My take on CBA rebranding…

(Picture courtesy of brandhalo.worpress.com)

After much hullabaloo in regards  to Commercial Bank of Africa’s  rebranding, let me also share my thoughts as to why their recent rebranding  deserves an Oscar award.

And yes its true, sense has finally come to the banking world as far as brand positioning  is concerned.

Early this year I highlighted my frustrations why the banking domain really needs to change course as far as branding is concerned. And this time round, CBA  has set a good example for their peers in the industry.

Personally I must commend Interbrand for doing a marvelous job  and the road they took was absolutely wise . I have always been concerned with the banking sector , since what I have witnessed is nothing but similarities and copycat-ism in brand positioning.

As I highlighted , predictability is what I saw when banks produced almost  one consistent message in an average of three years.

I like the idea of banks breaking away from their traditional serious image they have long been associated with. But their evolvement shouldn’t be predictable for all of them at the same time. This is why Brand Strategy is key in carving your difference.

What I note in CBA’s new brand identity is an impression that potrays a more Mature, authentic , dynamic, contemporary African brand, with the  adoption of earth-tone colors in their logo, giving me the confidence and reassurance that indeed they are the ones who will take me where no one has.

As  I also noted here, brands in this era need to send a signal that they are ready to compete in the global arena with confidence. Kenyanizing branding is good but we live in era where boundaries are no longer dictating brand scope not forgetting how cyberia has really made the world smaller by the day.

Exception than the rule.

Why I’m also commending their move is because their strategy is focused more on the exception than the rule. Most of their peers sing how well they will help you get where you need to go which is not bad. Offering you the best mortgage or desired personal account is commendable for its always a tussle  knowing the good product from the bad. But unfortunately this is more of the rule; the destination angle so to speak. The exception comes when after you know your consumers  aspiration , hopes and dreams,  understanding  the purpose  of what constitutes it and making it a worth while journey is what counts for them more than the destination .

Banks should know that what they offer is a means and not an end, hence I find it disturbing when most banks position themselves  more on scrambling for your attention than giving you the much needed fulfillment you need in life.

And for me CBA has struck the right cord .

Well as you know on my end, the brand is not the logo or the beautiful designs a company has, but the promise one intend to keeps. It’s my prayer that the step CBA has made will help them travel a journey of helping their beloved people, known as customers, derive more in life, giving them the much needed fulfillment they seek with their promise of   “Helping you get more out of life ”

Your thoughts are more than welcome.

Authenticity:-What consumers long and cry for.

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Yesterday as I was flipping through the TV channels one advert really caught my eye giving me the inspiration to write this article. And authenticity, I saw!

The Viceroy advert with its tag-line “superbly matured brandy” simply showcases how the brandy is processed and packaged with experienced brewers in the cool, serene outskirts of South Africa. The message being outlined is simple:-“We at Viceroy make sure you have the superbly matured brandy and we do this by going to great pains to make it happen…We have been doing this since 1845…How??The traditional authentic way as we craft the barrels with our plain hands to give you the perfect distilled matured brandy you have been longing for…”

The current modern trend in branding/brand messaging is what I would like to call the ‘Authentic Super-Highway’; the route where you constantly reassure the consumer that they can always trust on you to deliver the promise. And the new tag-lines are something in the lines of:-“Look at our rich heritage”  … “We have been in this industry longer than our competitors and you can rely on us”… “It’s all about giving you what is real ,nothing fake” … “the true service, product, desire …you name it”… “what we do is basically our core” … “see, feel, taste…we are here…we are authentic”… and the list goes on and on.

Today morning I perused the notes of @brandamentalist new 2009/2010 trend report titled:-‘The visual language of brand by David Ansett’. (Truly Deeply.com) And true to his word he confirmed my afore mentioned assumptions.

The following is an excerpt from the report:-

‘A key driver of brand equity has always been authenticity. The word “Authentic” derives from the Greek authentikós, which means “original.”As consumers in most of the western world renew their affection for brands that provide a sense of safety and reliability, authenticity has become the new brand value of choice. Attributes such as genuine and true are the proof points for these brands. Authenticity is all about practicing what you preach; being totally clear about who you are, what you stand for and how you must behave to demonstrate that. Over the past year we have seen a prevalence of authentic cues in advertising, packaging and brand identity of many brands. These authentic cues have come in the form of story-telling, product development and of course, visual language. Brands such as Levis and Harley Davidson have long been regarded as brands steeped in authenticity. The visual language of their brand images are rich with cues of their heritage. Many brands are seeking to re-tell their stories, digging back into their past to unearth their own authentic visual language’.

Closer home, it’s fascinating to see some Key brands portray the theme of Authenticity, sending a clear message to their competitors, as illustrated by the following three case points:

Case point 1

Tusker brand with their new tag-line of “refresh your roots”, which shows the brand’s  evolvement hence creating  nostalgia and a feel of always being there  since way back creating a sense of trust. Therefore, when the target market sees it , they are reminded of how far they have come and that their trusted  beer brand has been with them throughout there life.

Case point 2

Crown paints, who once in a while show adverts of how colors have really transformed Nairobi (and I wonder why only Nairobi???) from the early fifties to the modern day we know it as. Their message is simple “its all about authenticity, colors are what really make a difference”.

