What sort of gorilla marketing could Monzo undertake instead of/in support of tube train advertising?
I wondered if it would be an idea to have a counter that shows every time a Monzo card is used? Probably against everyone’s privacy (or is it?) - but you could show all the swipes on a global map to illustrate where and when cards are being used? -I would find that fascinating!
What markets should Monzo target? Students perhaps? Military? Cabin Crew?
I think the focus so far has been on the millennial market a bit too much. I personally think the culture of the company and the level of transparency and communication is fantastic. That said, it’s highly unlikely I would switch to Monzo purely because I don’t like the app. The look and feel isn’t professional enough IMHO. I realise a lot of people love it and will disagree with me but I honestly believe the app is aimed at too narrow a market currently.
I’ve seen this kind of comment made before. Can you elaborate on what it is about the UI that you find unprofessional? Or is it just a general feeling kind of thing?
How do you feel about the Starling app (if you use it) out of curiosity?
I’m not sure unprofessional was the right word to use - that sounds a bit derogatory, which wasn’t my intention. It’s the big boxes, bright colours, emoji… it just looks like it was aimed at a much younger audience (and I’m only 42 
).
Starling is my main bank and I really like the app. Aesthetically it’s much more to my liking - easy on the eye, side menu with everything easily accessible, etc.
I joined Monzo about four months before I joined Starling - it was my introduction to mobile-only banking. There were a lot of things to like, particularly the fee-free spending and cash withdrawals abroad. I’d been toying with switching to Monzo when I came across Starling. I tried the two services out and found I really preferred the look and feel of Starling’s app.
Over time, there were other things that made Starling even more appealing - keeping cash withdrawals abroad completely fee-free was a big one, along with the overdraft rate and how it takes into account money reserved in Goals.
I did close my Monzo account at one point but reopened it about a month later. I love the “Big List” that Monzo created and was really impressed at how many of the items were ticked off. That level of communication is something I always wanted from Starling. Also, the overall culture at Monzo seems really appealing. I like the fact that they have incorporated round-ups into the Pots feature (something Starling have so far refused to do) and I am desperate for in-app cheque imaging, something else that Monzo have promised in the new year.
I really want to see Monzo succeed and I definitely don’t have quite the same affection for Starling as I did before they closed their forums. That said, I still think the app is a better fit for me and I think the fees (or lack of them) are fairer across the board. If you could take the best of Starling and the best of Monzo, I think you’d have a world beater in every sense!
Sounds very similar to me! The Starling app ‘feels’ better to me (even though they seem to have fallen by the wayside with promised updates lately), but I prefer Monzo as a company - I like how transparent they try to be, and the company culture/ethos is great. Starling is starting to feel more and more ‘legacy’ lately.
You want tweed and magnolia? I love it, but then I refuse to act my age 
I think Monzo is making steady progress as it is from a marketing perspective. One thing I have noticed is that it is hard to find my “golden tickets” as a regular spender on Monzo, perhaps this feature could be pulled out and into the “my account” section?
Golden Tickets aren’t needed for new accounts any more, it’s open to all 