Bank with us because we understand your personal needs better than the rest,' seems to be the brief that

many banks have given their respective creative partners. Going by the recent spate of bank advertisements harping on building personal relationships with customers, it's clear that trust has become the USP for several of these institutions. One that comes to mind is ICICI Bank's recent 'Khayal Aapka' campaign, done by Ogilvy India. The campaign, comprising three thematic films, showcases the bank's claim of taking care of the smallest needs of the customer. The commercials show small moments of customer interactions with the bank's employees, which create customer delight and nurture bonding , one wonders if appealing to the customer's emotions and building a personal relationship remain the only options available for a bank to reach out to more prospective customers. The need for better relationships The emphasis on relationship building probably stems from the financial turmoil the world recently witnessed. After large global banks collapsed, the consumer's trust on financial institutions hit an all-time low. To reassure customers, it is but obvious for banks to try and build confidence; and hence, the emphasis on better relationship building. Also, with banking getting more electronic than ever, one does not need to visit a bank branch too often. For example, not long ago, long queues in banks, with tokens handed out to customers wanting to withdraw money, was de rigueur. Now, the increasing number of Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) has anything but killed the need for such a visit to a branch. To fill that gap, some experts think that banks need to once more build one-on-one interactions with the customer.

"ATMs have killed relationships. Today, a customer does not meet a bank representative for his needs; he meets machines. To fill this gap, advertising is sought after," says Harish Bijoor, brand strategy specialist and chief executive officer, Harish Bijoor Consults. Moreover, it is probably inevitable for a bank to choose the emotional communication route, since products and services are essentially the same across banks. "We have to show the fact that we are emotionally attached to our customers. Banks, as a brand, are associated with the traditions of the people. Unlike other products, we cannot show anything controversial or unrelated in our advertising," says a senior official from State Bank of India.

Undoubtedly, when a brand connect is being built, the emotional route works well. This is often true for many categories, and not just financial services alone, as can be seen in the many commercials that are churned out. It could also be seen as a healthy phenomenon, with communication moving from just conveying facts to empathising with the consumer. Herd mentality? It could also be argued that bank advertising exhibits patterned behaviour, with various buzzwords becoming popular in different phases.

Not long ago, 'dreams' was a platform many banks utilised while selling loans; where the communications spoke of specially designed loans that would help consumers realise their dreams. Similarly, there was a phase when credit cards were being sold; and one when banks boasted of their network strength. 'Relationships' seems to be the current buzzword. But with more players saying the same thing, it does become a sort of clich. And unless a particular institution manages a certain differential, it becomes easy to get confused between brands. "While it is true there is a lot that can be talked about on a pure functionality basis, banks understand that relationships have to be built. The thing to be remembered is that everything cannot be all sap and warm. There must be rationality to support a claim. What positioning a bank chooses, of course, depends on the bank itself," says Abhijit Avasthi, national creative director, Ogilvy India. Personalities of banks would differ, although they might be saying the same things. The risk, however, arises, when one agency handles the duties for a number of banks; and the same tone appears in the communication especially in the style of copy, observes Cajetan Vaz, an ex-advertising professional and now a brand consultant. Build to deliver

Like it or not, a healthy relationship with a customer goes a long way in building faith, and could often prove to be a great marketing strategy. However, delivering on promises made is important to emerge a winner. "Advertising is meant to translate into business. The biggest number of accounts would come from better relationships handled by the bank. Hence, I would not fault a bank for choosing the strategy. The basis has to be good relationships," says Bijoor.

In order to retain customers - which is becoming critical today, when it doesn't take much to switch bank accounts - the bank needs to understand what customers want and the cultural momentum. "I am not against relationship building. To retain customers, it is critical to have and maintain a relationship. I expect my bank to know me," says Ankur Khurana, brand partner, planning, Orchard Advertising. According to Khurana, what is further expected of a bank is to not be superficial and have a short-sighted perspective; but embed relationships into better understanding of the customers' needs. The alternative route ahead While there are those who see no harm in a bank striving to build trust, there are many who consider it regressive and lazy thinking.

