Metro Bank isn’t your standard high street bank. It has a very unique banking model, existing simply to provide excellent customer service. It strongly believes that profit should be the bi-product of doing something well, and through its motto of “no stupid bank rules” it is shaking up the jaded UK banking market.
The bank doesn’t look like other banks, and has always been positioned as a challenger. Metro Bank’s PR programme runs in line with its ethos that ‘banking doesn’t have to be boring’.
In 2010, we launched the bank by creating our own Metro Bank news agenda. Alongside a corporate programme that managed any potential issues head on, Lansons turned Metro Bank itself into a newsroom on the day of launch, with significant national news station basing their broadcast from the banking headquarters.
In reality, what does a “not boring” bank PR programme look like? Think weekly Twitter parties, encouraging non-traditional banking candidates.The launch was filled with music, dancers, entertainment and crowds of people – a launch which has been replicated across all of Metro Bank’s 24 store launches. The mass media launch coverage resulted in more than 450 features across all media sets (of which 135 were broadcast and 56 were national print). The audience reached over the launch period was 187,393,942, and played a significant role in ensuring there were queues of people wanting to open accounts in the first week.
Think rebranding Bank station to Metro Bank station in pictures, to celebrate a new store opening nearby.
Think engagement programmes with dog bloggers, to highlight the bank’s dog friendly policy.
This is all supported by a highly respected social media programme, which communicates with a human, rather than a corporate, tone, plus a strong media meeting and political engagement programme.
Alongside and supported by this integrated work, Metro Bank has grown to over £1bn in deposits since launch, and is seen as highly trusted by banking journalists. A true banking PR success story.
