A question of values.

Can a company be large and small at the same time?
In the case of London-based private bank the answer seemed to be yes.

Serving Ultra High Net Worth clients in EMEA, the private bank is part of a large global bank with an emerging-markets focus.

However, this meant they faced a two-fold challenge: to articulate a rich, distinct identity that would resonate with all its diverse client cultures, while also being a part of the parent brand.

The Human Affinity approach

The challenge was to take the bank’s existing, pan-regional marketing playbook and create a new, more focused Customer Value Proposition (CVP) that was practical, genuinely motivating and easy to communicate to clients across all client territories.

To do this, we turned to the bank’s employees themselves, using Human Affinity to explore the powerful shared values at the organisation’s heart – values that were rooted in the fundamental needs and emotions of all their clients.

A series of in-depth Human Affinity workshops in London and Dubai brought together colleagues from all markets and every level of the organisation. As well as probing the use of existing playbooks, our inclusive, approachable workshop style offered space for people to share their own experiences with customers and explore the component insights of the new proposition. The workshops also revealed a range of everyday practical frustrations that could easily be fixed, improving colleagues’ capacity to do their jobs.

Values that unify us

The process uncovered four distinct values which formed the essence of the private bank. These were then used in the revised CVP to clearly explain how the bank can add benefit to the lives of its clients, backed up by tangible reasons to believe. This was also brought to life in video and customer-facing collateral, and presented back to all workshop participants as well as senior management, creating a powerful sense of ownership and achievement.

With consistent core messages, the new CVP retains its global relevance yet offers regional sensitivities – making it flexible enough for each market to adapt when necessary. A more user-friendly, practical tool, providing a common sense of purpose and direction, and a powerful framework for future communication.