Key Takeaways
Understanding various bank segments is crucial for enhancing profitability.
The channel used for selling a product significantly impacts operational costs and profitability.
Time of purchase, client type, and region are other key dimensions affecting profitability.
Differentiating between pricing and cost prices is essential for banks to maintain a healthy bottom line.
The banking sector is a complex labyrinth of numerous segments and dimensions. Understanding these segments is crucial for banks to optimize their operations and enhance profitability. Today, we delve into the various bank segments that significantly impact the bottom line.
A Multidimensional View of Bank Segments
When we talk about bank segments, it encompasses several categories. These could be customer segments, time segments, or even channel segments. Each of these segments plays a crucial role in determining the bank’s profitability.
The Channel Dimension
Consider the example of a customer purchasing a 10-year mortgage through two different channels – online and a local branch. The product remains the same, but the operational costs vary significantly. The online channel involves minimal human interaction, thus reducing operational costs. Conversely, the branch channel involves a bank advisor’s time and effort, leading to higher operational costs. Therefore, the channel used for selling the product significantly impacts the profitability.
The Time Dimension
The time of the mortgage purchase also plays a critical role in profitability. For instance, a 10-year mortgage purchased in 2021 will have different profitability than one purchased in 2023. This variation is primarily due to the fluctuating capital costs over the years.
The Client Type Dimension
Different client types can also influence profitability. For example, if a bank decides to focus its marketing efforts on families rather than individuals, the cost price for mortgages sold to families should include the marketing campaign costs. This segmentation can significantly impact the fully loaded cost situation.
The Region Dimension
Lastly, the region where the product is sold can also affect profitability. For instance, wage levels and operational costs may differ between the east and west regions, leading to different cost prices for the same product.
Pricing vs. Cost Prices
It is crucial to differentiate between pricing and cost prices. While pricing is determined by the market, cost price is what the bank incurs to offer the product. Ideally, products should be sold at a price higher than the cost price. However, regulatory changes or market fluctuations could cause the cost price to exceed the selling price, affecting profitability.
