Kiwibank's digital transformation with Atomic.io, elevating customer security and engagement

Who are Kiwibank?

Kiwibank is the largest New Zealand-owned bank and the fifth-largest bank by assets, with a market share of approximately 9%. Kiwibank has over 1 million customers.

Bridging the gap between promise and experience amid rising scams

In the past year, New Zealanders suffered losses amounting to $9 million as a result of scams. Kiwibank recognized the need for a digital transformation to not only enhance customer security but to make everyday banking easier and more convenient for their customers. The challenge lay in maintaining their commitment to providing a top-notch customer experience while taking on the introduction of messaging in secure channels like their mobile app and internet banking.

"Prior to implementing Atomic.io, in-app messaging had always felt slightly too hard to execute. We've since been able to demonstrate to our staff the massive opportunity of smarter, actionable in-app communication with Atomic.io."

David Parker— Head of Marketing Enablement

The role Atomic played

The integration of Atomic.io played a crucial role in enhancing the security of customer interactions by moving crucial messages into authenticated digital channels like the Kiwibank mobile app and internet banking web portal.

When a cyclone devastated parts of the North Island in 2023, Kiwibank needed to get messages out quickly to those impacted. Atomic.io gave them the ability to build, test, and deploy in-app messages at speed, achieving a remarkable 93% read rate from their support messages.

In moments when scams did inevitably arise, Kiwibank was able to swiftly send in-app messages that not only notified customers of a new SMS scam, but included an image of the exact scam and provided helpful ways to keep safe. Overall, Kiwibank holds an impressive 87% read rate with in-app messages – outshining traditional channels like email, SMS, and phone.

Within their first year of implementing Atomic.io, Kiwibank saw their banking customers seamlessly make the switch to secure, digital channels. Self-service home loan maintenance through the web and mobile apps experienced a noteworthy 45% growth compared to its previous year. In addition, 90% of taxation accounts and 88% of credit cards were initiated through digital channels.

"To build a single action card internally, it would take our developers a full sprint, costing nearly $30k, and the end result wouldn't deliver everything Atomic.io offers."

Mike Hyde— Senior Product Manager

Key take-away

By combining Atomic.io’s best-in-class technology with a customer-centric strategy, Kiwibank achieved a significant reduction in security risks, boosted engagement in digital channels, and solidified their reputation as an innovative institution committed to providing a safe and satisfying digital banking experience for all Kiwis.

Atomic powers in-app messaging for Kiwibank

"For ever and a day, we’ve talked about right channel, right message, right time. Always felt like a bit of a b*llshit holy grail. But perhaps we’re actually bridging that gap now thanks to Atomic.io."

Simon Hofmann — GM Brand & Marketing