Ally Bank

Ally Bank, an online-only banking institution, wanted to increase awareness of their account options and higher than average APYs to Millenials by creating a moment for them to assess their current financial situation and plan for the future.

Spring 2019 Team:

  • Nicole Alexander

  • Taylor Becker

  • Lena Khalifeh

  • Carlos Matias

  • Raymond Sein

The brand cited awareness but, as Millenials, we felt the problem actually seemed like
a need to emphasize the urgency around being financially fit.

we wanted to understand the target’s view of finances,
so we began digging.

dig through the data

Using Mintel and other academic sources, I looked at: 

millennials x finances 

to see understand their current financial outlook.

-2%

the 2017 Millenial savings rate,
or the % they deduct from their income to save for retirement. 

68%

of Millenials have less than $1,000 saved for a 'rainy day'

93%

of Millenials prefer banks have mobile apps and online options

dig through the data

I also looked at

millennials x behavior 

to see understand millennial habits and actions.

want to capture and share memories with anything they do

choose to spend money on desirable experiences

are more anxious than Gen Xers
and Baby Boomers

Millennials are:

asset poor & debt rich

ask questions

What is your perception of your banking institution?

I don't think my bank offers anything unique from other banks

1

I want personal connections with the people managing their money.

2

I prefer mobile and online banking options. 

3

listen up

My bank isn't special.

I prefer to use mobile banking primarily.

I don't have a lot of savings.

I will spend money on experiences. 

Does this sound a little like conflicting feelings?

We thought so too, but there was something consistent in those inconsistencies. 

create the story

we realized:

Millennials are the anxiety generation
living with the "someday scaries."

"Millennials feel like they can lose everything at any time"

This anxiety stems from an uncertain future

fight for what's right

With everything we learned, it was best to help tie the urgency of financial stability in an escaping experience

Ally SavingsQuest:
A mobile role-playing game that encourages users
to make responsible financial decisions.

dig through the data

Why did we choose a game? 
“Role-playing games, rooted at the heart of human behavior, encourages higher-level mental stimulation
on top of the chance to explore the depths of (a player’s) own empathy.”
 

203MM

mobile game users in
the United States

56%

play mobile games 10
or more times a week

2.7

hours or 23 minutes a week are
spent playing mobile games

lay the foundation

Our game would create an immersive mobile game experience to help make the realities of financial stability achievable. 

With this as a foundation, the strategy team was able to develop the gameplay, storylines, and development paths for the creative team to make the sample interface for how the game would look.

Finances can be intimidating & savings can be hard. 

1/7

With SavingsQuest, we can tackle both while
having fun and making it real. 

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