The strategy fails to cut ice with senior professionals such as Bobby Pawar, chief creative officer, Mudra Group, who thinks it is vital for a brand to zero in on its DNA with relevant insights. "Relationships cannot be owned by everybody. You must be true and more authentic to the brand," he says. Suman Srivastava, chief executive officer, Euro RSCG India too thinks it is a colossal waste of money, when the strategy fails to differentiate one bank from the other. He sees relationships being an experiential benefit, which a customer will experience if a bank is good. He adds that this is an age when consumers are looking for more substantive benefits. Indeed, it would serve a bank well to emphasise on its various offerings and unique services. An example is the HDFC Bank campaign that spoke of faster cash withdrawals at its ATMs. Similarly, while ICICI Bank's emphasis on its relationship with customers is a continuous one; it has also communicated about its products and services through one-on-one interactions, as well as mass media platforms. ING Vysya Bank is another case in point, where the bank talked about mobile transfer,instant debit card replacement and automatic cheque book request in its communications. IndusInd Bank, too, in its recent campaign talked about three of its service propositions Ready2Use Savings Account Kit, mobile alerts and online payments. These commercials were not set in a banking context, but built on consumer insights, points out Mohit Ganju, marketing head, IndusInd Bank. "Banks have looked at directly communicating the product/service benefit, without stressing too much on the relationship with the customer. Depending on the positioning strategy, banks experiment and develop advertising that best suits the messaging and desired image. Banks have experimented with both thematic as well as product/service based advertising," Ganju says. Technology is another feature a bank could highlight. Bank of Baroda, in a recent television commercial, talks of how the 'power of technology' helps the customer handle most of his financial needs with much ease. Apparently, banks see the need to break the clutter; and some are doing that by positioning themselves very differently. Axis Bank recently adopted a new brand positioning - that of being a 'solutions provider'. A new campaign, created by Lowe Lintas, pitches the bank's range of products as a means to address every conceivable customer need. The campaign thought is summed up in the slug, 'There's always a solution'.

The agency deliberately did away with the relationship building route in favour of the solutions provider idea, saying that relationships are eventually built by offering innovative solutions. However, with relationship management being rather inevitable for banks, one probably needs to change by looking at the customers' interaction with money, some suggest. Banks could take on the advisory role that other financial instruments have adopted, but restricted to high net worth individuals. In times when the Indian populace is thinking seriously about wiser investments and better use of money, it is a need a bank would do well to cater to.

"Banks need to look at how to make wealth useful, not just by looking at the present; but what would be the pleasurable moments of tomorrow, when wealth begets prosperity," says Sandhya Srinivasan, managing partner and chief strategy officer, Law & Kenneth. What could be a clutter-breaking strategy, she says, is for banks to move on from 'How I will give you the best service' to 'How you will grow your money'. Customers' needs, in every category, vary and evolve constantly. While the thought that a bank is as personal to you as your money is welcome; it's also true that there are avenues for banks to interact on alternative and larger levels. Some understand this; some probably would follow. It remains to be seen what the next trend wave would possibly bring ashore.

khayaal aapka Over the past decade ICICI Bank has redefined the banking landscape. Through a deep understanding of customer needs, it has leveraged technology to introduce several innovations to make banking simple and convenient for the consumer. Continuing with their commitment towards deepening their relationship with their customers, they have undertaken many initiatives to strengthen the customer experience through multiple touch points such as bank branches, internet banking, mobile banking and phone banking. In addition they have continued to offer products and services that have been thoughtfully designed, keeping the consumer in mind. Khayaal Aapka is a reflection of this commitment that they have towards their customers. Khayaal Aapka embodies their relationships with customers that go beyond transactions - it is their commitment to treat their customers fairly, show empathy towards customer needs and create and deliver products and services that make a difference to their customers' lives.

