Case study: Barclays Bank (UK) Early in 2003, Barclays, a UK-based financial services group engaged primarily in retail banking, investment banking and investment management, appointed a new advertising agency Bartle Bogle egarty !BB"# BB was $ired to spear$ead a %more $umane& campaign, after t$e bank was lambasted for its %Big Bank& adverts in 2002 t$at featured t$e slogan %a big world needs a big bank&# Barclays $ad spent '() million !U*+ 2# million".!2 million".!2(#) (#) million / " on its %Big Bank& campaign, campaign, w$ic$ featured featured celebrities celebrities suc$ as *ir nt$ony opkins and 1im ot$# 1$e adverts were slick and $ad received good prepublicity publicity,, but t$ey turned into a communicati communications ons disaster w$en t$ey coincided wit$ t$e news t$at Barclays was closing about (0 branc$es in t$e UK, many in rural areas# 4ne of t$e earlier adverts featured 5els$-born *ir nt$ony opkins talking from t$e comfort of a palatial $ome about t$e importance of c$asing %big& ideas and ambitions# 1$e adverts provoked a national debate in t$e UK w$en 6unior minister 7$ris 8ullin said t$at Barclays& customers s$ould revolt and %vote wit$ t$eir feet&# Barclays& 8arketing, 9ublic elations and 7orporate 7orporate 7ommunications image crisis worsened worsened w$en it was revealed t$at t$e new 7$ief E:ecutive 8att$ew Barrett $ad been paid '(#3 million !U*+ 2#( millio million". n".!(# !(#; ; millio million n /" for 6ust 6ust t$ree t$ree mont$s mont$s&& work# work# 7ompet 7ompetito itorr
t $as been running adverts t$at triump$ t$e fact t$at it $as abolis$ed branc$ closures# Barclays $as since e:tended opening $ours at ; per cent of its branc$es and recruited an e:tra 2,000 staff to service t$e e:tra $ours# 1oget$er wit$ t$e new adverts t$at will be %more $umane and more tangible and based on actual products rat$er t$an t$e brand&, Barclay&s $opes t$at t$e stains from t$e %Big Bank& campaign will finally start to wear off# Questions for reflection
(# 5$at was t$e t$e e:act cause cause or event t$at t$at led to t$is t$is communicati communications ons crisis crisis for Barclays? <*@ lt$oug$ t$e adverts of t$e ABig Bank campaign were slick and $ad received good pre publicity but t$ey turned into a communications disaster w$en t$ey coincided wit$ t$e news t$at Barclays was closing about (0 branc$es in t$e UK and many in t$e rural areas# 2# 5$at could could Barclays Barclays $ave done better better to avoid avoid t$is crisis? crisis? nd nd w$at do you you suggest t$e bank needs to do now to repair t$e damage done to its reputation? <*@ 1o avoid t$e crisis Barclays s$ould $ave t$oug$t campaigns t$at could relate to customers from all fields and sector of t$e society and not only target t$e elite and lavis$ lifestyles# Cirstly, advert w$ic$ provoked national debate s$ould be kept off air and new adverts w$ic$ will be more $umane and more tangible and based on actual products and services s$ould be adopted rat$er t$an concentrating on brands and lavis$ lifestyles# 8oreover, Barclays s$ould adopt strict c$ain of command so t$at
information regarding salary or remunerations does not get leaked into public# lso, Barclays now s$ould for t$e time being t$ink of $eavy donations and social works and give-aways to rebuild t$e damaged image to regain trust of t$e common people#
