Since taking up the position in December 2010, Samuels and her marketing team have focused intently on developing a strategy by which to take the well-established and already firmly entrenched brand promise of "How can we help you?" to a new level of awareness and attractiveness within the South African banking consumer market.
"When you are working with a brand and brand promise that has a 10-year record of success in positioning the bank as a caring and value-adding organisation, the real challenge is finding ways to enhance that brand by building on the equity it already possesses without running the risk of creating confusion or uncertainty amongst is existing and prospective supporters," explains Samuels.
"Since it was launched, the 'How can we help you?' brand promise has served as an effective brand differentiator for the bank, while the sun and tree logo have been the bedrock of that brand for generations of banking customers but the dynamic banking environment of the past few years, combined with the lingering after-effects of the global financial crisis, meant that the time was right for us to move our brand forward to meet the changing needs of our clients."
To achieve this the team took a two-pronged approach to the brand reinvigoration exercise, incorporating a thorough reappraisal of both the value implied by the brand promise and the underlying values it represents and then strengthening these attributes at a rational and emotional level.
From the outset, it was recognised that the concept of 'help' lay at the heart of the FNB brand and the promise that brand implied for its clients - particularly after the hard time they have recently endured.
However, while the process of revitalising the brand centred on strategically reinvigorating the power of the 'help' promise, Samuels also recognised that, in order to be effective, the entire brand building exercise had to be a fully integrated one and include a refreshing of the bank's overall corporate identity, a reinforcement of the brand tag-line, and a fresh marketing and advertising thrust to act as a launch pad to take the 'new look' to the forefront of the South African banking mindset.
As an iconic and instantly recognisable brand, it was already entrenched as an integral part of South African culture. This presented the bank with a unique opportunity to focus on enhancing the level of awareness it held in the minds of consumers by enhancing what she calls the 'mental availability' of the brand.
"Human beings are driven by emotions, so it stands to reason that any successful brand needs to keep on connecting with its customers on an emotional level," she explains, "which is what we set out to achieve by subtly repositioning the bank's corporate and brand identity."
The corporate identity overhaul saw subtle, yet significant updates and enhancements to the distinctive branding elements - from the instantly recognizable turquoise and amber, to the tree silhouette in the logo. Even the marketing language, photographic guidelines and corporate typefaces have enjoyed a makeover to ensure they support the more open, direct and, naturally, helpful brand identity.
"By pulling together and updating its various corporate identity elements, we believe we have succeeded in creating a platform by which to cement our one-brand communication approach and through the simple process of integrating the pay-off line as a definite element within our logo design, we have demonstrated our commitment to delivering on our promise to always provide our customers with whatever help they may require."
This same commitment to helpfulness, as well as a recognition of what can be achieved when people are willing to help one another, is the central premise on which the latest television advertisement is built.
Entitled simply 'Anthem', the commercial shows a young girl singing the South African National Anthem to a packed FNB stadium. When she falters near the end of the rendition, the 80 000 fellow South Africans join in and help her finish the song on a truly inspirational note.
Simple in its execution, but extremely powerful in its message, the advert imparts the message that 'where there's help, there's a way' - a natural extension of its brand promise.
"By reinforcing the unity and camaraderie all South Africans, combined with the patriotic symbolism of the stadium and the national anthem, this advert does far more than just promote the bank, it succeeds in renewing the sense of national pride that permeated our country a year ago and reviving our proudly South African consciousness," concludes Samuels.
