Financial Services Branding Conference

Many marketers believe that a strong brand and a clearly defined communication strategy is critical to today's financial services sector. This is the premise behind WARC's seventh annual "Marketing & Advertising Financial Services" conference, to be held on the 23rd October in London.

The theme is centred round the idea that, in a world where physical product differentiation is marginal, it is essential for brands to become household names in their own right. Brand identity is therefore synonymous to recruiting and retaining customers. The big financial service players must therefore now, more than ever, re-assess their existing brand images, identify ever more effective channels of communication, and try to adopt new and innovative marketing.

In addressing this whole developing area, the forthcoming conference aims to clearly identify who the new players are. It will also describe how they have they established themselves and what marketing and advertising strategies they have found to be effective.

The programme to date includes the following speeches:

• Overview of the Financial Services and Branding - Andrew Wiseman, European Financial Services Practice Leader, Futurebrand.
  
• HSBC: Building a Global Brand - Nigel Gilbert, Worldwide Account Director, Lowe Lintas.
  
• Re-assessing Royal & Sun Alliance's brand and advertising strategy - Peter Deane, Manager of Brands, Royal & Sun Alliance.
  
• The Launch of "The Marketplace" at Bradford & Bingley - Mark Howe, Director of Advertising, Bradford & Bingley.
  
• Experience Marketing - Building Banks That Your Customers Can Believe In - Richard Samarasinghe, Head of Convenience Retail Marketing, Abbey National.
  
• Is Sponsorship Successful at Promoting Brand Awareness? Barclaycard & FA Premier League - Paul Parmenter, Marketing Director Barclaycard Services.
  
• E-marketing of Financial Services on Interactive/Digital TV - Anna Prosser, TV Head Client Services, GiTV.
  
• Creating Successful Campaigns for an On-line Banking Service: Egg - Russ Lidstone, Senior Planner, HHCL & Partners.
  
• Competing with the Traditional Financial Institutions - Virgin One Account - Jo Barnett, Marketing Director, Virgin One.

All articles 2006-22 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas unless otherwise stated.