F&A strategy Special reserve. Internalappeal Track record Business boondoggle. Local market. Come rain orshine. Targeted audience What'sNewS Issue 8-December 2000 II global food chain' which set off a wave of creativity in the ad team. While the phrase identified RI as the number one F&A bank, the thinking behind the ads sought to communicate a larger message. Based on the 'three pillars of RF: knowledge (sector, research, global), commitment and execution, the campaign aims to teil peo- ple who and what RI is all about. Take the 'Local market' ad (pictured below). 'It perfectly reflects one of our many strengths,' explains Bucklin. 'On the one hand, we're eommit- ted at a regional, and often local level to servicing our clients and developing our F&A expertise in that particular area. But the globe pictured here reflects something more. We function in these local markets all over the world. What you have as a result, is not a local, not a regional, but rather a global expert in the food and agribusiness. If clients or prospects want to expand their businesses, internationalize their practice, we're showing them that RI can offer a global network of resources. We've got the knowledge, we've got the experience, and while we're at it, we'11 be offering top- quality services and products.' getting the message out that we believe in our clients, and we're with them for the long haul.' Another distinction in the campaign is the 'positioning ad' and the 'proof of performance ad'. While the positioning ads communicate a general F&A sector or global expert ise (e.g. 'Business boondoggle' and 'Local market'), the 'proof of perform- Underscoring RI's commitment to its clients, an ad depict- ing a weather man forecasting a storm (not pictured here) with the headline 'Buil Market' has been created. 'Con- sidering the highly cyclical nature of this sector, it's imperative to let people know that we'11 continue to support them through the good and bad times,' says Bucklin. 'This is a particularly resonant idea in the US environment today, as so many financial institutions tend to back off when the tide gets too high. We're Rabobank ance' series offers concrete examples of big transactions that have recently taken place. 'Special reserve' is the first such ad. 'We de- signed tombstones as wine labels to show deals we've carried out for major players in the wine industry like Chalone Wine and Mondavi,' says Bucklin. 'The idea here was to demonstrate that not only are we a premiere F&A bank, but we've got the products and the financial expertise to offer the best services to clients. It's a cre- ative way of saying, "Look, we're working with the best in the market, and here's the proof".' Other proof of performance ads in the protein, erop in- puts, grains and oilseeds sectors are on the planning board in the coming year. The first ads appeared in September of this year, and are currently running in five na- tional publications - Feedstuffs, Meat and Poultry, Milling and Baking News, Vine yard and Winery Man agement and Wine Business Monthly. These publications were carefully selected to reach major players in three focus areas: protein, grain and oil seeds and the wine industry. A spe cial arrangement with the periodical, Busi ness Week, provides the ads front page coverage to a targeted audience for one year (see sidebar). 'Many people have said to me that RI is the best kept secret in the US banking market,' Bucklin says. 'But now we're spreading the message loud and clear: RI is the world's top F&A bank, and we've got the experience, the knowledge and the services to prove it. And as the ads say, unless you're talking to us, you're not getting the full story.' While one wouldn't be wrong in guessing the objective of an ad campaign is to generate public in terest, in North America's case that's only part of the story. Part of the press run has involved the produc tion of a special brochure made uniquely for internal staff. Featuring small versions of all the ads that have been created, the brochure summarizes the goal and concept be hind the F&A ad campaign. It also encourages staff to share the news about the ad campaign with family, friends and colleagues. 'One,of the undcrlying benefits of this entire ini- tiative is the sense of pride it has generated in our offices here,' says Bucklin. 'We want our staff to know that they're part of an organization that is focuscd and moving in the right direction. We're working hard to be the best in the area that we're compcting in. All the positive feed back I've received from colleagues tells me we're doing something right.'

Rabobank Bronnenarchief

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