Smile (bank)

The Smile brand was launched in October 1999.{{cite web|last=ROSIER|first=BEN |date=1 February 2001|title=Smile hunts chief to build relationships|url=https://www.campaignlive.com/article/smile-hunts-chief-build-relationships/55930|access-date=2021-10-04|website=www.campaignlive.com}}

In July 2000, "moneybags.co.uk" rated smile highly in terms of accessibility, citing its ‘excellent interest rates, top functionality, nice appearance and lots of clear, helpful information in plain English’. Additionally, the "Internet Made Easy" magazine rated smile as ‘simply the best of the web’.

2001 saw Smile launch ‘Smile invest’, a collaboration with Fidelity Fundsupermarket{{cite web|title=smile collaboration with Fidelity Fundsupermarket|url=http://www.professionaladviser.com/ifaonline/news/1316506/smile-ties-fidelity-fundsnetwork|accessdate=13 April 2016}} which gave smile customers even more opportunity to expand their financial portfolios, and compare more shares and stocks. In 2002, Smile also launched Sharedealing{{cite web|title=smile launched Sharedealing|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/investing/2857410/No-need-to-go-for-broke-when-you-deal-online.html|accessdate=13 April 2016}} to help experienced and new investors build an online portfolio, with 24-hour access.

In 2003 there were record interim pre-tax profits{{cite web|title=Record pre tax profits for smile|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/2862879/Record-gives-Co-op-cause-to-smile.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160229071346/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/2862879/Record-gives-Co-op-cause-to-Smile.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 29, 2016|accessdate=13 April 2016}} for the tenth consecutive year. The first half of 2003 improved on the previous year, up 10% on 2002.

As part of this community outreach, Smile sponsored the Cape2cape{{cite web|title=Cape2cape challenge|url=http://www.post-gazette.com/news/nation/2004/06/30/Cape-to-Cape-caper-in-Cessna-a-challenge/stories/200406300281|accessdate=13 April 2016}} challenge in 2004, where a team flew from the tip of Chile to the coast of Canada in a single plane. This was followed by Smile sponsoring the North West Comedy Awards in 2005.{{cite web|title=smile sponsor NW comedy awards|url=http://old.manchesterconfidential.co.uk/Entertainment-and-Sport/Events-and-Listings/North-West-smile-Comedy-Awards-2005-The-Winners|accessdate=13 April 2016}}

In 2008, Smile launched an ethical policy{{cite web|title=smile launch ethical policy|url=http://ethicalinvestment5.blogspot.co.uk/2008/12/smile-banks-ethical-policy-updated-in.html|accessdate=13 April 2016}} vote, giving customers the opportunity to change the things that matter most to them. This included turning down business, including accounts for known arms dealers, cosmetic businesses which test on animals, and companies which affect the environment with dangerous chemicals.

In 2000, smile launched a national rollout and a UK-wide ad campaign, featuring the song ‘Smile’ by The Supernaturals, under the authority of David Conway, the Co-Operative Bank's then-executive director of marketing.{{cite web|title=smile ad campaign - supernaturals|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jdk1VAU38Y| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210716122255/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jdk1VAU38Y&feature=youtu.be| archive-date=2021-07-16 | url-status=dead|accessdate=13 April 2016}} They also launched a series of web shorts, all aimed at promoting smile's automatic cancellation from the customer's previous bank.{{cite web|title=smile ad web cam ad campaign|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9kWkQI38IQ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/D9kWkQI38IQ| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live|accessdate=13 April 2016}}{{cbignore}}

They also followed this up with stickers placed on bananas in Co-operative Food stores, with the phrase ‘Top Banana’ (‘bananas’ originally being a slang term for money), followed by the smile URL. Bob Head, chief executive of smile, said that new research suggested that “more than 11m Brits say bananas make them smile more than any other fruit.”{{cite web|title=smile banana campaign|url=http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising/internet-bank-ad-campaign-has-appeal-51578|accessdate=13 April 2016}}

Using direct mail campaigns, like pairs of underwear with the words ‘other banks are pants’ emblazoned on them, as well as toothbrushes to ‘keep people smiling’, smile generally uses a humorous tone when speaking to its audience.{{cite web|title=smile toothbrush campaign|url=http://alaninbelfast.blogspot.co.uk/2007_11_01_archive.html|accessdate=13 April 2016}}

For smile's tenth anniversary, in October 2009, the bank launched its ‘Cheer Up Britain’ campaign, showing various ‘unhappy’ celebrities and politicians (like Ann Widdecombe, Gordon Brown and Richard ‘Victor Meldrew’ Wilson) with a ‘smile’ in front of their faces. People were also encouraged to cheer up the people around them with starter packs like a joke glasses-and-mustache mask, a pink wig, feather boas and other humorous items.{{cite web|title=smile's tenth anniversary|url=http://www.thinkeh6.co.uk/portfolio/smile-the-internet-bank}}

In July 2020 the website and mobile application suffered intermittent loss of service, commencing Sunday 5 July and continuing until Saturday 11 July.{{cite web|title=Online bank Smile suffers IT woes|url=https://news.sky.com/story/online-bank-smile-suffers-it-woes-as-customers-struggle-to-access-website-and-app-12025725|accessdate=10 July 2020}}{{cite web|title=Smile? Not bloody likely|url=https://www.theregister.com/2020/07/10/smile_uk_outages/|accessdate=10 July 2020}} The outage was caused by a database problem after routine maintenance.{{cite web|title=Smile Service Information|url=https://www.co-operativebank.co.uk/news/2020/smile-service-information|accessdate=12 July 2020}}{{cite web|title=Mobile App Services Information|url=https://www.co-operativebank.co.uk/news/2020/mobile-app-services-information|accessdate=12 July 2020}}

{{reflist}}

{{Portal|Banks}}

• [https://www.smile.co.uk Official website]

{{UK banks}}

Category:Banks of the United Kingdom

Category:Companies based in Manchester

Category:Banks established in 1999

Category:The Co-operative Group

Category:Online banks