'Leading, involved, nearby;
these values are in our genes'
Spirited involvement
Focus on identity
Values in vogue
are another main activity, and because of Rabobank's Triple-A
rating, quite lucrative,' explains Augusteijn.
Adds Wink, 'At the heart of our new Communications
strategy are the values "leading" and "involved". These are
long-term values we intend to emphasise. We now want to
concentrate on the perhaps lesser-known advantages that
Rabobank offers customers, which also highlight our values
of leadership and involvement.'
The current Zeitgeist embraces social involvement. Emphasis
is not on the individual but rather on society and community.
Social involvement and caring for one another are key concepts.
As a result of always having been a cooperative bank, Rabobank
has a 'natural' competitive edge over other stock exchange banks
in terms of community involvement, says Augusteijn.
The 'vision' of the Rabobank brand incorporates an identity
Rabobank has had for years. This identity mirrors the current
cultural trend - the idea that together we can accomplish
more than we can alone. The 'mission' describes Rabobank as
an involved bank committed to empowering people, com-
panies and communities to realise their ambitions and goals.
Rabobank aims to act as an inspiring and motivating force in
helping clients and the community achieve durable wealth
(a healthy financial portfolio) and a state of well-being.
In 'positioning' the brand, the proactive commitment Rabobank
makes towards its customers plays a central role. Rabobank's
promise, 'Committed to empowering you, your family, your
company, your community, your network - in short your world,
through the good times and the bad,' captures this.
'"Commitment" refers to working together - the relationship
between bank and customer - preferably in a long-term rela
tionship. "Community" alludes to the meaningful role Rabobank
fulfils in the world of our customers - family, company, commu
nity and networks. Rabobank's promise is to combine commit
ment with community,' explains Augusteijn.
'Rabobank has always been an identity-led bank,' continues
Augusteijn. Social responsibility and involvement is a trend
in the Western world but has been part of Eastern society for
generations. Eastern communities fïnd it easier to relate to
Rabobank's cooperative identity.
Augusteijn explains that the updated Communications strat
egy aims to strengthen the values that Rabobank already has,
and to adapt them to meet community needs. This means
that the strategy has to be adopted for all markets, regions
and local campaigns.
The new global communication strategy equips Rabobank for
the future. The foundations are in place and the positioning
campaigns will build upon this. The Rabobank brand is the
motor driving the bank's business strategy. The bank's heritage
perfectly fits the current cultural trend, and its image is an asset
in today's international climate.
14 The Word
