Hong Leong Bank introduces Earth Hero on its digital banking platform

By Edil Corneille

Hong Leong Bank (HLB) introduced a digital forward banking initiative, Earth Hero, that encourages children to be eco-conscious while practising good money habits. It combines financial and environmental literacy, leveraging on HLB Pocket Connect, an interactive and personalised mobile banking platform launched in August 2020 for digital natives.

Domenic Fuda, Group Managing Director and CEO of HLB shared that Earth Hero results from the effort of Hong Leong Bank in expanding sustainability initiatives by promoting financial inclusion and literacy through its products and services.

“We are cognizant of our role as a financial institution in creating and sustaining a vibrant ecosystem of communities and the environment. We are very proud to be the first bank in Malaysia and the region to steer the younger generation towards being financially savvy and environmentally conscious through HLB Pocket Connect. There is good traction in this app’s uptake and view it as a good opportunity to gamify financial education with tangible rewards that benefits the environment, with parental guidance and in partnership with an eco-social enterprise.”

Under ‘Earth Hero’, HLB Pocket Connect has embedded a new fun and engaging ‘Task’ section, linked to an eco-friendly reforestation mission targeting to plant 2,500 trees in Borneo in partnership with social enterprise APE Malaysia.

The goal of Hong Leong Bank is to teach children about their choices having an impact on the planet. With tasks completed, children earn opportunities to plant virtual trees. For every 20 virtual trees achieved, HLB will plant a real tree. The child will receive a certificate with the GPS coordinates of the real tree planted in their name.

Galvin Yeo, HLB’s GM of Personal Financial Services for Deposits & Digital said, “Children are true native digital and technology users, and are interested to learn through an interactive mobile platform that gamifies engaging activities and tasks. Through HLB Pocket Connect, we are able to seamlessly incorporate an environmental literacy element, teaching children to cultivate the understanding and responsibility in taking care of the environment and the value of money, with parents’ help. More importantly, we are proud to think outside the financial institution box in delivering a truly innovative, fun and relevant digital banking platform for their lifestyle.”