PNC Bank’s Jenn Garbach on reclaiming the word ‘boring’ for the legacy brand

PNC Bank Chief Marketing Officer Jenn Garbach joins The Current Podcast at SXSW as part of International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month. Garbach shares insights on the success of the bank’s Brilliantly Boring campaign and reflects on her journey in marketing, tackling imposter syndrome, and balancing career growth with family life.

 

Episode Transcript

Please note, this transcript  may contain minor inconsistencies compared to the episode audio.

Kat Vesce (00:00):

I'm Kat Vesce.

Ilyse Liffreing (00:02):

And I'm Ilyse Liffreing. And welcome to this edition of The Current Podcast. In honor of International Women's Day and Women's Month, we're highlighting powerhouse women in marketing who are making an impact in their

Kat Vesce (00:17):

Industries. For this episode, we're thrilled to be joined by Jenn Garbach, chief marketing officer at PNC Bank, where she's redefining how 160 year old financial institution connects with modern consumers.

Ilyse Liffreing (00:28):

Jenn and her team launched brilliantly Boring, a campaign that leans into humor, trust, and authenticity.

Kat Vesce (00:34):

We'll dive into the strategy behind the campaign, the results that made it a game changer, and how PNC is balancing modernization with legacy in an industry built on tradition.

Ilyse Liffreing (00:44):

Plus, we'll discuss Jenn's insights on leadership and empowering women in the industry. Let's get started. So Jenn, it's wonderful for you to join us today at our studio at the Female Quotient Lounge during South by Southwest.

Jenn Garbach (01:00):

Thank you so much for having me. Yay.

Ilyse Liffreing (01:02):

So last July, PNC Bank came up with the campaign brilliantly boring. It's the first work with your new agency of record, Arnold Worldwide. Why is this campaign a game changer for the 160 year old brand?

Jenn Garbach (01:15):

Well, nothing infuses life and vigor into a brand like putting the word boring into it, but this has been a really fun opportunity for us to help match the growth trajectory of the business by rethinking the way we're telling the story about PNC in the marketplace. And so brilliantly boring has really been about taking that step forward, defining our brand in a way that brings distinction resonance in a very, very crowded and commoditized financial services market and is really authentic to who we are as an organization at PNC. Amazing.

Ilyse Liffreing (01:48):

And why lean into the word boring by any chance? The term is not, I guess, usually one you would associate with a creative campaign.

Jenn Garbach (