Standard Banks taps best-of-breed agency industry talent to bolster its competitive position

JOHANNESBURG - 19 June 2019

Standard Bank is revitalising its marketing and communication expertise by appointing reputable agencies to help it win the hearts and minds of clients in the digital and experience economies.

The agencies have been appointed across the bank’s agency portfolio covering Through-the-Line, Brand, Corporation Reputation and PR. This follows a comprehensive review of the bank’s agency model which identified novel opportunities to position Standard Bank’s brand and reputation more strongly in a market where emotional connection and stakeholder trust are vital sources of sustainable competitive advantage.

The agencies will play an important role in helping Standard Bank deliver differentiated product offerings and quality client experiences in the increasingly competitive banking market. They will assist Standard Bank to consolidate its market position across its 20 African geographies, and other major centres like New York, Beijing and London.

They will also support Standard Bank to articulate its strong purpose of driving Africa’s growth through client solutions across its universal banking offering and footprint in a way that highlights our contribution to societies in which we operate.

The new Standard Bank strategic creative and reputation partners are:

Through the Line

M&C Saatchi Abel was awarded the Standard Bank Through the Line business. M&C Saatchi Abel’s purpose is to create beautifully simple solutions in an increasingly complex world. Their overriding philosophy of Brutal Simplicity of Thought, and the spirit of entrepreneurship that was entrenched from the start.

Brand

Ogilvy is the new Standard Bank brand agency. Ogilvy have positioned themselves as the one doorway to a creative network, re-founded to make brands matter in a complex, noisy, hyper-connected world. Ogilvy South Africa is the leader in the industry, focused on building and transforming brands with more than 900 employees across three offices in South Africa.

Consumer PR

Clockwork has been awarded the Standard Bank Consumer PR (retail and business) business. Clockwork Media is a content and communications agency based in Johannesburg, South Africa. They specialise in creating strategies that help brands convey the right message. Reaching out to communities in a memorable way and measuring the impact on their clients’ bottom line is key to their success.

Corporate Reputation Management

Edelman has been appointed as Standard Bank’s key Corporate Reputation Management agency. Edelman is a global communications firm that partners with businesses and organizations to evolve, promote and protect their brands and reputations. They deliver communication strategies that give clients the confidence to lead and act with certainty and earn the trust of their stakeholders.

Thulani Sibeko, Standard Bank Group Chief Marketing Officer, says: “Globally the financial services competitive landscape is undergoing a dramatic shift, with ever increasing client expectations. Standard Bank is committed to deliver on these growing customer expectations and looks forward to partnering with the new agencies to help us connect with our clients”. All the successful agencies will be appointed effective from July 2019.