Humor without sacrificing customer image

To differentiate themselves from competition, two long-running television ad campaigns focus humor on things people dislike about their industries.

Some things about banking consumers dislike:

• hidden bank fees
• treating new customers better than current ones
• not giving all customers full information
• fine print

Some things about buying and owning stocks consumers dislike:

• impersonal service
• high fees
• feeling that best interest of investor is not broker's priority
• lack of information and support

So how do Ally Bank and Scottrade deal this such dislikes?  By using humor to highlight such common negative perceptions against their own brand positions.

Ally Bank Commercials




Scottrade commercials



One final thought... note that neither ad campaign used their customers as the butt of the joke (see the August 26, 2010 post).