Banks Must Move Beyond Product Parity

Banking Transformed with Jim Marous · Mar 3, 2026 · 50m

If your bank is still competing on features, you don’t have a strategy.

There was a time when products and features made a difference. That time is gone. Digital is now expected. Rates are aligned. Features are replicated. And AI can compare them instantly. If you're leading with just what you offer, you're competing in a race where everyone looks the same.

Allison Netzer's "Think Like a Brand, Not Like a Bank" Version 2 shares three years of implementation data from banks and credit unions that stopped competing on features. Her framework explains why leading with product specs is mistaken…