Triodos Bank launches brand campaign that breaks through feeling of powerlessness

Sanne van Keulen, Head of Brand & Identity at Triodos Bank, said: "Many people don't realise that their bank plays a decisive role in what happens to their money. Choosing your bank is an impactful decision. Switching banks is not an administrative task, it's a choice for a more just financial system. We invite people to join a growing movement that shows that money is not neutral, but a form of influence. With this campaign, we want to encourage people to use that influence." 

Brits want their money to do more but most banks aren't listening.

To coincide with the UK launch, Triodos Bank commissioned independent research among 2,000 UK adults to understand how people feel about where their money goes and what they expect from their bank. 

The results reveal a significant gap between public expectation and banking reality. Two thirds of the survey participants (65%) believe banks should play an active role in supporting local communities, not just providing financial services, and 59% say banks have a responsibility to support positive change in their customers' local areas. Yet more than half (54%) feel that big banks don't care about small communities, and fewer than a third (29%) believe their own bank supports positive change in their local area. 

The research also shows that the way banks deploy money matters deeply to people. When asked what their local area most needs investment in, over a third of Brits (36%) said health services, followed by local high streets and small businesses (33%), affordable housing and mental health services (both 29%). Yet just over a quarter (28%) believe government funding is the only way local projects can access investment, a belief Triodos Bank exists to challenge. 
 
Some of the areas we have impact include:  
 
Health and wellbeing 
We lend to organisations like Gympanzees who support children and young people with sensory, physical, learning difficulties, SEN and any mild to profound disability.  
 
Affordable housing 
We have provided loans to organisations like Arawak Walton Housing Association to create affordable homes and vibrant, sustainable, and multi-cultural communities in the North West of England. 

Renewable energy 
We’ve hosted crowdfunding offers for organisations like Thrive Renewables who are on a mission to connect as many people as possible to clean, homegrown power. From providing funding for communities to own wind and solar in their neighbourhood, to hosting school visits for all generations to learn about the power of wind and sunshine. 

Transparency is what people want and what most banks don't offer.

If banks were to clearly fund projects in local areas, two thirds (66%) say they would feel more positively about them. Yet nearly two fifths (39%) of Brits feel that local people have no power over choosing where investment goes. The appetite for change is there, it simply hasn't been connected to banking as a tool for delivering it. 

Zoe Ruthven, Director of Marketing and Communications at Triodos Bank UK said, "The world has changed, but the need for Triodos hasn’t faded. In fact, it’s accelerated. At a time when many people can feel powerless, we want to share the message that every step counts, no matter how small. We have always been an energising and hopeful brand but our new identity and language tell that story better as we invite customers to grow our positive impact together."