IPRN Ellis Kopel Project of the Year 2012

1. Redesign of written correspondence for Postovni sporitelna / Era IPRN Ellis Kopel Project of the Year 2012

2. Do you remember ?

3. Prague 1 Festival: a lot of fun …

4. … but very low agency fees!

5. Communication in finance industry • Sometimes it is boring  • But it is still very well paid 

6. Client • Postovni sporitelna/Era • Owned by Belgian KBC Bank NV • Retail banking brand of ČSOB - Ceskoslovenska obchodni banka (No.1 bank in Central Europe according to total asset value – 936 bln CZK e.g. 37.7 bln EUR) • Postovni sporitelna/Era (Czech retail bank No.2), in the phase of re-branding • More than 2 mil. clients in the CR • More than 3.300 branches in the CR

7. Premise • What yould you do… • …if you were a bank… • …with 2 080 000 clients… • …and found out that… • they don´t really understandyour letters…!

8. Premise Ignore the problem • like most of Czech financial institutions do …

9. Premise or try to solve it ! • decision of the Era brand management made in summer 2011

10. Premise So you have to … • Re-write almost 1,000 type letters… • Prepare ´how-to-write-correct-letters´ handbook… • Train your staff how to do it in the future…

11. Specific features of Postovni sporitelna / Era And it was even more important because … • 99% of all branches are parts of post offices • Any sophisticated communication has to be organised via letters • Clients are historically of higher age and lower education

12. How to determine the partner But… who should do it? • Someone from consultancy firms (Big Four) ? • OK (let´s try how expensive they are?) • Skills training agency • They can teach you how to deal with it (but will they do the job itself?).

13. How to determine the partner PR agency could be the option … • But… • We need ´how-to-write-letters´ manual first, in less than 60 days • Then organise the training of relevant staff • Re-writing (or copywriting) of letters (500+ pcs) • Good luck.

14. Objectives / needs of the Client • To increase comprehensibility of letters to customers • To unify both design and content of the letters (language, vocabulary, specific terms, names of the products and services etc.) • To set sustainability of these positive changes for the future: • Written handbook • Training of the staff

15. Tasks for the 1st phase Redesign of correspondence of No. 2 Czech retail bank Era“ (more than 2.000.000 customers).Agency prepared: • ´how-to-write-letters-correctly´ handbook for relevant staff including also rules for e-mails and sms communication • trained more than 60 people in letter copywriting (including e-mails and sms) • created new texts of more than 500 letters

16. Resistence ? • Legal department • Corporate culture • Marketing • In house copywriters ---------------------------- • IT department

17. Winning strategy ? The best (possible) team ! Team leader: - Tomas Hecko, Crest Communications (Account Director) • Jiri Zavozda: professor of journalism @ Charles university / long term editor-in-chief of the prestigeous national daily paper/ member of the Czech TV Council • Jiri Podzimek: Experienced TV scriptwriter and professional book editor …. plus copywriter and office support

18. 1st step: Evaluation • Starting data: • Qualitative research regarding mailing correspondence • 300 respondents/clients of the bank • 100 respondents/clients of competitors • Men and women, 18+ • All regions of Czech Republic

19. 2nd step: Cooperation • Close cooperation with all relevant departements from the very beggining: • Marketing deptartment • Sales departement • Product design dept. • Legal department • Internal audit department

20. Challenges • Never-done-before project • Timing vs. Scope of work • Number of employees / departements involved • Similar project in sister company (ran by one of the Big Four consultancies)

21. Activities / Timing 1/2 • Signing the contract = D Day • D+9 days: meetings with all relevant (5) departements • D+20 days: the first version of handbook, the first 20 letters • D+20 – D+44 days: internal commnications of the project (e-mailing, intranet) • D+41 days: final version of handbook (content) • D+48 days: printed version of handbook delivered

22. Activities / Timing 2/2 • D+54 days – D+70 days: training of relevant staff (60+ people) • D+70 days – D+120 days: helpline for relevant staff (e-mail, answers within 24 hours) • D+120 days – D+ 400 days: rewriting (or copywriting) of app. 500 letters

23. Handbook („How to write correct Era letters “)

24. Final results • Based on the CEO´s direction all written communication of the bank follows our rules from January 1st, 2012. • 150 new letters in use now • Further 350 type letters planned in 2012 • 80 employees already trained (heads of relevant departments, key managers of telemarketing dept., client service centers, backoffice) • Company´s ombudsman involved in the project -------------------------------------------- Important change in the company´s culture!

25. Testimonials / Evaluation • Client´s management • „We´ve tried to do something like this twice before. Never succeeded.“ • „There is a consultancy firm from Big Four doing the same project in our sister company. Theyare still at the beginning after 6 months of work and you make it in three months!“ • „Pity you don´t speak French. Our mother company is interested.“ • Crest Communications internal evaluation • Excellent case study • Letter of recommendation

26. Opportunity for all IPRN agencies • New product with real added value • Unique expertise of PR agency • project management • customer service • excellent copywriting/language skills • Potential clients are financially strong • retail finance (banks, insurance houses) • energy suppliers (electricity, gas, water) • telco (mobile operators)

27. Thank you for listening. Redesign of Era correspondence www.erasvet.cz