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Latest FCB-created FNB commercial keeps bank's image soaring

FCB South Africa's latest corporate-image television commercial for First National Bank continues to build on the tremendous success the FNB brand campaign and its consumer-friendly 'How can we help you?' positioning has had since its launch in September 2000.

The new advertisement, titled 'Choices', is the 9th in the series conceptualised and produced by FCB SA and its Johannesburg office.

"People often talk about SA's Big Four banks," comments FNB Brand Director Derek Carstens. "In reality, the situation prior to the advent of the brand campaign was not quite that. We had the Big Three and FNB trailing behind a distant fourth. Thus a new image, attitude and positioning had become crucial to the very future of the bank."

After extensive research, FNB's positioning was changed to convey helpfulness, and this new philosophy and corporate image needed to be communicated to the SA public. Integrated marketing communications group FCB South Africa was briefed to create a series of television advertisements that would communicate the new positioning in a way that was fresh, compelling, and capable of capturing the hearts and minds of consumers.

Marshalling several creative teams to produce different concepts compatible with their particular language and cultural groups, FCB developed a series of commercials, each telling a typically South African story about how people help each other every day in modest but meaningful ways.

The commercials have performed superlatively, beating their competitors in all key metrics and attaining ratings seldom seen in financial institution advertising. These include spontaneous awareness, spontaneous brand awareness and liking.

"Brand awareness, brand usage, loyalty, customer commitment and service expectations are all higher as a result of the campaign. Moreover, awareness of the bank's advertising amongst users of competing banks is also significantly up," continues Charles Matterson, FNB Business Director within FCB Johannesburg.

"Overall, the campaign has once again thrust South Africa's first bank into the awareness limelight, and secured a new positioning for the bank. FNB now has an excellent platform from which to launch new products and services with far greater credibility and potential acceptance than before."

Customer perception of the service encountered within FNB branches has improved, which could well be evidence that the staff have been motivated by the tone of helpfulness in the advertisements.

The campaign has achieved its goals, despite significantly less adspend than the larger competitors. Another major plus of the campaign are very low rates of wear-out - up to 13% lower than the nearest challenger's - meaning that production costs are being amortised over a far longer period.

"The brand campaign," Matterson concludes, "demonstrates how marketers and agencies, with great consumer insights, are able to deliver advertising that breaks through the clutter to command the attention and affection of consumers."



Editorial contact

C-Cubed Communications
Petra Peacock
(011) 462-2596

26 Jun 2002 23:37

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