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In the mid-1990s, market demands for around-the-clock (24/7) banking and financial transacting began to converge with advances in internet-based technologies. This confluence of forces gave rise to the birth of internet banking. Building upon the relevant literature, this paper aims to develop a set of propositions to address the following questions: what brand strategy or strategies were used at the birth of internet banking roughly 25 years ago? In the years since then, have merger and acquisition transactions involving internet or “direct” banking businesses only come to fruition where the direct bank was previously under a specific brand strategy? And finally, where there have been changes in internet banking brand strategy, have these invariably been in the ultimate direction of one particular brand strategy?

Because of the exploratory nature of the research question, this paper uses a case study examination as the research approach. In addition to gaining deeper insight into issues involving internet bank branding as these actually existed, this paper aims to propose preliminary and tentative conclusions that can later be tested empirically with larger sample size. The case studies specifically examine German commercial banks with direct bank businesses.

In the examination of the German commercial banks, this paper finds that their internet banking activities some 25 years ago were, in fact, never launched using an umbrella brand strategy but rather with a combined brand strategy or multi-brand strategy. Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) transactions involving internet-based direct banks were only consummated where the direct bank had previously been operated by the parent bank using a multi-brand strategy. Where the brand strategies of internet-based direct banks have been changed by their parent banks, this has invariably been in the direction of an umbrella brand strategy.

Within the marketing and banking literature, there are no in-depth examinations of internet banking brand strategies to be found. This paper, in addressing this research topic, marks the first full survey of German commercial banks with internet-based direct banking businesses. This survey, moreover, examines branding not only at the time that internet-based direct banks were first established starting in 1994 but also the subsequent development of internet banking brand strategies to the present day.

This paper advocates for banks to understand customers' online privacy concerns, use those insights to segment consumers and design tailored sales strategies to build a mutual relationship through a social exchange that produces a competitive advantage.

A qualitative study involving 30 in-depth interviews with Australian and Asian millennials residing in Australia was conducted using a grounded theory approach to explore privacy concerns of online banking and determine the efficacy of their banks' existing sales strategy and practice.

The study revealed differences in customer perceptions of trust, confidence, responsibility and exchange. Adopting a power-dependency paradigm within a social exchange theoretical framework and power distance belief of national culture theory, the authors identified four consumer segments: exemplar, empiric, elevator and exponent. The authors propose a tailored consumer-centered sales strategy of communication, control, consolidation and collaboration.

The paper contributes to the research in services marketing, sales strategy and banking in three ways: first, the authors demonstrate the importance of the social exchange theory and national culture as a premise to develop a competitive advantage; second, the authors propose an innovative set of consumer segments in regards to online privacy concerns; and, third, the authors introduce four sales strategies tailored to each of the four segments.

Outlines the adaptation process in the distribution channel structure of the retail banking sector as a consequence of the introduction of electronic channels, such as telephone banking, PC banking and Internet banking. Based on responses from 42 retail banks in Denmark, their distribution channel strategies are described and their relation to selected marketing mix elements is examined. Most Danish retail banks attach decisive importance to offering a customer‐friendly PC bank service, whereas fewer of them attach the same importance to telephone, Internet and branch banking. A multiple channel strategy combining several channels is the most popular.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate employment of positioning strategies in the retail bank sector of Sub-Saharan Africa, specifically using Ghana as the study context. In addition, it explores the applicability of western-based typology of positioning strategies in the Sub-Saharan African environment.

Six retail banks – three national and three foreign – are studied, each through an in-depth case study method: covert and participant observation techniques; and face-to-face interviews of chief executive officers, marketing managers, and bank branch managers provided data for the study.

The results show that the “service” positioning strategy is the most popular strategy employed by retail banks. “Value for money,” “attractiveness,” “brand name,” and “country of origin” positioning strategies are also dominant. “Top of the range” and “selectivity” strategies are minimally pursued by the sample of banks studied. The results reveal that both foreign and national retail banks employ multiple positioning strategies in the face of competition. However, foreign retail banks consistently employ a; large number of strategies relative to national retail banks. This paper supports the applicability of a western-derived set of positioning strategies in the Sub-Saharan African marketplace.

This study closes a gap in the understanding of positioning, as well as filling the empirical gap in the application of positioning. In addition, it helps resolve a contextual gap of knowledge in Sub-Saharan Africa’s retail banking sector.

This study responds to Porter (1996), Clancy and Trout (2002), and Knox (2004) for continued empirical research in positioning in service industries and specifically in Sub-Saharan African economies (Coffie, 2014, 2016; Coffie and Owusu-Frimpong, 2014). Moreover, this research adds value to the banking and marketing literatures through a qualitative case study method, which is an important yet overlooked research method (Yin, 2009).

This paper aims to develop structural equation modelling of variables that affect the banking performance effectiveness of Thai Commercial Bank branches in the financial service sector by gathering quantitative data.

The population of the study covers all 2,068 Thai Commercial Bank branches in Bangkok, Thailand. This research defined the Thai banks for data collection using stratified sampling (first step) and simple sampling (second step). Primary data were collected using a self-administered survey of 65 managers and 185 marketing officers. In the total sample, 69 (27.6 per cent) of the respondents were male and 181 (72.4 per cent) were female in the Thai Commercial Bank branches. The responses to the questions capturing focal constructs used a seven-point Likert scale. Data were analysed using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling.

