CIMB’s personalized banking at scale fuels engagement and loyalty

162

%

YoY increase in monthly active users

49

%

growth in the app customer base in two months

Leading ASEAN bank CIMB Group provides a wide range of consumer, commercial, and investment banking services across ten countries in Asia. CIMB Singapore is a division of the brand dedicated to offering tailored banking solutions for its local customers.

Overview

Mobile apps have become customers’ preferred destination for modern banking. Committed to delivering innovative banking and exceptional service, CIMB Singapore recognized the importance of investing in its CIMB Clicks app to enhance the end-to-end customer experience and improve overall satisfaction.

Challenge

CIMB aimed to strengthen its position in the competitive Singapore market by transforming CIMB Clicks with a simple, secure, and feature-rich experience. With only one physical location in Singapore, the bank recognized an opportunity to create a “virtual branch” by positioning the app as the preferred choice for seamless banking with personalized, timely interactions that deliver value and convenience. Security also remained a top priority amid rising phishing threats.

Results

CIMB’s innovation resulted in big gains. Firstly, the bank drove increases in overall engagement with 7% higher direct open rates and 82% higher opt-in rates for push notifications. Their efforts also resulted in significant boosts to NPS scores, recognition by industry trades, and higher app store ratings — including a 2.8x increase in Apple app store ratings and a 1.5x increase in Google Play store ratings.

Mobile banking experiences require a high-touch strategy that keeps customers informed, engaged, and reassured. Airship empowered us to transform the CIMB Clicks app into a virtual branch that balances the tailored service that customers expect from in-person interactions with the convenience of online operations.

Merlyn Tsai
Head of Consumer Banking & Digital

Solution

CIMB positions their app as a go-to resource for customers

New app experiences deliver value and convenience across the customer lifecycle

With limited resources and time, the CIMB team adopted a “fail fast, learn quick” approach, using Airship’s In-App Messaging and Message Center, along with our Push Notification solution, to rapidly create and deliver personalized content that facilitates transactions and keeps customers informed. This was essential for improving overall usage and engagement across the entire customer lifecycle.

Segmentation and personalization deepen customer connections

CIMB implemented a segmented in-app messages, inbox alerts, and push notifications to offer the tailored experiences customers might expect from in-person service. During the campaign, the brand delivered over 15 million targeted messages — pairing key alerts like deposit reminders and security notifications with personalized experiences such as birthday videos and exclusive promotions. This combination built trust and drove repeat engagement, while allowing the CIMB team to offer the right products and services at just the right time.

No-code capabilities and experimentation enable organizational agility

With a lean team of just three feature managers who doubled as content creators, CIMB turned to Airship’s no-code platform to streamline processes, accelerate experience deployment from months to days, and reduce developer dependence. The team efficiently tested content with control groups to make data-backed decisions and fine-tune messaging before full rollouts. Customer feedback collected via Airship’s Surveys also shaped the product roadmap and enabled incremental experience improvements.