LMD Readers’

MOST LOVED BRANDS

Q: What contributes to the bank being perceived as a most loved brand?

A: Standard Chartered Sri Lanka stands out as a much loved brand for several reasons. Foremost among these are stability and trustworthiness as customers value banks with a proven track record of reliability, financial security and transparency.

Our continuous affirmation of an ‘AAA’ rating by Fitch underscores a commitment to safeguarding customers’ money and data, instilling confidence in us. A dedication to data security and privacy, evident in robust measures and transparent practices, enhances trust.

Social responsibility also plays a significant role with active community involvement and ethical business practices distinguishing us as a bank that cares about its communities over profits, which reaffirms our commitment of being ‘here for good.’

Standard Chartered also demonstrates a commitment to the wellbeing of its customers and the wider community. A wide range of innovative financial products and user-friendly technology contribute to our popularity.

The global brand partnership between Standard Chartered and Liverpool FC also plays a pivotal role in enhancing the bank’s overall reputation and popularity.

Q: Elaborate on the brand’s history and progress in the last 12 months…

A: According to Brand Finance, the value of the brand is estimated at over US$ 8 billion in 2024 with a brand rating of ‘AA.’ It ranks us in the top 50 of global banking brands based on brand value, and in the top 10 banks in Europe based on brand strength.

We are a bank with a soul. It’s an attitude that explains our approach to everything we do, from our commitment to sustaina­ble growth to how we communicate with clients and colleagues to our rich 170 year heritage.

We’re committed to driving prosperity and have large ambitions to support global trade and investment, and help businesses and customers thrive.

Q: How has Standard Chartered’s partnership with Liverpool FC aligned with the bank’s brand values and commitment to community engagement?

A: Sport provides a universal way to unite, bring people together and make a difference around the world. That is why Standard Chartered infuses importance into its global sponsorships, partnering with those who share our values.

For over a decade, we’ve been proud to ‘stand red’ as Liverpool FC men’s and women’s Main Club Partner.

This collaboration, which commenced in 2010, extended beyond mere branding on players’ jerseys to encompass various collaborative initiatives including community programmes, charity events and digital campaigns.

Standard Chartered and Liverpool FC have used this partnership to support several of the bank’s global sustainability and community investment programmes – including Futuremakers by Standard Chartered, which focuses on empowering young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to learn, earn and grow.

Between 2019 and April 2023 – the first phase of our Futuremakers initiative – Standard Chartered delivered global programmes that reached more than 2.1 million young people (68 percent of them being women and girls) through 214 projects across 43 markets.

This created more than 12,000 jobs and enabled over 39,000 youth to secure employment. In the next phase, the bank has sharpened its focus to be more outcomes driven; and by 2030, it aims to create and sustain 140,000 jobs, prioritising disadvantaged young women aged 15 to 35 years, and micro-businesses.

Q: What led to the brand revamp – and how does it reinforce the brand promise?

A: Our history spans over 170 years but it was in 1969 that our ‘Trustmark’ was first introduced to signal Standard and Chartered banks coming together: a symbol of unity and shared values.

In the five decades since then, our brand identity has taken up new treatments, dimensions and colours to stay relevant.

In 2021, the bank took another step in this journey, evolving our Trustmark and the entire brand expression to be bolder, simpler and more digital. More than a modernisation exercise, this signalled our commitment to never settle and to stay relevant in the countries we call home.

Being more than only a logo, the Standard Chartered brand stands for trust, stability and high performance in a changing world. It’s everything we do, and the way we do it. Our brand promise represents who we are at our very best and what sets us apart.

Q: How does the bank ensure that employees are engaged and equipped to act as brand ambassadors?

A: From the moment employees are recruited to the bank, we ensure that they are accustomed to our culture through vari­ous internal trainings and campaigns.

As our employees automatically become brand ambassadors of the bank, we believe that this role is not limited to merely adhering to brand guidelines but also about integrating our values into our way of working.

Employee volunteering plays a major role in how colleagues become engaged with the bank. Annually, the bank allocates three paid volunteering leave days for employees to engage in any volunteer activity, organised by the bank or themselves.

Volunteering is a major part of our corporate culture, and provides a sense of togetherness and fulfilment for employees by enabling them to engage with the communities we operate in.

This adds up to our colleagues’ experience of being employees of Standard Chartered and it is a testament to their being effective brand ambassadors of the bank.

Flexible working continues to be a strong differentiator to attract and retain talent at Standard Chartered, and in enhancing our employee value proposition.

Research suggests that colleagues on agreed flexible working arrangements express greater satisfaction with their overall employee experience, work-life balance, feelings of psychological safety and connection to our valued behaviours.

Q: Could you provide examples of recent local brand activations and how they contribute to enhancing brand visibility and stakeholder engagement?

A: It’s important to create experiences for clients through all products and services that a brand has to offer. This is the same principle we follow when we carry out brand activations.

Throughout the year, we are committed to creating curated world-class experiences for both our retail and corporate clients through a number of events.

The annual Priority Golf Tournament provides our affluent clients an opportunity to engage with fellow golfers for a day of spirited competition, camaraderie and networking.

And the highly anticipated Standard Chartered (SC) Cup engages futsal teams representing our corporate clients who battle it out for the prestigious SC Cup and an all-inclusive paid trip to the UK to witness a live Liverpool FC English Premier League game at Anfield and a tour of Anfield Stadium.

Our year-end partnership with the Soul Sounds Academy for Moods of Christmas over the past four years has been well received and is a much looked forward to affair by our clients.

Telephone: 2480480 | Email: Feedback.RC@sc.com | Website : www.sc.com/lk