Since April, Retail banking in France has been reaching out to its various customer groups with the message “We’re on your team” while SG CIB chose the tagline “As one”. In June, Societe Generale Private Banking opted for the version “Together in the same direction: yours” and Societe Generale Securities Services has been signing off with “More than just a partner: a team member”. As for International Retail Banking, the campaign was taken up locally by Cameroon in April and by Côte d’Ivoire in May. More recently, during the month of September, Banque de Polynésie rolled out the campaign based on major aspects of local culture: outriggers and dance in Polynesia, while Rosbank, a subsidiary of the Group in Russia, launched a ski-themed campaign under the banner “ВМЕСТЕ МЫ СИЛЬНЕЕ”. Other businesses will follow over the coming months.

“A campaign well received by the public” says Alain Cazes, Director of the Societe Generale Brand Division

Starting in March 2011 in France and abroad with the major Group business lines, the roll out of the new communications platform is also ongoing for other Group entities. Specialised Financial Services and Insurance is finalising variations on the Group visual identity guidelines for these businesses (including the international brands ALD Automotive & Societe Generale Equipment Finance) in order to encourage buy-in.

The initiative, which is of course based on an approach involving local adaptation (signature, iconography), is obviously set to continue and a large number of countries are actively preparing themselves to move to the new Societe Generale communications platform.

The first results from the tracking done following the TV and press campaigns in March and April this year are encouraging: the campaign is found to be very appealing and both awareness and ‘wanting to find out more about Societe Generale’ have improved. However, the campaign still needs more time and frequent usage in order to demonstrate its effectiveness and to fully occupy its rightful place, imposing itself as ‘instant recall’.

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