Outsmart the pack to survive — what your FI can learn from Russian subway dogs
By many accounts, stray dogs are everywhere in Moscow, Russia’s capital city. This large population consists of up to 35,000 homeless canines who have grown accustomed to operating in packs and begging on the streets for food.
A small group of approximately 500 dogs have taken up residence in the Moscow Metro subway stations, and an even smaller subset has learned to navigate the immense and complex subway system. These dogs commute by train to the city center, the best place to forage for food.
Taking the subway is just one of many survival tactics for these pups, who have learned to judge the length of time spent on trains between stations and recognize the names of places over the loudspeaker.
For these dogs, understanding their audience is crucial because they are hungry, and competition for survival is fierce.
The same lessons being learned in the Moscow subway apply to the changing landscape of banking. The customers that banks and credit unions rely on for survival are not a homogeneous group. Each market segment has a unique set of needs and they expect their FIs to meet them where they are to fulfill them. There’s no one-size-fits all solution, as Moscow dogs have learned. Survival is dependent on employing the best tactic for each situation and financial institutions need to be just as nimble because in banking, as in the Moscow Metro stations, the leader isn’t necessarily the biggest or the strongest – but the smartest.
Prepare to evolve
How will you outsmart the pack? With proper focus and resources, you can move past the status quo and ensure that you survive—and thrive.
