Report: Agile Customer Experience Significantly Contributes to Digital Marketing Success for Finance Companies

Adthena’s Q4 2019 CMO Search Intelligence Report evaluates the state of the finance search landscape to help CMOs optimize performance

Austin, Texas (December 4, 2019) — With digital transformation of the finance sector continuing to take form, consumer demand for more intuitive, highly-customized online experiences is at an all-time high. Finance Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) have invested millions of dollars in optimizing customer experience, but as competition from digital-first companies continues to increase across the industry, the way in which consumers search for and interact with financial brands online is constantly evolving. To shine a light on how the finance search landscape is shifting, and how CMOs are adapting their strategies to keep pace, Adthena, the leader in AI-powered search intelligence, today announced the findings of its Q4 2019 CMO Search Intelligence Report. 

The report analyzes the search engine marketing (SEM) performance of 350 companies across the U.S. finance market, and within the banking and insurance subsets, to provide insight into the strategies of the leading finance companies and opportunities for CMOs to optimize their performance. The report revealed that digitally native companies  are seeing an advantage in their SEM performance with the ability to understand and adapt experiences to meet customers’ evolving needs online. Meanwhile, legacy finance companies are spending more money to achieve the same results as their cyber counterparts, signaling an inefficiency in their customer journey.

“Brand recognition and high-dollar campaigns are no longer enough to break through to today’s consumers,” said Ashley Fletcher, Vice President of Marketing at Adthena. “A brand could have the most innovative offering on the market but if they aren’t able to reach the right consumer at the right time with the right message and experience, they will fail to see results.”

Key takeaways from the Q4 2019 CMO Search Intelligence Report: U.S. Finance Industry

  • PayPal’s Grand Entrance: On a recent surge in growth, the payments giant is doubling down on its SEM strategy and currently leading the finance search market, tied with Chase.
  • Top Dogs Tumble: Credit Karma, Wells Fargo, and Experian dropped from the top 10 list, after leading the finance search market in Q3 2019. 
  • Capitalizing on a Defined Customer Base: Membership-based organizations like USAA and Navy Federal Credit Union are finding SEM success with a personalized understanding of their audience.
  • USAA Sweeps the Boards: With its digital-first business model and narrowly-defined audience, USAA is the only company to appear in the top 10 for banking, insurance, and the overall finance search market in Q4 2019.

With 2020 quickly approaching, priorities for CMOs are set to shift from customer experience alone to bottom-line results. This means that not only will the marketing function be tasked with delivering relevant, personalized experiences, but also ensuring these activities are contributing to overall business growth. To meet these rising expectations, CMOs must continuously fine-tune their SEM strategies to ensure they’re staying on top of changing consumer preferences, market opportunities and, most importantly, driving measurable results.

To download the full CMO Search Intelligence Report: U.S. Finance Industry, visit https://www.adthena.com/usfinancehub/.