Businesses and individuals now have the advantage of hindsight, and those that are able to apply many of the difficult lessons going forward will be better equipped to survive the challenges the next few years bring. FNB was in no way immune to the many business impacts and challenges of the last year, and we have once again learnt many difficult, but valuable, lessons. The most important of which is the vital importance, for any business, of building a strong, purpose-led brand as a key way of surviving challenges and crises, cushioning against shocks, and enabling a quicker return to growth and sustainability when normality is restored. FNB’s increased brand equity across all BrandZ measures, and particularly the categories of meaning and salience, is humbling as they aim to ensure the FNB brand remains a beacon of trust, resilience and most importantly help across the countries and markets they serve. This becomes especially important during a particularly difficult year. When asked what aspects of the FNB brand have helped to make it rise to the top of the most valued brands list in SA.
Customer centricity starts with the appreciation of just how much emotion and anxiety is at play when it comes to one’s finances. At FNB, a bank account is not just a bank account, nor is a mortgage just a mortgage or an app just an app. While we certainly ensure we leverage top-end technology we realise it truly is not about the tech, but instead about winning the hearts and minds of our customers. Our approach is to build trusted experiences that assist personal and business customers to remove the anxiety associated with managing their money. FNB is not only a fair-weather brand. Instead, it boasts a proud 182-years track record of responding purposefully in times of challenge. Dealing with events such as droughts, fires, floods and the current Covid-19 pandemic also has the potential to bring out the best in mankind. At the height of the pandemic, many people and brands demonstrated levels of care and empathy that exceeded anything witnessed in recent history, and again FNB played a meaningful role. Uncertainty brought about by Covid-19 has definitely highlighted the value of FNB’s brand building focus over the years, and reminded us of the importance of making customer centricity, relevance and innovation the strategic focus points that underpin our brand and strengthens its value.