KBC | THE GAP IN THE MARKET | 2013
The Day Banks Stopped Being the Enemy / KBC "THE GAP IN THE MARKET"
In 2013, the number of people starting businesses in Belgium had dropped 14% from the year before. Banks were reluctant to lend money, and had basically become the "enemy" of anyone with a dream. KBC Bank set out to flip that around.
The problem
KBC was originally a bank known for strong small-business lending, but the economic crisis had pushed entrepreneurs away. The bank needed to win back its position as a trusted partner for people trying to start businesses.
The insight
Maybe a bank's real job isn't screening loan applications and turning people down, but connecting communities with entrepreneurs. KBC's CEO put it this way: support local ideas, from local people, using local resources. It's a shift from being the gatekeeper to being the matchmaker—a complete rethink of the bank's role.
The idea
KBC put up signs on empty storefronts asking, "What do you think is missing here?" and pointed people to a dedicated website. The posters changed from town to town, and local newspapers dug into exactly what kind of business each town was missing. The "gaps" that people identified were then shared publicly with entrepreneurs, and the idea that won the public vote even got a company car for six months.
What happened
Each town collected an average of 560 "gaps," and more than 1,500 new businesses were launched as a result. The campaign was created by TBWA Belgium. It won the Grand Prix in the Financial Services category at Eurobest and a Gold Lion in the Direct category at Cannes Lions.
Afterthought
What makes this campaign so strong, I think, is that it gave communities back the feeling that their bank is actually on their side. The signs, the voting, even the company car—all of it says "we genuinely want to help you succeed." An ad that actually moved a town. That's about as good as it gets.
Awards
- Cannes Lions Gold 2013
