What is Sales and Marketing Strategy of Hong Leong Financial Company?

Hong Leong Connect and HLB Pocket Connect serve as primary retail sales and servicing hubs, enabling account opening, cards, personal loans, wealth sign-ups and insurance referrals; digital acquisition represented an estimated 60–70% of new-to-bank retail products in FY2024, up from under 30% in FY2019.

HLB operates roughly 250+ branches in Malaysia as advisory hubs for mortgages, SME financing and wealth; footfall declined mid-teens since 2019, but sales productivity per advisor increased via appointment-led and remote advisory models, improving distribution efficiency and driving a C/I ratio near 41–43% in FY2024.

Dedicated relationship managers target lending, cash management, trade finance and treasury; cash management fee income grew high single digits YoY in 2024 as SME digital onboarding and API connectivity expanded, while supply-chain finance and merchant acquiring (QR DuitNow, cards) anchor cross-sell.

Multichannel distribution via tied agents (core), bancassurance with HLB, digital leads and corporate policies; agency headcount stabilised post-pandemic and productivity per active agent rose low double digits in 2024, with bancassurance contributing an estimated > 35% of regular-premium sales in 2024.

Brand message centers on a technology-first bank that intervenes personally for key life and business moments, appealing to customers seeking speed, trust and clear value.

Standout features include fast digital onboarding, an intuitive app UX, competitive daily banking rewards and relationship-led SME support with complementary insurance and disciplined asset management.

Visual identity uses a modern blue-and-gold palette and straightforward tone; seasonal, inclusive Malaysian motifs are applied during festivals to reinforce cultural relevance.

A unified design system and service standards (for example, appointment SLAs) ensure consistent experience across app, web, branch and social channels.

Objective: accelerate digital account opening and app adoption via limited-time fee waivers, bonus rates and gamified rewards across app, web, social, influencers and OOH; lifted mobile MAUs to 2M+ by 2024 with higher digital CASA and card sign-ups, lower CPA and improved cross-sell into investments and insurance.

Youth-first money app features, savings challenges and campus ambassador programmes promoted via TikTok/Instagram creators and in-app quests; delivered strong under-25 acquisition, engagement rates above industry norms and a clear pipeline to cards and loans at graduation—micro-influencers outperformed broad-reach buys for CPA and retention.

Zero-setup merchant onboarding, bundled cash management and QR acceptance rewards executed via RM outreach, SME webinars and trade channels; achieved tens of thousands of merchant sign-ups and fee income growth in cash management in the high single digits YoY, supporting Hong Leong Financial company strategy for SMEs.

Combined cashback/points accelerators with anti-scam education across TV, radio, social and in-app messages; drove higher card spend during festive peaks and a measurable decline in scam-related loss rates among engaged users, reinforcing trust as a revenue driver.

Life-stage targeted offers with pre-approved sum assured and simplified underwriting via RM consultations, email/push and explainers; bancassurance share exceeded 35% of regular premiums with higher take-up from data-triggered outreach, showing effective cross-selling and upselling strategies.

Campaigns combine app-first activation, creator-led social, RM-led B2B outreach and OOH bursts; success factors include clear value exchange, frictionless onboarding, ecosystem utility and personalization driven by data analytics in sales.