www.fnb.co.za re-design

FNB has gone for an interactive experience with the new look homepage. Not been able to look at it from an unbiased perspective I will reserve comment, but feel free to have your say in the comments. But here is the the thought processes followed from the design team's perspective ...

... and here is how it compares with the other three

"We're taking Mondays back!" - Varsity Cup Fixtures Announced

Ladies, it's time to get that second TV! Super 14 is around the corner, Currie Cup not far behind, the English Football Leagues are getting into the business end, the Aussies are soon to arrive for part 2 of the test and one-day cricket series ... and now last years successful Varsity Cup is back and will take over the small screens every Monday for the next two months. Varsity Cup Champion, Francois Pienaar announced " We're taking Mondays Back!" at the announcement of the fixtures for the tournament.

The Varsity cup, with the help of buy-in from sponsors and the massive publicity it received last year (it's first), seems to have surpassed the club competitions in stature and is fast looking like it may eclipse the Currie Cup as the fans' local rugby tournament of choice. At the very least, its providing the provincial selectors with a much more realistic base for evaluating potential recruits. ... And by all accounts it's a great evening out!

The eight universities :

• University of Stellenbosch (Maties)
• University of Pretoria (Tuks)
• University of Cape Town (UCT)
• Tshwane University of Technology (TUT)
• Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU)
• North West University (NWU-PUKKE)
• University of Free State (Shimlas)
• University of Johannesburg

Links

• Website : www.varsitycup.co.za
• Facebook
  
• Twitter
• YouTube Channel
  

The fixtures :
Monday, February 2:

Shimlas v NMMU, Groote Schuur Rugby Field - 2.45pm (TV)

UCT v Maties, Groote Schuur Rugby Field - 4.45pm (TV)

UJ v TUT, Fanie du Toit Sports Grounds - 4.45pm (TV)

Pukke v Tuks, Fanie du Toit Sports Grounds - 6.45pm (TV)

Monday, February 9:
TUT v UCT, TUT Stadium - 4.45pm (TV)

NMMU v Tuks, Xerox NMMU Stadium, South Campus - 6.45pm

Shimlas v Pukke, Shimla Park - 6.45pm (TV)

Maties v UJ, Danie Craven Stadium - 7.30pm
Monday, February 16:

UCT v UJ, Groote Schuur Rugby Field - 4.45pm (TV)

Tuks v TUT, LC de Villiers Stadium - 6.45pm (TV)

Shimlas v Maties, Shimla Park - 6.45pm

Pukke v NMMU, Fanie du Toit Sports Grounds - 6.45pm

Monday, February 23:
UJ v Shimlas, UJ Stadium - 4.45pm (TV)

Tuks v UCT, LC de Villiers Stadium - 6.45pm

NMMU v TUT, Xerox NMMU Stadium, South Campus - 6.45pm

Maties v Pukke, Danie Craven Stadium - 6.45pm (TV)

Monday, March 2:

Shimlas v Tuks, Shimla Park - 4.45pm (TV)

TUT v Maties, TUT Stadium - 6.45pm

UJ v Pukke, UJ Stadium - 6.45pm

NMMU v UCT, Xerox NMMU Stadium, South Campus - 6.45pm (TV)

Monday, March 9:

Maties v NMMU, Danie Craven Stadium - 4.45pm (TV)

TUT v Pukke, TUT Stadium - 6.45pm

UCT v Shimlas, Groote Schuur Rugby Field - 6.45pm

UJ v Tuks, UJ Stadium - 6.45pm (TV)
Monday, March 16:

Pukke v UCT, Fanie du Toit Sports Grounds - 4.45pm (TV)

NMMU v UJ, Xerox NMMU Stadium, South Campus - 6.45pm

TUT v Shimlas, TUT Stadium - 6.45pm

Tuks v Maties, LC de Villiers Stadium - 6.45pm (TV)

Monday, March 23:

Semi-finals: TBC

Monday, March 30:

Final: TBC

South African Banks on Facebook

The Facebook adoption by the big four SA banks is , in some cases rather interesting:

• ABSA have one fan page on Facebook with 2488 fans.
  Although an ABSA fan page, this has been geared more around the Currie Cup than actual banking. It's heavily branded with Currie Cup information, photo's and videos of their Currie Cup TV commercials. However they do seem to respond to wall posts made by their customers, even posting a TV ad script when requested.
  
  
  
  

• FNB have one fan page aimed at the their Premier Bankers with 73 fans.
  It's a very informative, has upcoming events, weekly economic updates from their chief economist and some interactive tools. They also appear to respond to posts, albeit they have only had two. I do find it odd that FNB have chosen this market (those earning R350k to R1mill a year) to target on Facebook though. If they are looking to keep things managable and niche, perhaps the student market would make more sense? They have made good use of Facebook for the various events they are naming sponsors for namely the FNB Classic Clashes, The Varsity Cup and Whiskey Live Festival
  



















• Nedbank has no banking consumer orientated Facebook presence. They do have a page dedicated to the Nedbank Local Heroes, where you can nominate a worthy cause or person for a R10 000.00 prize. A touch I like is the videos they have included of the nominated heroes.
  
  
  
  
  

• I couldn't find any evidence of Standard Bank having any official presence on Facebook other than someone who has setup up a persona with a Standard Bank logo.
  
  

It would seem that ABSA has a clear lead when it comes to using Facebook to interact and communicate to it's customers. The beauty of this platform, if they do this right, is the positive image the bank can portray to their customers, as well as those who are customers of other banking institutions, as they react timeously to queries, suggestions etc posted on the fan page wall . The public display of helpfulness is priceless PR. Of course, the opposite can also be true as they leave themselves open to public displays of unhappiness.

It's going to be interesting to see how corporate South Africa use Facebook and it's online social media competitors to connect to their clients.

FNB's Michael Jordaan's turn to be positive

A few week's ago Iburst's CEO Alan Knott-Craig (jnr) sent a mail to his staff in response to the growing pessimism about the future of our great country. This letter spread virally and was even given time during a Mnet's Carte Blanche insert.
Yesterday it was the turn of Michael Jordaan, CEO of banking giant FNB, to deliver his message, entitled "Pride, Prejudice and Power". Here is an excerpt.

"Dear FNBers

Is it possible to be both proud of something, yet criticise it at the same time? Of course it is! Take any beaming parent for example. He or she will use every opportunity to tell others about his/her child’s achievements. At the same time, good parents are constructively critical when their child needs it. The thing that is consistent in both pride and criticism is the positive intent.


Exactly the same applies to our country or for that matter our company. Our value of Pride says that we are proudly South African or proud of FNB. Yet, that should not stop us from criticising.


I think the Eskom outages are a disaster for our economy and have done serious damage to the confidence in our young democracy. In any ordinary business venture there would be consequences for the incompetence we all had to / have to suffer. There, I’ve criticised.


But I’ve heard enough of the doom-and-gloom that has characterised South Africa over the last four weeks. And I am tired of the point-scoring politicians and told-you-so expatriates. Character is defined in bad times. Everything depends not on the national crisis itself, but on how we respond as a nation.


Change can either paralyse or energise. I choose the latter..."

It got out!

Well, I suppose it had to happen. I don't know how but someone managed to sneak out a copy of the ill-fated FNB advert that caused all the controversy. I wouldn't be surprised if it was done on purpose!!

Check it out.

btw this was found on S.A's answer to YouTube, www.myvideo.co.za so if you are having problems viewing the embedded video go to http://www.myvideo.co.za/video/plea-to-the-south-african-president I actually found it played better. They must be using offshore bandwidth!