Absa Declares Bold New Business & Brand Promise Across All Of Its Markets
Absa Declares Bold New Business & Brand Promise Across All Of Its Markets. Absa has today launched its repositioned brand to the market signalling a shift to being a more deliberately customer-centric business with the new brand promise of ‘Your Story Matters’. The bank has set a clear trajectory to ensure that Absa’s entire suite of services and offerings lives up to this crucial pivot towards a more human-centred, empathetic banking service ethos across the continent. The refreshed brand strapline is part of the business’ ambitions to align their offerings and brand experience with their internal corporate purpose launched last year of ‘Empowering Africa’s tomorrow together, one story at a time’.
“As a full-service bank, we cater for customers from all walks of life – from clients who only interact with us digitally, to those who prefer the reassurance of talking to one of our colleagues in-branch, we are a bank for all seasons,” says Arrie Rautenbach, Group CEO of Absa. “Your Story Matters is more than a strapline, it is a declaration of our intent that our customers are much more than mere account numbers, they matter to us and so do the stories behind the individuals. Gaining this context will allow Absa to serve them in a more meaningful manner,” he adds.
The reimagining of the brand follows a detailed review of customer insights, feedback and research. “A very consistent message comes across in research into perceptions of banks and banking,” says Sydney Nhlanhla Mbhele, Absa’s Group Chief Marketing and Corporate Affairs Officer. “Customers feel that the relationship is one-sided and that banks don’t understand either their life situations or their individual needs. This often leaves them feeling helpless as well as disconnected from opportunities to improve their individual or business prospects,” he adds.
“This repositioning is not just a marketing exercise – it is a company-wide business transformation and reaffirmation of a more human-centred approach to banking coupled with a seamless experience across our touchpoints. The entire company has bought into this renewed vision, and we have worked tirelessly to take our colleagues, particularly our frontline on this journey. While this is the beginning of the journey, customers can expect improved levels of service experience, underpinned by empathy,” adds Mbhele.
This bold repositioning of the Absa brand comes five years after Absa became a standalone African bank and marks a significant point in its growth and development. “Ultimately Your Story Matters positions us as a bank that values individual customers and wants to be part of their personal and financial narratives,” says Mbhele. “It suggests a customer-centric approach in which the bank listensto and cares about the unique journey of each person they serve. It defines Absa as a bank of the future; one that is more than just a financial services institution but also a partner on each customer’s life journey.”
