The Catalonian neobank 11Onze has recently launched its private social network (PSN) across Barcelona, encouraging customers to register, connect and engage on the social platform dedicated to finance and banking.
The PSN platform, a first for any neobank in Europe, offers access to 11Onze’s Learning Management System (LMS) – a veritable collection of short, targeted videos that cover a range of topics; from finance and the economy to well-being and lifestyle. It links customers to bank agents and extends a marketplace for customers to engage in business with each other.
Most digital banking applications today are highly transactional utility apps designed specifically for checking balances and performing payments and transfers. But in their niche design, they too often fail to create a significant emotional connection with the customer. Stepping away from this traditional and highly rigid model of digital interaction, 11Onze’s PSN will introduce a “human touch” to their digital banking experience.
Touching on how the recent launch of their PSN will transform the traditional customer-bank relationship, James Sène, the Founder and Chairman of 11Onze, comments “We are a new category of Social Network with the latest advances of Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn wrapped up into a Netflix format. This is a vertical social network about money, made in Catalonia. It’s an integral part of our digital community where individuals and small businesses can learn, discuss and understand how banks work. We have used innovative technology that brings a genuine consumer experience to the digital banking sector. Fintech banks have struggled with holding on to the relationship aspect of traditional banks and community banks have failed to optimise in the digital sphere. This gap is filled by 11Onze’s offering.”
11Onze’s PSN offers an interface between customers, and also between customers and financial agents. Furthermore, it hosts a versatile library packed with information on personal finance, economy, financial intelligence, and the wider Catalonian region.
Although the PSN will continue to add features in a sequential fashion over the coming weeks, two important aspects of the platform have recently been released: La Placa (the Square where people meet and interact) and the 11Onze TV.
From the moment an interested customer enters the platform, they can get to know the key agents of the bank, their background, speciality, and personality. The ‘La Placa’ feature allows customers to see how the 11Onze agents were chosen, their skills, and their aptitude. It also offers an insight into the values that the digital bank upholds.
Meanwhile, the second feature ’11Onze TV’, can easily be described as the Netflix of banking and finance. It offers a range of masterclasses, including a collection of over 200 insightful sources that cover a variety of topics; from “5 tips on how to invest in stocks”, “how to improve savings in your household budget” to “how to reduce stress” and “how to achieve mindfulness”.
Furthermore, it allows customers to engage with independent assessment when it comes to securing a loan or looking for savings. Accentuating on this feature, Jacinto Texido, the head of stakeholder relations at 11Onze, comments “If you’re interested in securing a loan, you will go through a product evaluation. What is the cost? What are the differences between 11Onze and other banks? You will consider ‘Is this the right product for me?’ Self-evaluation will allow our customers to see for themselves if 11Onze offers a better service.”
In the coming weeks, the neobank is due to add additional features to the service; including marketplace, crowdfunding, and peer-to-peer lending services.
