July 21, 2025

4.5 Stars and 20% CTR: How BGL BNP Paribas’s Genius is Reinventing Digital Banking

By Benjamin Malka, Senior Sales Director for Europe 

At the recent IN BANQUE event in Paris, Tiziri Yousfi, Senior Professional Services Manager at Personetics sat down with Cyrielle Piezanowski, Head of Marketing & Customer Experience at BGL BNP Paribas, to discuss the recent upgrades to their Genius digital assistant using Personetics’ Cognitive Banking platform. What started as a traditional Personal Finance Management (PFM) tool has recently grown into something much more impactful; a true financial coach that delivers measurable results for both the bank and its customers—CTR of around 20% and 4.5 out of 5 stars customer satisfaction ratings. 

Beyond Traditional PFM: The Challenge of Low Engagement 

When BGL BNP Paribas first launched Genius in 2017, it functioned like most PFM solutions in the market. As Cyrielle explained, traditional PFM tools typically saw adoption rates of just 10-12%. In 2024, as Cyrielle noted, “we wanted to move from simply tracking expenses to providing a true personal financial assistant for our clients.” 

“Clients tell us, ‘I do get information, but it requires a lot of effort on my part for little return—few real benefits from the solution,'” Cyrielle noted. This feedback highlighted a fundamental issue with passive financial management tools. 

BGL BNP Paribas wanted to go further. Their ambition was clear: to become their clients’ trusted companion by supporting them proactively in managing their finances. This vision required moving beyond simple expense tracking to provide a genuine personal financial assistant.

The Power of Contextual Intelligence

The real breakthrough came when BGL BNP Paribas shifted from providing generic financial information to delivering intelligent, contextual insights. Powered by Personetics’ Cognitive Banking platform, Genius now analyzes spending patterns in real-time and provides actionable recommendations at precisely the right moment.

Two examples that Cyrielle shared illustrate this impact: 

• Daily Financial Management: Genius proactively pushes spending breakdowns by merchant, helping customers understand their dining and shopping habits. The system also detects duplicate transactions, alerting customers to potential account anomalies.
• Savings Recommendations: When Genius identifies a significant deposit, it recommends transferring a portion to savings. For customers with comfortable savings cushions, it suggests investment diversification options. The contextual nature of these recommendations drives exceptional engagement. 

Results That Speak Volumes

The metrics tell a powerful story. Genius now achieves: 

• Click-through rates of around 20% across all recommendations—five times higher than BGL BNP Paribas’ traditional app solicitations.
• Customer satisfaction ratings of 4.5 out of 5 stars 

As Cyrielle put it, “As a marketer, that really stands out.” 

This performance gap demonstrates what happens when AI is well-designed and properly contextualized. Rather than bombarding customers with generic offers, Genius provides relevant guidance at the optimal moment. The result strengthens customer relationships while driving commercial results. 

Three Key Lessons for Financial Institutions 

Based on our partnership experience with BGL BNP Paribas, Cyrielle offered three recommendations for banks considering similar initiatives: 

1. Dare to collaborate: In a world that is changing so quickly, choosing the right partner saves time and accelerates implementation. Working with specialists in complex areas like AI and behavioral analysis brings deep expertise that would be difficult to build internally.
2. Always think client-first: Success isn’t about adding another technology layer; it’s about full integration with the bank’s existing systems. Genius works because it guides customers through BGL BNP Paribas’ digitized sales journeys, becoming part of their daily financial routine.
3. Build agile, shared governance: Work in short cycles with testing and learning phases. As Cyrielle candidly shared, “Let’s be honest, it hasn’t been easy every day throughout the project, but we stayed the course, held firm, and ultimately succeeded.” As she noted, “If you share a common ambition and mutual respect, that’s the key to a successful partnership.”

Looking Forward

Genius continues to evolve. The focus now is on maintaining dynamism and avoiding customer fatigue through continued feature development. As digital assistants become more sophisticated, they’ll play increasingly important roles in customer relationships; not just answering questions but proactively delivering advice and recommendations. 

A Partnership Built to Last

Our partnership with BGL BNP Paribas demonstrates what’s possible when financial institutions commit to genuinely understanding and serving their customers. The journey from basic PFM to intelligent financial coaching had to overcome some hurdles, but the results—higher satisfaction ratings, exceptional click-through rates, and strengthened customer relationships—validate the approach. 

As Cyrielle concluded the conversation, “When we look at the results—click-through rates and engagement—Genius truly brings significant value to clients.” That value, built over years of collaboration and refinement, represents the future of customer-centric banking. 

The partnership with BGL BNP Paribas continues to grow, but one thing remains constant: our shared commitment to making financial management more intuitive, valuable, and genuinely helpful for everyday banking customers. 

Ready to move your PFM from basic expense tracking to intelligent financial coaching? Schedule a complimentary consultation to learn how Personetics can help you achieve the kind of engagement results BGL BNP Paribas sees with Genius.