It was found that significant relationships existed between social customer relationship management (CRM), relationship marketing orientation (RMO) and business strategies and banking performance effectiveness. The key success factors of social CRM and relationship marketing orientation were found to have indirect influences on banking performance effectiveness through mediation of business strategies. Additionally, the results of this research show that social CRM and RMO have direct and indirect influences on banking performance effectiveness through the mediation of focus strategy or differentiation strategy (p < 0.001).

Recent development of the digital communications in industrial marketing to achieve firm performance, chief executive officer, management officers and managers could consider setting managing and marketing plans for excellent performance, and long-term relationship by five steps.

These results add performance effectiveness and long-term relationships with business-to-business (B2B) service industry and bank customers (both retail and public enterprises) to the factors needed to respond to the highly competitive situation at present, which will be even more important with the ASEAN Economic Community in 2015.

The purpose of this paper is to develop, measure and empirically validate the promotional techniques adopted by Islamic banks and the effect of these methods on consumer interest in Islamic banking products and services in the UAE (United Arab Emirates).

Data were collected through 250 questionnaires distributed randomly to customers of five leading UAE Islamic banks and, following outlier analysis, the final sample size was reduced to 205, representing a sample of 82% of polled respondents. Multiple regression analysis was used on four key factor determinants that contributed towards the customers’ attitude in determining the most influential promotional strategies adopted by the Islamic banks.

The study found that the promotional strategies adopted by the UAE Islamic banking sector are having a significant impact on customer attitude towards Islamic banking products and services. The use of mass media has been partially successful, while the use of social media as a promotional tool is predicted to further enhance competitiveness for the UAE Islamic banking industry.

This paper is limited to five leading UAE Islamic banks and a specified set of promotional techniques nevertheless its findings have potential implications and can be extended and validated through studying the customers’ attitude towards promotion techniques used by Islamic banks in the GCC and MENA regions.

This paper adds value to the limited research on modern marketing and promotional strategies adopted by UAE-based Islamic banks and while regionally specific, it is valuable in its potential application to the Islamic banking sector in the entire GCC and MENA region.

Bank customers are divided into an Internet banking segment and a branch banking segment and it is argued the former is growing and the latter is declining. This development is predicted dramatically to change the distribution channel structure in the retail banking sector. Two important strategic distribution channel decisions face banks. The first is whether to target the branch banking segment or the Internet banking segment. The other regards the geographical area banks aim to serve. This can be the local/national area or several nations. Based on this, four pure distribution channel strategies and a dual strategy are identified and their advantages and disadvantages are discussed.

Several high street retail banks are extending their brands into digital banking through fully digital, app-only neobanks, which have been described as traditionally-driven neobanks (TDNBs). These TDNBs are considered a form of brand extension, representing the increased complexity of branding banks and financial institutions. This study explicitly addresses the branding strategies employed by TDNBs.

This study has adopted a case study research design, using a multi-stage data collection strategy. Initially, interviews were conducted with bank managers, followed by interviews with customers. Later, user-generated content was extracted through verified reviews from the app store. Subsequently, these three strands of data were thematically analysed and triangulated, in order to gain a holistic understanding of the branding strategies used by TDNBs.

Three key themes emerged regarding the branding strategies of the TDNBs: aligning with the parent brand, reinforcing the digital experience, and enhancing the brand image.

This study contributed to the growing body of research on marketing, branding, and digital transformation of bank services. As more traditional banks are exploring opportunities to pivot and explore other fintech options, this study offers significant insights that will help in managing brand experience and promotion across customer journeys in the banking sector.

This study contributes to the growing body of research on marketing, branding, and digital transformation of bank services. Even as more traditional banks explore opportunities to pivot as well as other fintech options, this study offers significant insights to help manage brand experience and promotion across customer journeys in the banking sector.

While previous studies on banking and financial services have concentrated on traditional retail and high street banks, there is a need for a greater understanding of the brand positioning of digital banks, especially those created by traditional banks.

The British retail banking market has changed markedly since the beginning of the 1970s, and important trends and developments have increased the competitive pressures facing banks. The whole nature of competition in British retail banking has altered. New competitors and new forms of competition have appeared with increasing rapidity. These changes and the associated pressures on banks have intensified during the 1980s. At the same time, banks have increased the comparative importance of retail banking within their strategies. These pressures and their associated implications for British retail banking strategy are explored. It is emphasised that marketing will need increasingly to dominate bank strategies in retail banking. This orientation towards marketing has important strategic and managerial consequences for banks.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the business strategy and its strategic orientation in the context of Indian banking sector. While past research has focussed on internal factors, organizational performance and organizational design, present research intends to fill the gap by assessing the strategic archetypes for Indian banking.

A review of literature resulted in 14 items covering various aspects of strategy orientation. A structured questionnaire was used to obtain insights from bank managers. The study is based on responses received from 330 banking officials working in various functional areas of banks in India.

Using factor analysis, the 14 items are reduced into four major factors: competition, cost, innovation and customer need. In terms of strategic preferences, the finding indicates that respondents have given higher rating for both market share (25 percent) and new products (25 percent), followed by cost (16 percent), competition (15 percent) and service (13 percent).

With the dominant preference for market share and new products, authors proposed a market share-new product matrix and identified four quadrants: low return, resource constraint, complacency and optimal performance. The study offers guidance to managers to frame and assess the bank strategy.