Co-op Bank claims ‘It’s Good To Be Different’ in new campaign
Co-operative Bank is on a mission to prove to consumers that its ethical positioning and work in the community stands it apart from high street competitors, as it readies a new campaign that claims ‘It’s Good To Be Different’.
The campaign, which was created by Leo Burnett and launches on TV on 2 March, again highlights the bank’s ethical credentials. It follows on from its £5.5m ‘For All The Right Reasons’ activity unveiled two years ago, which has already gone a long way to rebuild trust judging by the fact Co-Op Bank was named YouGov’s most improved brand across all categories in 2015. The bank battled negative publicity over the last couple of years as it faced financial problems and a drugs scandal involving its former chairman.
The brand’s most recent activity as part of the ‘For All The Right Reasons’ campaign focused on its work with Oxfam to improve a community in Tanzania, but the new ads shine a light on projects in the UK.
“We’ve continued the theme but built a new identity into it,” marketing director Alastair Pegg told Marketing Week. “Customers see us helping others and have told us that they want to see the bank support people closer to home as well.”
The new ads are based around people who try to make a difference in their communities, which he believes mirrors the ethos of Co-op Bank. One advert focuses on a gardener who makes volunteers come together and look after neglected pieces of public land, while another features a train driver who aims to entertain passengers through poetry and rhymes when going through the safety announcements.
“All [the ads] are little stories that show how people are doing something slightly different and making a positive difference to their customers, the environment or the people around them,” he says.
“It’s challenging because we have a lot of strong competitors around us. At the end of the day, we’d like more consumers to take out our current accounts and attract people who are aligned to us. That’s what we’re trying to do and that’s also how we’ll achieve standout in the market,” he says.
The ‘It’s Good To Be Different’ campaign will run for six weeks across TV, out of home and digital and is set to make another appearance later this year.
Pegg is also determined to redefine the brand’s identity after Co-operative Group lost full ownership of the business in 2013 when it announced a £1.5bn shortfall in finances.
