HENRY DUMMER
CMO, Bank of Ireland
With a new brand repositioning kicking off next week, Henry Dummer, CMO of Bank of Ireland, talks about the challenges and opportunities facing the bank.
Describe your role with the bank.
As chief marketing officer, I am responsible for delivering a strong brand and customer plan and a differentiated position in the markets where we operate.
We have over 100 marketing professionals on the team, structured around eight capabilities including insight, analytics, planning, brand, responsible and sustainable business, channels and customer value management, customer experience and innovation and transformation.
What marketing challenges do you face?
The banking sector in Ireland and globally faces a collective challenge to rebuild trust. We are a fundamental enabler of a thriving society, and for customers to fulfil their potential they must be able to trust in and depend upon our sector.
I firmly believe they can, but I also recognise that we must be more proactive and consistent in our delivery for customers so that they are confident to partner with us for their progress.
The challenges specific to Bank of Ireland are actually very exciting.
Our ambition over the next three years is to become the ‘National Champion Bank’, underpinned by a meaningful purpose to enable customers, colleagues and communities to thrive.
The challenge — and the exhilarating part — is turning this intent into tangible action that people can see, touch, and experience to deliver on the promise we are making.
How do you overcome these challenges?
I’m a great believer that trust must be earned. And while we have been very clear in communicating our intent and purpose, we are also rapidly moving from words to actions by delivering proof points which have a genuine impact for customers. Winning trust doesn’t come overnight. You have to invest in it and work hard at it.
Explain the new brand positioning
In the coming weeks we will communicate a new brand position that brings to life our purpose of enabling customers, colleagues and communities to thrive.
Rather than simply articulating our purpose, I felt it would be more effective to position our brand in such a way that consumers play back our purpose to us in their own words.
To enable others to thrive is a wonderful outcome and a worthwhile pursuit for any business but from listening to consumers it’s not easy to get there. We all carry hopes and dreams but in order to thrive we must progress from hoping and dreaming and we must ‘begin’.
This simple insight has formed the positioning for the bank and it’s a clear call to action. There is always the next ‘begin’ opportunity, whether it’s consumers in their personal lives or businesses moving from startup to scaling for growth.
I want people to be inspired by the idea, to reflect on their own begin opportunity and to see Bank of Ireland as a brand they can depend on to enable them to get there.