Bank marketers are under pressure to do more with less in 2025. Economic uncertainty, tighter margins and shifting consumer expectations are forcing a reevaluation of what banks should say to attract consumers and where and how they say it.
Data from Vericast and BAI shows digital advertising now accounts for most of bank marketing spend. Digital channels represent nearly 62% of budgets, compared to just 38% for offline channels, with mobile-first platforms taking the lead.
It reflects a broader industry trend: moving from more generic, awareness-driven campaigns towards personalized strategies prioritizing measurable, performance-based outcomes.
However, while this reallocation of consumer ad spending does follow digital trends, it’s also a response to greater awareness of how consumers discover, evaluate and build trust with financial institutions. This new approach emphasizes personalization, data-driven targeting and smarter alignment to capture more of the fragmented attention of consumers.
Mobile Now Leads the Media Mix
In 2025, mobile is at the center of the shift toward digital. Consumers increasingly rely on smartphones to manage their financial lives, so banks are adapting by reallocating ad budgets toward mobile-first platforms and formats, especially video. Digital video ad spend is projected to hit over $72 billion in 2025, up 14% from last year.
“Consumers are increasingly transacting, researching and managing their finances entirely through mobile,” Sharon Cook, vice president, marketing strategy at Vericast, tells The Financial Brand. “In fact, for many, their phone is now their primary banking channel. That shift is driving more spend into mobile-optimized media — particularly app-based environments, social platforms like Instagram and TikTok and in-app programmatic display.”
That trend is playing out across banks of all sizes. “Increased mobile usage and the demand for seamless, on-the-go convenience are leading us to prioritize mobile-optimized platforms and ad formats that connect customers to our digital banking services,” says Brooke Waters, vice president and director of marketing and business development at Oconee State Bank.
At Bank Iowa, the numbers tell a similar story. “The shift to online banking is undeniable, especially with the mainstream banking industry’s push to attract a younger audience,” says Josh Fleming, director of marketing at Bank Iowa. “Our digital media budget continues to grow. It now accounts for north of 25% of our total marketing spend and has become one of our most reliable engines for lead generation and conversion.”
As consumers spend more time inside mobile apps and streaming platforms, short-form content is becoming the go-to format. For bank marketers, that means designing creative that performs well on mobile — quick, vertical and built for sound-off scrolling. “When it comes to reaching Gen Z and younger Millennials, we are prioritizing owned social content — such as short-form videos, quick financial tips and authentic storytelling — delivered primarily through Instagram,” Waters says.
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