Positioning for progress RABOBAND 7 International House-style puts clients first Working on change ISSUE 34/17 OCTOBER 1994 While the new house-style is still cloaked in secrecy for the outside world, staff have now had the chance to see the new logo. But what lies behind the concept and how relevant is it for Rabobank as a wholesale bank? At the kick-off meeting, Willem Lageweg spoke at length about left and right halves of the brain - the left being clinical, analytical and cold, the right encompassing a more sensitive, caring approach. A little esoterie, perhaps, for down- to-earth bankers, but essentially the appeal of any visual house- style is subjective. 'In the past,' ex- plains Lageweg, 'we used a logo that breathed left brain thinking. And the message it was sending out was that we, as a bank, were Lageweg track. - on the right focused on ourselves. The bank was the centre of our universe. We have always put clients first. Now we're going to express that. This is where the new, more right brain effect comes in. We want to teil people they are the centre of our world, and that is visualized by the new symbol.' The figure and its colours are de- signed to evoke all kinds of as- sociations in clients, but also in staff. 'It consists of a person stand ing on a sundial, or perhaps you could see it as a time-piece,' Klim Egger says. 'This element has to do with time, with the future, with being dynamic, modern, inno- vative. And that is just as relevant for us as a wholesale bank as it is for the retail side. What we're talk- ing about here is a set of qualities we want to convey to everyone concerned with the bank.' Positioning appears to be the new buzz-word of the 1990s - what does it mean and how do you go about it? Kim Egger of Marketing Service explains. 'There are a number of reasons why positioning is important. It tells your target market who you are and what distinguishes you from your competitors, what your strong points are, and where your core strengths lie. But before you can get out there and do it, you have to do your homework. First, you have to analyse the market in the sense that you have to identify specific types of clients. You have to find out what their characteristics are and their attitude to banks, including the criteria on which they select their banking relationships. 'The next step is to analyse your competitors - how do they position? Because when you talk about positioning, it is al ways in relation to the competition. You then have to develop a distinguishing position for your bank - you don't want to be the same as the competition, you have to show the mar ket you have something else to offer. 'The third analysis is of your own strengths and weaknesses. This is essential because you have got to be able to deliver what you promise. Traditionally, our domestic positioning has been strong on the retail market and in the small and medium-sized business sector. So, our current image in the Netherlands is coloured by that tradition. Now, we have to teil clients that we are just as strong and just as good in the corporate market. 'Communication is a tooi you can use to help, but the most important instrument is the behaviour of the people in the bank. There is no point in going to the market and saying you're the best bank in the world, if the service you provide doesn't match that claim. This is why our behaviour to clients is so important. The best way to make clear your profession- alism and strength is by proving it through working with clients. If you do very good deals for them, you'11 get a lot of word-of-mouth advertising. 'What clients today are looking for is a sparring partnership with their bank. This means they want us to be proactive, rather than sitting back waiting for them to teil us what they want. The message we have to get across to clients is that CBS is a strong, competent and innovative wholesale operation, but if we don't act like -7hat, then we might as well all go home.' Out with the old, in with the new. A group of 30 staff members from all levels in the organiz- ation have been recruited to form the so-called agents of change team working on the 31 projects. Drawn from all divisions, they have been selected for their enthusiasm, drive and commitment to transforming CBS into a unified whole. Management can take decisions, but these will rarely be effective if the whole staff is not behind them. This means personnel has to know what is going on and feel part of change. One aspect of the 'As good as the best' drive includes stimulating people within CBS to approach their work in a dif ferent, more client-oriented way. But unless real action is taken to involve staff, then slogans of this kind remain no more than slogans. For this reason, a team of agents of change has been set up to guide the 31 projects and to ensure they are implemented in every division by everyone in that division. 'We're not just talking about managers here,' says Edwin Pre- voo of marketing services, who is responsible for coordination. 'Each project has around five members drawn from the agents of change team and their job is to make sure the results of the pro jects are passed on to and imple mented by their own co-workers. They also have to make people enthusiastic for change. That is why we have a very broad-based mix of people from all levels in the organization. It's a new ap proach for Rabobank, but we be- lieve these people are so com- mitted, it will work.' International Information service If you want more information on the kick- off meeting or any of the projects, please contact: Edwin Prevoo, Marketing Services Telephone: +31 (0)30 902331. This CBS special edition of Raboband International was produced by: Editorial staff Kim Egger, Anne Lavelle and Stan Polman with the assistance of numerous staff members, both in Utrecht and in the foreign offices. Editorial address Rabobank Nederland, Caroline Renette, editorial assistant, UC-R 514,P.O. Box 17100, NL 3500 HG Utrecht. Telephone: +31 (0)30 902083; Telefax: +31 (0)30 901904. Designed and printed by Hoonte-Holland, Utrecht.

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