Page 68 - Iconic Restaurateurs - The Entrepreneur Mag Ed. 3

Newsroom Round Up Zamani

Zainudeen

Fernando

Assistant Vice President - Cards Marketing - Nations Trust Bank

What can you tell us about your organization? brand loyalty requires companies to deliver exceptional service
Nations Trust Bank was established in 1999 and is the sole acquirer and value. To deliver our brand promise in today’s context, we
and an issuer of American Express Cards in Sri Lanka. We are must understand the customer mindset. Trust, Security and Safety;
passionate about providing our customers with unparalleled these are the hallmarks of our Brand. And have stood the test of
customer experiences and we have an enviable list of financial time. Even in a B2B context Trust, Reliability and delivering Value
products and services to cater to our individual, corporate and is core to our service. Be it connecting Cardmembers to enriching
institutional clients. Nations Trust Bank partnered with American experiences or enabling financial flexibility, we strive to build long
Express in 2003 to launch products and services that connect Card term relationships in a short term transactional world. At its core,
members to rewarding experiences and opportunities. American our brand reinforces the ensuring and enriching relationship we
Express is 150+ year premium service brand, focused on trusted have with our Cardmembers.
customer relationships and extraordinary service. The Brand
narrative adopted reflects the world its consumers are living in How does one innovate when it comes to branding?
and drives the point that the brand will support/ back its Card Customer needs and expectations are rapidly evolving and
members to thrive. It has been 16 years since Nations Trust Bank appreciation of experiences trumps appreciation of things. Our
and American Express combined and complemented their strengths customers are living hybrid lives blending work and life and as such
to deliver premium value and service to discerning customers in we need to be a hybrid brand to be relevant and purposeful be it
this market. B2B or B2C; helping people navigate life and get business done
smartly. Innovation is not necessarily a tangible product innovation,
What does branding mean to you? which the end customer purchases. Innovation can be introduced
A Brand taps into emotion. To me, it is a personified relationship to an internal design process which leads improved customer
and experience which elicits an emotion that attracts and leads to experience and delivering value. To be present in a visually literate
loyalty. A brand represents many things, but it is not limited to world we have adopted to a visually rich storytelling messaging
merely a product or logo, it embodies the company’s reputation, which is flexible, agile and suitable for the modern mediums. The
a promise made to a consumer, an expectation and demands an brand platform of “Powerful backing” is designed to “celebrate this
established standard of service. Strong brands also have a direct new reality, that life and business are really interconnected and
impact on employee morale, recruitment and retention, which in the unique role American Express plays in supporting people from
turn flow through into better service. the everyday to not so every day; be it travel, raising kids, buying
coffee, following a passion and learning a skill, pumping fuel or
What specific challenges are associated with branding starting a business.” In keeping with our commitment, we must
in this industry? keep developing and innovating to deliver the world best customer
The Credit Card market is inundated with offers and deals. And experience, every day.
most consumers are multi carded. In this environment building

The Entrepreneur Page | 66 The Entrepreneur Page | 67