Unlocking a World of Seamless Banking: Empower Customers at Every Step
Explore the future of banking with ebankIT Summit. From open banking to AI-driven advice, discover the keys to a customer-centric financial landscape…
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Indie Brand Launch Kit: How to Set Your Brand Up for Success
Embarking on the journey of your indie brand launch? Our Indie Brand Launch Kit is your ultimate guide to building a thriving…
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Building Brand Trust in an Age of Deep Fakes, Bot Factories & Angry AI
Explore how brands navigate trust amid misinformation, declining media credibility, and AI concerns. Learn strategies for building lasting consumer trust…
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Breaking Category Norms: 6 Brands That Went Against The Flow
Explore how some iconic brands thrive by defying norms. Learn from Chanel, Trader Joe's, Lush, and more in this blog on innovative…
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How can AI shape customer experience design?
Discover the transformative power of AI in shaping customer experience design. Learn how businesses can leverage AI for personalization and efficiency…
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The Role of AI In The Design Industry
Discover the transformative role of AI in the design industry. Explore how artificial intelligence is shaping digital experiences…
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The Three Emerging States of Digital Transformation
Digital, of all types, transformed how we live, work and shop. The next phase of the digital transformation will witness a shift…
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Customer Segmentation Strategies: Emerging Trends and Best Practices
Discover the latest customer segmentation strategies in retail. Our blog post explores emerging trends and best practices to help you optimize your…
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Future-Proof Your Company: Top Metrics to Measure for Resilience and Innovation
Learn how to future-proof your company with top metrics for resilience and innovation. Read our expert guide to stay ahead of the…
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How to Reduce Customer Attrition in Banking: Insights and Strategies
Learn strategies to reduce customer attrition in banking, prioritize customer satisfaction, humanize the journey, and deliver quality advice for growth…
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Brand Implementation: What it is, Why it’s Important, and How to Succeed
Learn about brand implementation and how consistent and authentic implementation can create a clear, powerful presence for your brand…
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Unlocking the Power of Customer Experience Assessment: Best Practices for Evaluating Your CX Program
Discover the best practices for evaluating your customer experience program and realizing its full potential. Read now to learn more…
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5 Mistakes Banks Are Making With Bank Branch Closures
Discover the 5 critical mistakes banks make with bank branch closures and find out how these mistakes affect customer satisfaction…
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Why Customer Convenience Is Critical To Circular Economy Participation
Research has shown that convenience is one of the biggest barriers to customer participation. Our latest blog focuses on how retailers can…
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How To Define Your Company’s Value Proposition (With Free Guide)
Value Propositions are one of the first steps to creating a successful branding strategy. Download our free guide to help get you…
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How To Develop An Influencer Marketing Strategy For Your Brand
Influencer Marketing is becoming increasingly popular with 74% of marketers saying they're currently using it. Learn our 5 tips for a successful…
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Why Digital Banking Services Can’t Beat The Superior Branch
Banking trust is still a top priority for consumers. Learn why focusing on digital banking services can't beat the bank branch for…
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5 Promising Examples Of Prosperous Brands Using Circular Business Models
The global prevalence of climate-related disasters has increased the focus on finding solutions to the climate crisis. According to the most recent…
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Why Bank Branches Are The Solution for Successful Digital Transformation in Banking
Digital transformation in banking can be difficult to achieve, with up to 84% failing. Here are 5 ways to implement digital into…
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5 Interesting Ways to Humanize the Banking Customer Experience
The ability of financial institutions to truly deliver a seamless physi-digital banking customer experience while harnessing the power of their front-line employees…
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The Future of Payment Systems
The future of payment systems has been evolving as technology continues to make its mark on the payments landscape. Finance and retail…
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Future-Proofing for the Metaverse
Retail and financial brands should start exploring different virtual experiences now so that they are ready for the metaverse and whatever comes…
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The Best Brand Pivots of COVID-19
To help inspire, we are revisiting the best brand pivots that we have seen during the COVID-19 pandemic and highlighting some lessons…
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5 Things Banks Need to Know About Gen Z
We explore emerging trends in banking preference and behavior among Gen Z, and what banks can do to appeal to these younger…
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5 Pitfalls Banks Must Avoid When Launching a Micro-Branch
Micro-branches are very effective platforms to drive customer loyalty and business growth when appropriately managed. Here is how to avoid any pitfalls…
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Inclusive Brand Marketing 101
How can brands start to be more inclusive without making a big misstep? Here are some important rules to start the conversation…
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What Facebook’s Threat Report Means for Brands
Facebook's Threat Report shows how misinformation is being spread across the internet, validating SLD's DeepReal research and that brands must adapt…
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DeepReal Part 2: The Blurring Line Between Fact and Fiction
How consumers perceive the truth has a huge influence on their purchase habits and the brands that they support. Here is everything…
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DeepReal Part 1: Gaining Trust in a Post-Truth World
Part 1 of the DeepReal series looks at how the line between fact and fiction has blurred, and what that means for…
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How Robot Greeters Are Changing the Service Sector
Is now the time for your brand to embrace robot greeters? Here are some key things to consider…
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Micro Markets and How to Engage Gen Z Consumers
In this article, we explore a few micro-markets to get a better understanding of the many faces of Gen Z…
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The Four Characteristics that Define Indie Brands
Indie brands are disrupting traditional CPG retailers, and the trend isn't going away. Here are some key lessons from successful indie brands…
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What Does Smart Banking Look Like in 2021?
As new digital technologies allow banks to create better customer experiences, here are some best practices for implementing your own Smart Bank…
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Philanthropic Marketing and How to Stay Authentic
When it comes to philanthropic marketing, cynical consumers may question whether a brand has ulterior motives. Here are some tips on staying…
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Show Me You Care: Building a Social Brand in 2021
Social brands move beyond empty statements and help drive actual change on issues that matter to their customers. Here are some tips…
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How to Ensure Your Digital Experience is Inclusive
In this article, we explore inclusive design for digital platforms and how brands can ensure their communications are reaching everyone…
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