The finance industry has often missed the mark when providing customer service at scale. From older customers who still prefer face to face interaction to keeping up with the latest gadgets for younger generations, banking must now take a front seat in driving consistent and personable experience.

Research shows that customers who are emotionally connected to a brand are more likely to trust a message. If necessary steps are not taken to prioritise these customers, the banking and finance industry risks dissatisfaction, reputational and regulatory issues and ultimately reduced business.

There is always a balance between streamlined efficiency and meaningful customer service, and necessary discussions to be had on the practicalities and realities of technology’s role in assisting this balance. Kath Blackham, founder and CEO of VERSA, will discuss these challenges as she examines the use of voice recognition and conversational AI to provide a scalable approach to customer empathy and emotional connection. Kath will look into the crystal ball to the future of online banking and unveil how the industry can balance trust and engagement to deliver a more human and authentic experience.

Ts & Cs. The fine print. Legal. Long consigned to the wastelands of corporate communications, they’ve been ignored in equal measure by companies and their customers. 'I've read my T&C's’ may be the biggest lie in business today.

The terror of reading 40 pages of seven-point legal clauses has pressured marketers to carry the burden of describing the products and services they’re selling. But from banks and telco to airlines and travel booking sites, time and again they’ve failed horribly – leading to poor outcomes and disappointment for customers who have no idea what it really is they’re signing up for.

So how long can the brands who continue this lazy approach to a critical consumer touchpoint survive? At a time when the experience matters as much as the price or offer, getting the fine print right has never been so important.

In this presentation, AlphaLab director Dan Bradley and XXVI director Hamish Cargill share their insights into what brands can do to design and communicate terms and conditions that have a positive impact on customers and clients.

Using insights gained during a credit card project for a major Australian bank, Dan and Hamish will talk through what customers want, how to keep regulators happy and why marketers deserve a seat with the grownups at the legal table.

The banking category continues to undergo incredible change, which has challenged Westpac to deeply consider how it connects with consumers on an emotional level – a significant challenge for a financial services provider.

Putting the customer at the beginning of marketing and business processes has redefined the role Westpac plays in Australian lives. 'Helping in the moments big and small' is creating relevance for the brand with the next generation of customers.

In this session, Westpac Group Head of Brand, Advertising & Media Jenny Melhuish and DDB Chief Strategy Officer Fran Clayton discuss the four-year marketing journey that has seen the bank overhaul everything from external communications to the language of bank tellers, invest in an entirely new customer experience and launch a significant brand refresh. They will share their trials and tribulations from along the way, their results and, of course, what’s next.