Marketing online banking to the indifferent consumer: A longitudinal analysis of banks' actions

US banks have invested heavily in developing online capabilities, with the expectation of migrating customers to the new, cheaper delivery system. Results in the USA thus far have been mixed at best. This paper reports on the second of two studies conducted to investigate the reasons for the mediocre performance. While the first study focused on the consumer perspective, this one examines banks' online marketing efforts to migrate customers. A quantitative, longitudinal study examined banks' actions in March 2002 and again in September 2003. The findings indicate that most banks have not learned much. Both in 2002 and in 2003, most banks have acted as though customers were already convinced about the appeal of online banking services. The marketing activities reported here were inappropriate and insufficient to appeal to the indifferent consumer. Almost no learning or improvement in tactics has been observed during the 18-month period. Most banks simply continue to pursue ineffective strategies. Specific suggestions for future efforts to accelerate the adoption rate by focusing on an experiential-learning approach are discussed.