Bank Spend Increasing While Ads Get Less Attention

Snapshot:
Brand awareness for banks and credit unions is falling, according to the latest report by Rivel Banking Research, dropping from 34% in Q1 2024 to 31% in Q3 2025 despite growing marketing budgets. Consumers are increasingly filtering out traditional product-centric campaigns, with many opting for ad-free experiences. Food and beverage brands lead in ad memorability at 30%, while only 8% of consumers recall financial services ads. Key reasons financial ads fail include:

• 51% – Too frequent
• 37% – Irrelevant to me
• 28% – Lack personalization
• 26% – Intrusive timing
• 17% – Complex messaging

Millennials see the most ads, but Gen Z and Gen X report the most fatigue, with a 7.5% annual rise in ad-free streaming subscriptions signaling a desire to escape marketing. The most common touchpoints for financial ads are:

• 69% – Social media
• 66% – TV/streaming platforms
• 51% – Email

However, these channels risk sameness, making campaigns forgettable. Only 65% of Gen Z say their bank markets effectively to their needs despite having customer data. Rivel’s findings show that authentic storytelling, local engagement, and partnerships with trusted creators outperform generic approaches. CMOs are urged to move from interruptive advertising to integrated, community-focused strategies that earn, rather than demand, consumer attention.

Full story: Rivel - The Financial Brand