Standard Bank Gets Communities "Involved" Using
Primedia
Face 2 Face
September 2008
For many, banking is a familiar and somewhat mundane task that is a part of every-day living. But this view is not shared by all, for some the process is foreign and somewhat daunting. Primedia
Face 2 Face and
Standard Bank are tackling this issue with a hands on approach in an attempt to educate South Africans on the benefits of banking and allowing them to do so in confidence.
Standard Bank made use of Primedia Face 2 Face
Community Events Marketing (CEM) service to reach and educate their public. CEM is a powerful tool that allows companies to entrench their brands within black cultural communities through sponsorship and participation in events. The campaign spanned throughout South Africa reaching every region from KZN to Mpumalanga. So far, 23 churches have been visited with the campaign running until mid September.
This campaign, which is a three part series, focuses on the Standard Banks E-Plan and the Mzanzi Blue Account and the benefits thereof. Both are electronic accounts for those who value convenience. It simplifies every day banking and saving needs. The accounts are ideal for those who earn a monthly salary of under R5000. The intended target market of this campaign is LSM's 1-5.
The Primedia Face 2 Face teams provide all necessary information by incorporating visual aids for ease of understanding, in the form of a DVD, which is left with each person. This is followed by a one-on-one enquiry session. The promoters encourage community members to adopt an established banking system rather than opting for outdated and risky means of handling money which is still used in many communities.
Many community members do not use a banking system either due to lack of understanding and knowledge, or a fear of the unknown. Throughout the day refreshments were provided to the congregation and shopping bags were handed out as prizes during a question and answer session.
The simplicity of the E-plan account and its accommodating benefits was well received by the congregations. The campaign has reached thousands so far and with continued joint efforts between Standard Bank and Primedia Face 2 Face the services offered by Standard Bank will have far reaching and long lasting effects.
