GoBank Introduces University Initiative and Spokeswoman Bethany Hamilton

GoBank, the mobile-first bank account from Green Dot Corp., has already made some bold marketing moves, and added to them yesterday with the unveiling of a new student-centric marketing effort and the introduction of spokesperson Bethany Hamilton.

GoBank made the disclosures during Green Dot’s second quarter earnings call.

GoBank’s marketing is already unusual for bank accounts. Flyers with special offers for the account currently appear in major retail chains Rite Aid and Kmart, and the product is featured on the TV show “Project Runway.”

GoBank ‘s newest marketing effort will have its account product soon displayed in 555 Barnes & Noble bookstores on college campuses. Green Dot CEO Steve Streit said the following about GoBank’s university marketing strategy:

One of the reasons we’ve aligned our GoBank marketing strategy with the higher education channel is we believe GoBank is truly the perfect bank account for a college student. It’s super easy to get from the App Stores, it’s very inexpensive and there are no ways for the student to get into trouble. No overdraft fees ever, lots of free ATMs all around them and like the students themselves, GoBank is all mobile all the time.

There is also the network effect of enclosed communities, which is driving pilots of mobile wallet providers bPay from Barclaycard and stealth startup Clinkle. (Will students be able to get the accounts? One iOS user, who gave the GoBank app one star out of five, complains in the App Store, “You have to have a good credit score to get this card!”)

GoBank had very specific reasons why it chose Bethany Hamilton as the brand’s first spokesperson. (GoBank’s mascot, Professor Dog, apparently doesn’t count.) Steve Streit described Hamilton as follows:

She’s the teen surfer who lost her arm in a shark attack while surfing and yet came back to be a champion again. She’ll be sharing her GoBank experience online and through social media channels, and we’re proud to have her as a representative of our GoBank brand.

GoBank’s retail links are growing with the addition of a partnership with 7-Eleven, already a partner to PayNearMe. Starting in the fall, GoBank customers will be able to fund their accounts using cash at 7-Eleven stores.

The app is being featured in the iOS App Store in the Finance section under the heading New & Noteworthy. Bank of America’s app and the American Express mobile app are also featured in the same section.

A partnership with mobile service provider US Cellular was also mentioned. US Cellular has 5 million customers and will feature GoBank across its Android device portfolio and in “other strategic marketing collaborations.”