MUMBAI: The banking sector spends Rs 20 billion on outdoor advertising medium and it is more effective than television but less than print, according to ICICI Bank corporate brand group head Ronita Mitra. Lack of measurability in the outdoor advertising medium, however, is one of the most contentious challenges the sector currently faces, Mitra said. While speaking at the seventh edition of Outdoor Advertising Convention, Mitra said that hindrances such as changing traffic trends, delivery scale versus credibility and complexity with the spread of commercials hamper the scope of measurability. Mitra underlined, Having to send out teams to analyse the ads is another impediment. Talking about drawbacks, there are several high-points in this medium as well. We communicate with all the socio-economic groups and our target audience is male, aged between 25-55 years. The outdoor message delivers undiluted and localised messages, in terms of look and feel. Moreover, messages are clear and call to action or how to get in touch becomes simpler with this medium, Mitra stated. While public sector banks use this medium the most, multinational banks adapt a much focused geographic approach. In most cases outdoor media is used to reinforce a multimedia campaign - in some cases, to create an impact on city or national scale; and in very few cases as a standalone medium, Mitra revealed. Talking about various forms of outdoor advertisement, Mitra cited the example of ICICIs khayaal aapka campaign, which she termed as thematic propositions, under which various new products were promoted.khayaal aapka is the master brand, within which there can be various individual product brands such as privilege banking and home loans. Mitra noted. Mitra spoke about the three creative the bank experimented with: bill transfer, fund transfer and book movie tickets. We put up ads of bill payment and fund transfers on bus shelters, while booking movie tickets was promoted next to ticket counters at various cinema halls. And after analysing the pre- and post-activity results, we found that the awareness about the three features has gone up by 50 per cent. This activity not only created awareness but also reinforced an image of innovation for the bank, Mitra concluded.

VISION STATEMENT OF ICICI:

To be the preferred bank for total financial and banking solutions for both corporate and individuals is the main vision.

MISSION STATEMENT OF ICICI:

We will leverage our people, technology, speed and financial capital. To be the banker of first choice for our customers by delivering high quality, world-class products and services. To expand the frontiers of our business globally. To play a proactive role in the full realization of India's potential. To maintain a healthy financial profile and diversify our earnings across businessman and geographies. To maintain high standards of governance and ethics. To contribute positively to the various countries and markets in which they operate. To create value for our stakeholders.

OBJECTIVES OF THE CODE:

Promote good and fair banking practices by setting minimum standards while dealing with the customers.

Increase transparency so that the customer can have a better understanding of what one can reasonably expect out of the services.

Encourage market forces, through competition so that one can achieve higher operating standards.

Promote a fair and cordial relationship between the customer and the bank.

Foster confidence in the banking system. To help the customer use the account with convenience. To deal quickly and sympathetically with things that go wrong. To treat the customers personal information in a private and confedential manner.

To adopt and practice a non-discrimination policy.

BREAKTHROUGH IMROVEMENTS:
As known from the ICICI Bank branch of JVPD, I have learnt that following are some of the breakthrough improvements: 1) KHAYAAL AAPKA CAMPAIGN:

The ICICI bank has started this khayaal aapka campaign as a way to improvise and improve the customer services that are provided and in todays time hold a lot of importance due to the highly competitive nature in the market. In this the main aim is to focus on the various services provided to the customers and the quality of the services that have been put forth too. Every customer is considered as one relation and not just as one person. The necessary divisions are also made: children, senior citizens, etc. They believe that even small things make a big difference! Thus, they are trying to strive and fulfill the experiences, not just in terms of efficient banking facilities but also the extra care to be put in to serve the customers. Over the past decade ICICI Bank has redefined the banking landscape. Through a deep understanding of customer needs, it has leveraged technology to introduce several innovations to make banking simple and convenient for the consumer. Continuing with our commitment towards deepening our relationship with our customers, we have undertaken many initiatives to strengthen the customer experience through multiple touch points such as bank

branches, internet banking, mobile banking and phone banking. In addition we have continued to offer products and services that have been thoughtfully designed, keeping the consumer in mind. Khayaal Aapka is a reflection of this commitment that they have towards customers. Khayaal Aapka embodies the relationships with customers that go beyond transactions - it is their commitment to treat our customers fairly, show empathy towards customer needs and create and deliver products and services that make a difference to our customers lives. This is one of the ways in which ICICI has taken a step forward for improving the scenario of customer relationship and thus the necessary provisions and facilities provided are also improved in order to bring about a positive difference between the bank and customer relations.

2) PRIVILEGED BANKING CAMPAIGN: All banks have different types of customers to attend. There are normal, silver, gold and so on types of customers- as per ICICI bank recognized.

Thus, from these the customers which belong to the gold category are those who hold a minimum balance of 50,000/- and its these customers as well as the ones who are superior to the gold category who form a part of the privileged category and thus of this particular campaign. In this campaign, distinguished and specialized services are provided to the privileged customers. All that a customer needs to do is choose the ICICI Bank Privilege Banking account to enjoy exclusive benefit across wide range of product and services.

The Privilege banking account variants they offer are- silver, gold, platinum designed to suit the customers specific needs.

