Ever since iHeart flipped their mantra to “Guaranteed Human,” I’ve been waiting to see if other companies and brands would jump onboard in an effort to reap the perceptual benefits—and they are plentiful.
We tested the slogan and others in TS26. Here are the key findings:
Hard to argue with these stats, especially the wide demographic appeal of the slogan.
Well, now it’s happened. The largest bank in the U.S.—Chase—has jumped on the bandwagon with an effective and clever spot all designed to humanize the banking experience:
Clever, right? With a happy ending for Chase and their customers. Jacobs CES attendees might have noticed the robot barista. He’s Adam, created by Rich Robotics, a frequent CES exhibitor and a regular stop on our tours.
Of all industries, the banking business could use a little humanity. It is famous for being cold, unapproachable, and uncaring. So, this pivot in policy is a welcome change—assuming, of course, they actually live up to it.
The spot, not surprisingly, was produced by an ad agency—Drogs5. Their treatise is: “instead of building new ways for machines to talk to people, Chase is building new places for people to talk to people.”
Simple enough, except that in the case of a sweeping policy, every division needs to be on board or the campaign loses its relevance and credibility. And that’s exactly the sand trap Chase is falling into. The commercial says one thing. Reality says something very different.
Don’t believe me? Call Chase like I did;
That’s right. Chase uses yet another AI automated attendant for efficiency—not make a better banking experience. And when it comes to AI, consumers are paying attention. Replacing humans with AI and/or automation is a sensitive area for banking customers and radio listeners—especially if they’ve been told otherwise.
Maybe one of these days we’ll actually see a RRIF—a Robot Reduction in Force.
President & Founder at Jacobs Media
Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
In 2008, jacapps was launched – a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created – a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the “connected car” and its impact.
Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media’s commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.
Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