Case Point 3

Bamburi cement’s tag-line of “part of you from the start”…what Bamburi cement is basically doing is  reassuring their consumers that  “don’t worry… we are part of you from the start…the good houses you live in…the wonderful  bridges in Kenya …are  all products of Bamburi cement”… etc…etc

And how I wish big players like Safaricom could taste a piece of the authenticity cake.

Instead of creating the impression that the Masaa ya Kubamba craze has grown all over Kenya and everybody is happy about it (Because if you ask me Zain Kenya/Bharti airtel still has the best competitive rates in town…),the ideal strategy should be one of assuring their consumers that they are the players who defined innovation and redefined communication in the first place, taking them back, making  them realize the roots of what made Safaricom the heritage of innovation. And that is all the consumer longs for, the deep reassurance that despite the competition:-you are my better option.

Come rain or shine the ‘Authentic Super-Highway’ will always deliver a plus for your brand .

And as John Grant the author of the new ‘Marketing Manifesto’ puts it :- “AUTHENTICITY IS THE BENCHMARK AGAINST WHICH ALL BRANDS ARE NOW JUDGED.”

Purpose:-The road less travelled.

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One of my key areas of focus in life to my friends, colleagues, relatives and clients has always been that of:-define and realize your purpose and pursue it relentlessly.

Well we can’t avoid the old adage of the business motive, that is, profit maximization especially with investors on your neck, shareholders mounting unimaginable pressures, and employees with unrealistic expectations.

But sadly speaking we have forgotten the true ingredient that defines meaning to a brand. An ingredient that gives meaning to life and a virtue that maps the basis of true brand identity .We have made purpose become the road less travelled with people forgetting the importance of it being the true ingredient of brand satisfaction.

Success lies not in making Kshs 100M as turnover or so called supernormal profits. Success lies in knowing that a customer’s need is met and the joy s/he feels will have a trickle down effect on the community. Show me a satisfied community and I will respect your Kshs100M.

And that is my gospel today:-the need for companies to realize their reason for existence. Managers need to have an awakening that we live in a society which is very much empowered with information and more so very conscious of the environment they live in. A society longing for solutions, longing for meaning, longing for value.

Success lies not in complexity but in simplicity.

One of the reasons that make the Global brand Philips be a success today is because of its tagline of sense and simplicity. Whatever they make from lighting, health care or electronics, every product to them has to make sense to the consumer and simple in its function. Furthermore their main purpose as an organisation is what they call:- Health and Well being. As a company they continuously ask themselves :

1.       What impact does our product have on one’s health, are our products more or less hazardous?

2.       What impact does it have on one’s well being, will the consumer say “I have become more enlightened/entertained by a TV programme thanks to my Philips TV which is simple to use?”

The recent quest for purpose has ushered the rise of what psychologist call the “new consumer”

The following is an excerpt from the 2009 fortune 100 Interbrand report explaining in detail the rise of the “new consumer”:

The rise of the new consumer

What has emerged over the past years in Western markets is a new consumer whose attitude towards wealth has shifted from a question of “what to buy” to “why buy,” and from purchasing power to an empowered purchase. Economic, social, and environmental concerns have brought issues such as sustainability, wealth distribution, and resource protection to the top of the agenda. As a result, an ostentatious form of luxury appears completely out of sync with a global quest for sobriety, wisdom, and a greater sense of purpose. In Western markets, even consumers who can afford luxury goods are refraining from purchasing, in fear of being ostracized for their lavish spending.

The wave of accessible luxury and the new rich have forced longstanding European luxury brands to find ways to emerge from this democratization–mainly by engaging with customers who can afford them not just economically, but also intellectually. By catering to an élite that doesn’t just have the power to buy, but is also fully aware of the authenticity, legacy, and excellence that sets these brands apart, it is no longer about the wealthy, but wealthy connoisseurs. This marks a return to 19th century French and Italian luxury, which was about craftsmanship, unique “savoir faire,” and selling a lot to the few. This is a reversal from the recent past, which saw many luxury brands selling more to more people for less.

There is one cyber café next to a popular college here in Nairobi that really fascinates me. The place is always full, abuzz with so much activity. One day I went in to find out what exactly makes them different from the other cyber cafes within the area .I was amazed to find out that apart from their high internet connectivity, their desktops have been programmed in such a way that a jobs-offer pop up menu appears once you log in, leading you to a folder with updates of the latest jobs in town. And they don’t charge you extra incase you want to re-confirm the job details once you log out.

Success in your business is and will always be a by product of fulfilling your purpose. May be the purpose of the cyber café is to help students in their job hunting quest or provision of high speed internet connectivity to make chatting with online friends faster, but whichever the case, purpose is evident.

A clearly spelt out purpose for any organisation that is relentlessly pursued day in day out is what defines a brand and makes it stronger.

And a stronger brand in this day and age will always keep competitors away, and bring customers your way.

Psst:-

I dedicate this article to all the Brand Agencies in Kenya, especially Enyeheri LTD, a brand led agency that works relentlessly to help SMEs define and realize their purpose.For more info you can log on to their website. http://enyeheri.com