M'sian bank sharpens online business image

The campaign aims to highlight the fact the the bank has the widest online banking functions.

These functions had not been made apparent as they were launched in bits and pieces in the past, according to BCB's head of iCommerce, Khairul Nizar Abdul Hayee.

"(We want to) associate the BizChannel branding with the suite of services, instead of the existing impresssion some customers have that BizChannel is only for salary crediting, income tax payments or trade finance," he said.

Developed by Leo Burnett, the campaign tagline 'BizChannel. It all adds up to your bottom line' will be highlighted in print and television spots.

The campaign will also include a marketing kit that explains BizChannel's offerings and direct mailers aimed at six different target markets.

"The strategy behind the creative work is to tell the target what they want to hear: quite simply, what are the benefits of this service to their bottom line," said Charles Cadell, the agency's managing director.

According to Hayee, the primary target for the relaunch are small and medium enterprises as "this is the segment that has not taken advantage of the technology or not subscribed to dial-up based online corporate banking/desktop banking solutions due to the higher investment requirement and opertaing cost".

The bank expects up to 1,000 businesses to sign up for BizChannel's offerings after the relaunch, in addition to its existing 2,000 members.

"As the business community acceptance to business internet banking is still very new, we only expect another 1,000 to sign up on top of that," said Hayee.

"This conservative figure is justifiable in view of the fairly new area of offering. Businesses generally do not make decisions on impulse, as opposed to individuals."