Standard Chartered to revamp web presence

To this end, TBWA\Tequila is fighting it out with independent agency Formul8 in the final round to become agency-of-record.

The pitch comes 10 months after Standard Chartered acquired the international banking business of American Express, and the brief is understood to focus on integrating the two brands’ web offerings globally.

Standard Chartered paid US$1.1 billion for AmEx’s banking arm in September last year, giving the bank a customer base in emerging economies such as India and Indonesia, as well as developed markets such as Hong Kong and Singapore.

The acquisition was part of Standard Chartered’s strategy of strengthening its presence in emerging markets. It has recently acquired stakes in banks in China, Indonesia and Pakistan.

American Express had decided that its future was in payments, processes and cards rather than banking, which was the core of its business when it launched in 1919.

Standard Chartered’s new web offering is expected to cross-promote the bank’s other marketing activities, such as its sponsorship of the Singapore Marathon.

Last month, it doubled its sponsorship of the marathon to S$2 million (US$1.4 million) on the back of the race’s ambitions to become a truly global event.

Standard Chartered has total assets of $329 billion.