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.'