Hello, my name is… Smart Assistant

U.S. Bank began publicizing its new smart assistant, named Smart Assistant. So far, U.S. Bank has promoted its Smart Assistant only in email, where it highlighted sample voice commands.  

In name, “Smart Assistant” lacks the personality of Bank of America’s smart assistant Erica, and Capital One’s smart assistant Eno.

What we think 

U.S. Bank will have to work hard to not only to make its case but also to get the word out in the first place.

U.S. Bank is up against a tough audience: A sizeable portion of consumers hasn’t even heard of banks’ virtual assistants. Making matters tougher is U.S. Bank’s “Smart Assistant” name, which doesn’t stand out—or reference the bank’s name—the way Erica and Eno do.

With such a generic name, the bank will have to make sure other features differentiate and prove its assistant’s value. While U.S. Bank is starting marketing with a campaign aimed at existing customers, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the bank further highlight unique features in a broader top-of-funnel campaign. If it succeeds, U.S. Bank could boost awareness not only of Smart Assistant but also for the brand overall.