Emirates NBD’s holistic approach is to provide unique customer experience while developing innovative products and services that add immense value to our customers, encompassed by our belief in delivering responsible banking solution to the marketplace. Our strong focus on digitisation helps us deliver enriched banking experience to our one million plus customers.

What drivers have influenced this strategic shift?

The UAE has a diverse population that comprises of residents from over 200 countries. In addition, the country’s dynamic business sectors mean that your marketing strategy should appeal to a wider target audience while at the same time taking into consideration the cultural characteristics and values of demographics that would drive them to trust your brand.

What role does PR play in communicating the brand? The public relations function plays an important role in our 360 marketing mix and we effectively use PR to win customer’s trust, educate audiences, thought leadership, better industry positioning, to name a few.

How did the ‘Hey Future Me’ Campaign evolve?

Aimed at helping parents learn about their children’s dreams, aspirations and uncertainties about the future, the emotion-driven campaign asked children across schools in the UAE to send a message to their future selves. The highly successful campaign helped us introduce our Priority Banking customers to the Children’s Savings Plan which helps parents secure their children’s financial future.

What are the campaign’s objectives?

The primary objective of ‘Hey Future Me’ campaign was to engage with the UAE audience and emphasize on the need for systematic planning for children’s future. The award-winning campaign, which went viral on YouTube with nearly 1m views, surprised parents when children themselves reminded parents about their real dreams and ambitions for future.

What has the impact been in terms of trust in the brand, awareness and/or bottom line?

Since the launch of the campaign in October 2014, the sales of our regular savings plans (insurance solutions) in 2014 increased by 60% compared to 2013. In addition, the Emirates NBD brand index scores – according to YouGov’s Brand Index Tool – among affluent customers increased to 27.7 in November 2014, well exceeding the targeted score of 25.

How has social media changed the way Middle Eastern banks communicate?

Social media plays an eminent role in facilitating direct engagement with customers and enables us to introduce innovative solutions that address biggest customer pain points. We effectively use this medium to ensure that our one million plus customers receive superior customer support.

Is there something banking brands should be doing in terms of communications that they aren’t at the moment?

Banks in the region should focus on being more authentic which will result in people trusting their value propositions. Additionally, banks should also step up efforts to educate the wider population on good financial management since well-informed and financial responsible citizens will benefit the society at large. Last but not the least, the focus on innovation should be need-based and address gaps in the market rather than innovating for the sake of it.

How will the sector’s communications evolve in the future?

Today’s customers are searching locally, shopping socially and doing it all on their mobile devices. So if you are not connecting with customers on all three platforms, you will quickly be left behind. The same goes for the banking sector.