In addition to benefits like money multiplier, nomination facility and internet banking and mobile banking one can avail other special privileges like:

Priority service at all ICICI bank branches and through customer care. Preferential rate on purchase of ICICI bank pure gold and foreign exchange.

Discount on annual fee for safe deposit locker. Special rates on ICICI bank loans. Preferential rate on DD/ PO charges.

Multi-city cheque book.

This campaign is launched in order to improve the customer relations with the high profile clients as also to provide the best requirements for the credit worthy customers.

These are the 2 big improvements that have been brought about by ICICI bank in order to come up with a suitable background and facilities provision in a highly competitive market like today!

OTHER SMALL IMPROVEMENTS:

1) In order to improve the goodwill of the bank and also for promotions, programs (social and cultural) are put up. Even sponsorships are allotted for the same which on the other hand also is a good marketing and promotion tool for the bank to improve its name in the market. Various social activities are undertaken for childrens day, sports day, new years, etc. and also different types of vouchers and schemes are exposed to the people in this way.

2) Customer services are improved in order to achieve different types of customer delights.

3) ICICI Banks net profit grew a healthy 18.9% yoy, which was above their estimates mainly on account of higher NIMs and lower effective tax rate. The key positive of the results was continuation of declining trend in net additions in gross NPAs from retail loans (almost nil) for the sixth consecutive quarter and a substantial reduction in NPA provisioning burden (November 2010).

4) This financial institution has grown over the years in terms of adopting new technologies and products and also to nourish them. Thus it has now become a household name in a very short span. Not only this, it has also showed improvement in market turbulence or expansion into the markets. In the last 5 years there has been a constant expansion of a lasrge number of subsidiaries.

5) ICICI has also made necessary improvements for better employee and customer satisfaction too. By being clearer and having a transparent system, all the departments are kept well connected and thus the employees share a harmonious relationship amongst themselves as well as with their superiors. UNIVERSE is a common platform for all the employees. FINACLE is software used for external customers. Not only this, even consumer grievances are retrieved, and thus for that purpose, INTRANET is used for escalation of any issues or problems by way of emails.

These are certain small improvements/changes/ developments that took place in this prestigious banking and financial institution

ICICI ICICI Bank is Indias second-largest bank, with total assets of $75 billion. Below are some of the initiatives that it has taken to consolidate its standing in the global market: In 2002 the merger of ICICI Ltd with ICICI Bank led to the creation of Indias second-largest bank in terms of assets. As a result of the merger, the ICICI groups financing and banking operations, both wholesale and retail, were integrated into a single

entity. ICICI Bank offers a wide range of banking products and financial services to corporate and retail customers through a variety of delivery channels, and through specialised subsidiaries and affiliates in the areas of investment banking, life and non-life insurance, venture capital and asset management. ICICI exploited an untapped opportunity to target Indias mushrooming middle class and corporates by offering high levels of customer service and efficiency. ICICIs global network spans 18 countries, with a network of 1,452 branches and about 4,721 automated teller machines in India. Its rural, micro-banking and agri-business division is responsible for envisioning and implementing rural banking strategy, including agricultural banking and micro-finance. ICICI has focused on shaping the small and mediumsized enterprise (SME) sphere in India through initiatives such as the Emerging India Awards, the SME CEO Knowledge Series a platform to mentor and assist SME entrepreneurs and the SME Dialogue. Leveraging its international presence and deep corporate relationships, ICICI became the preferred partner for Indian companies to work with on overseas acquisitions and infrastructure projects in India.

 ICICI has gone down the celebrity endorsement route by promoting its brand through Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan. The adoption of slogans such as Hum hai na, khayaal aapka has helped to connect consumers to the bank at an emotional level. ICICI was the first Indian bank to introduce branding into the banking industry. To leverage the ICICI trademark and to create a corporate identity, it adopted the I logo, which represents the I Man. In order to maintain uniformity, ICICI has also adopted a trade dress, keeping in mind its customer base. By implementing these strategies, ICICI has successfully positioned itself among the top global companies. A perusal of the above table indicates that ICICI entered the Brand Finance Global 500 in 2010 at a ranking of 440. Its brand value also rose steeply from $939 million in 2009 to $2.164 billion in 2010. ICICIs company ranking rose from 329 in 2009 to 282 in 2010. These figures once again suggest a strong correlation between brand ranking and company ranking