Ursula Drost, Managing Director, Business Consulting Network International

The next generation of banking customers will no longer go to a teller window, meet with an account officer or visit a website to learn about a particular bank. Peer-to-peer networks, communities or blogs have a rapidly growing influence on customer decisions. New technologies (Web 2.0) influence the behavior of private banking customers while opening up new opportunities in corporate banking and within the organization. To win over these customers of the future, banks must reach out to them within their digital world.

Viewing the Web 2.0 tools as part of the value chain—for example, by allowing customers to contribute product recommendations or suggest improvements—is a win-win situation for both bank and customer.