Migrating customers to new distribution channels: The role of communication

Banks throughout the world are making substantial investments in technology to reduce the cost of distributing their products and services to customers. It is, however, becoming increasingly clear that the desired reduction in operating expenses is not being achieved. This paper highlights the need for banks to recognise that effective communication is critical for persuading consumers to adopt the new technology. It then presents an approach for selecting a cost-effective method for migrating customers to a new service technology. An empirical study at a large US bank that utilised the proposed approach and benefited from the systematic investigation of this issue is then described. Implications for financial service providers are provided.