Mumbai: Standard Chartered Bank has announced the launch of its retail digital banking initiatives which will empower customers to avail of a seamless digital experience across various banking services. The Bank also announced that Bollywood superstar and youth icon Anushka Sharma is the brand ambassador for the initiatives that facilitate services from opening accounts real time to interacting digitally with relationship managers (RMs). The Bank said in a statement that Anushka Sharma had been brought on board as brand ambassador to create a strong connect with the ever increasing young working audience.
Looking resplendent and beautiful, the lovely Sharma said she was glad to partner with Standard Chartered – “a Bank which combines great vintage of 160 years in India and the drive to stay contemporary and cutting-edge.” Anushka said she was “impressed with the spirit of continuous digital innovation at Standard Chartered coexisting alongside great trust and solidity.”
Anushka said that as an artist, she strived to challenge herself through her “choice of roles and the films I produce through my production house Clean Slate Films. The subtext of never settling in this campaign was the reason I identified with and became the brand ambassador for their products and services.”
The Bank also released a video campaign for the digital initiatives, which featured Anushka in not one or two but three roles. She plays herself, her mother, and her grandmother (naani) in the film. She said she was impressed by the attention to detail and the entire execution of the ad campaign; “Now I know how I will look when I grow old and of my Naani’s age,” she said.
Anushka, as one of India’s top actors and youth icon, personifies the affluent youth and their upwardly mobile aspirations while representing the values and ethos of the Bank.
Zarin Daruwala, CEO, India, Standard Chartered Bank, said, “Recognising the rapid adoption of technology in a young and aspirational India, we had embarked on a journey of Retail transformation, with the clear intent to use technology with a human touch, transforming the entire client experience; making it digitally capable and seamless, but keeping customer centricity at the core of all we do.
“Today is an important milestone of this journey. We are launching a suite of digitally powered banking services across account opening, UPI transactions and virtual RMs and are delighted to partner with youth icon, Anushka Sharma on this. The freshness, positivity and ambition she reflects is a great match with our digital initiatives and our ambition to be the preferred digital bank for the youth,” Daruwala added.
The Bank today launched the instant digital account opening capability which enables customers to instantly open a savings account using their AADHAR details through online or mobile interfaces. The suite of digital banking capabilities will now also help customers make investments in mutual funds and initiate payments through Unified Payment Interface (UPI) and Bharat QR. Additionally, customers can chat online for their service requests and Priority and Premium Banking clients can seek advice or resolutions much quicker through video conferencing with RMS.
The banking landscape is changing rapidly with digital platforms becoming a dominant form of interaction between banks and their clients. Consumers, particularly millennials, expect banking services to be faster and seamless on the back of smart digital interfaces. The launch will help the Bank take its rich product-suite to the young and emerging affluent customers, even as it reinforces its strong position with the affluent audience.
Twitterati hailed Anushka for having chosen a good cause like digital banking to spread the word about.
