Banks will have to regain trust

The current financial crisis through the financial markets due to subprime write-downs but also with the announcement of an unprecedented fraud at Society General structurally alter the banking landscape and challenges acquired banks to the market, investors as well as their clients: the confidence of financial institutions.

Through the efforts of transparency, better management of their operational costs and optimizing their capital, banks have to adapt to a financial cycle that will require them to demonstrate their ability to innovate both in terms of respect new regulatory ratios in terms of cost reduction and business development. The impact of this crisis of confidence and the levers available to financial institutions to restore calm and confidence in the system should be done at the earliest.

Advertising Phenomenon of Banks-2

In addition to information about banking services offered, the campaign is primarily aimed at reconciling the public with a bank somewhat tumultuous past. The thrust of this campaign is the proximity to the client, which is accentuated by the presence of personalities that can relate to the public.

This campaign LCL echoes the concept of advertising sagas very popular with banks and has been for several years as the saga animal or the saga of popular songs. The heart of this strategy is the repetition of messages for the purpose of funding through the public ownership of the characteristics of the saga. Indeed, more than a product, banks sell a brand. The sagas advertising contribute to highlight the image of banks by creating an emotional connection, whether emotional or humorous, with the public.


If households are still the main targets of advertising campaigns for retail banks, however, there is an interest of more and stronger for the youth market, which results in the development of many advertisements. This is the case, for example, BNP Paribas, which has appealed to actors Eric and Ramzy, with its campaign focused on "helping hand". This solicitation is mainly due to the potential in the medium - long-term youth, namely 16-25 years. Indeed, it is at this age that form the first major projects (driver's license, first home ...), all of the credit for the development. The main objective is to develop a relationship over time. However, because of extreme competition, the conquest of the young results in a real war of marketing, resulting in intense communication plans and the introduction of banking products more innovative.


If we can hardly imagine today the end of the bank advertising on traditional media (television, press, radio ...), new media technologies encourage banks to renew their strategy. By winning the French advertising landscape, the Net is very popular among retail banks. Indeed, the Web has attracted over the past five years more than 10% of investment banks and retail are among the first sectors in terms of advertising presence online. The Net is also the location of new innovations in communication as demonstrated by example the concept "If I were a banker" launched by Credit Mutual and allowing the public to issue directly, via a dedicated website, needs in terms of banking services. These new approaches, focusing mainly on the interaction client / bank, pose new challenges to communication faced by banking groups. Moreover, some entities not known to the general public, such as establishments for the management of debt, have understood this opportunity offered by Internet to talk about them. Similarly banks "soft" as ING Direct or credit specialists online as Cofidis continue to develop their advertising strategy and sponsorship on the Web, demonstrate once again the health of the channel and its emergence.

Advertising Phenomenon of Banks -1

In the advertising landscape, banks dominate. Indeed, because of their presence in all media and advertising media (television, press, posters ...) and hand their budgets sometimes amounting to several million Euros per year, banks are in the top tier of producers of advertising. It is from the 20s that the general public discovered the range of banking services. Over the century, all media were used; press on television through partnerships and sponsorships, banks have always attached great importance to its communication. Icons and concepts have been developed: the client advisor, trust, sharing, listening, innovation, the future ... and money. The constant development of advertising bank is due to the specificity of the activity: the product involved is money, so everyone is potentially a target. However, this specificity of activity produces the following observation: advertising bank has always faced the problem of cultural approach to money, enough about taboo in our society. There are thus paradoxes in the communication of banks in that they sell money without ever actually saying that they are winning. Commenting on a sensitive issue, advertising bank has a special place in the world of communication.

If the bank relies on advertising all media platforms, we must admit that television occupies a special place because of the importance of the hearing. Very few and banking groups that do not use television advertising. However, if used widely, strategies can vary widely depending on the objectives and targets.

A television advertising campaign may be the main instrument in the overall strategy of a bank and LCL is currently the best example because since 2006 a campaign involving the stars of Cinema is to popularize the new name of the bank and to attract new clients.