From Reaction to Retaliation: How Islamic State Dark Web Ecosystems Processed the San Diego Mosque Shooting

In the aftermath of the San Diego mosque shooting on 18 May, public discussion quickly focused on familiar themes surrounding contemporary extremist violence: accelerationism, manifesto culture, online radicalisation, and the digital footprints of the attackers. As journalists, researchers, and social media users attempted to understand the motivations behind the attack, the incident rapidly…

The Content Channel Your Banking Competitors Are Ignoring (That Gen Z and Millennials Are On Every Day)

Download Our Report Financial institutions spend a lot of money on channels their best prospects don’t use, and almost nothing on channels where those prospects spend hours every day. Here’s what our research found: YouTube is the top research channel for Gen Z consumers (58%) and the second-highest for Millennials (45%). TikTok reaches nearly [...]

Why Fees Are Quietly Killing Your Customer Retention

Download Our Report Your institution probably has a customer service team that’s genuinely good at its job. You likely have competitive rates on at least some of your products. You’re probably rooted in the community in ways a national bank or fintech can’t match. None of that matters if your customers feel like they’re [...]

HAYI and State-Cover Networks: The Changing Landscape of Terrorist Financing in Europe

This Insight was published as part of GIFCT’s Working Group on Countering the Financing of Terrorism Online (CFTO). GIFCT Working Groups bring together experts from diverse stakeholder groups, geographies and disciplines to offer advice in specific thematic areas and deliver on targeted, substantive projects. This Insight examines how terrorist financing in Europe is changing in practice, as…

49% of Consumers Google Your Institution Before Deciding. What Do They Find?

Download Our Report When a consumer is ready to open a new account or switch institutions, their first move is almost always digital. Forty-nine percent of consumers in our study use Google Search to research specific financial products. Thirty-four percent rely on friends and family recommendations. Twenty-eight percent check online reviews. Your search presence [...]

What Millennials Check Before They Open a Bank Account (It’s Not Just the Rates)

Download Our Report Millennials are the most financially active generation in our 2026 study. They are the most likely to seek out financial information, the most responsive to social media content from financial institutions, and the most engaged with product research across digital channels. They are also in the highest-stakes life stage of any [...]

Generation Z Is Already Banking. Are You on Their Radar?

Download Our Report Gen Z is no longer a future audience. The oldest members of this cohort are 27. They have jobs, they have debit cards, they have growing credit needs, and they are very much in the market for financial relationships. They are also, according to our research, largely up for grabs. Fifty-four [...]

The Six Life Moments That Decide Where Consumers Bank

Download Our Report Financial marketing tends to behave as if consumers are constantly thinking about their bank. They’re not. For most people, their primary financial institution is invisible — a background service they interact with briefly and think about almost never. Until something changes. Our research identified six life events that reliably trigger active [...]

The Six Life Moments That Decide Where Consumers Bank

Download Our Report Financial marketing tends to behave as if consumers are constantly thinking about their bank. They’re not. For most people, their primary financial institution is invisible — a background service they interact with briefly and think about almost never. Until something changes. Our research identified six life events that reliably trigger active [...]

Five Actions Every Community Financial Institution CMO Should Take in 2026

Download Our Report The data from our 2026 American Financial Consumer study points in a clear direction. The competitive environment for local banks and credit unions has never been more dynamic or more full of opportunity for the institutions willing to act on what the numbers are telling them. Here are five actions that [...]

You Have 77% Favorability. Your Prospects Have Never Heard of You.

Download Our Report Local credit unions are the most favorably viewed financial institution type in the United States, according to our 2026 American Financial Consumer study. Seventy-seven percent of American consumers view local credit unions favorably. That is ahead of local banks, regional banks, national banks, and every fintech alternative in the survey. It’s [...]

35% of Your Best New Customers Found You Through a Family Member. Are You Capitalizing on That?

Download Our Report If you asked your last 50 new account holders how they first heard about your institution, what would they say? If you’re like most community banks and credit unions, the most common answer would be: ‘Someone in my family told me about you.’ Our 2026 American Financial Consumer study found that [...]

The Local Advantage That Most Community Banks Are Leaving on the Table

Download Our Report Here’s a number that should make every community bank marketer sit up straight: 76% of American consumers view local banks favorably. For local credit unions, that number is 77%, which is the highest favorability rating of any institution type in the country. Not national banks. Not fintechs. Not the big digital-only [...]

Innovation in AI-Enabled Harms: The Transference of AI Knowledge from Cybercriminals to Extremists

Violent extremist actors, including Salafi-Jihadists, neo-Nazis, nihilistic violent extremists (NVE), and others, are increasingly adopting artificial intelligence (AI) for novel purposes, including translation, propaganda generation, attack planning, and the spread of misinformation. Yet, the most sophisticated and scalable AI-enabled harms are currently being driven by cybercriminals, and the…

Rituals of Recruitment: How Right-Wing Extremist Combat Sports Groups Mobilise Young Men Online and Offline

The growth of online fitness ecosystems with ties to right-wing extremism (RWE), alongside manosphere influencers who promote self-improvement through physical training and warrior-style identities, has evolved in tandem with a broader surge in interest in mixed martial arts (MMA). In recent years, popularised among mainstream audiences by the strategic branding of the UFC (Ultimate Fighting…

Into the Manosphere: Louis Theroux’s Documentary and How Platforms Enable the Business of Misogyny

“Everyone in the manosphere is online just trying to make a buck selling ideologies.” – Louis Theroux’s, Into the Manosphere (Netflix). In Louis Theroux’s latest documentary, Into the Manosphere, the British documentarian speaks directly with manosphere influencers. The manosphere is a loose network of communities that claim to address the societal struggles of men while promoting idealised…

How to Turn Your Team into Your Most Authentic Content Engine

The content problem no one wants to admit Most marketing teams are not struggling to produce content. They are struggling to produce content that anyone cares about. Teams are under pressure to publish constantly. Stay relevant. Keep channels active. In that pressure, content often becomes polished, consistent and easy to ignore. The shift comes [...]

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