Terrence Ma | Taylor Ward | Jeffrey Qua | Ariana De Ryss

B R A N D E X P E R I E N C E

A N A L Y S I SRBC ROYAL BANK OF CANADA

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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VISION AND VALUESSLOGAN TIMELINE

HISTORY - LOGO TIMELINERBC’S CURRENT STATE

BRAND APPROACH & MESSAGEWELCOME ARBIE

COLLABORATIONSCOMMUNITY STANCE

TOUCHPOINTS

WHAT IS BRAND?WHAT IS EXPERIENCE DESIGN?

INTRO TO ZIBAWHY WE CHOSE ZIBAZIBA METHODOLOGY

LOOKING AT ZIBA’S WORKWORK IN DIFFERENT CULTURES

OUR APPROACH

REFERENCES

ROYAL BANK OF CANADA

BRAND EXPERIENCE

ZIBA AGENCY

RBC ROYAL BANK OF CANADAVISION & VALUES

RBC or the Royal Bank of Canada (Banque Royale du Canada), is also known as RBC Royal Bank or the RBC Financial Group. It is the largest !nancial institution in Canada in terms of assets and market capitalization. RBC currently employs approximately 80,000 employees serving a client-base of almost 15 million personal, business, public sector, and institutional clients. With o"ces in Canada, the United States, and 51 other countries, RBC services an international market with a strong focus of its roots in Canada. #ey are one of the top 20 largest banks globally in terms of market capitalization.

RBC’s statement of vision and values expresses their priorities of client relations and company wide growth.

VISION“Always earning the right to be our clients !rst choice”

CORE VALUESExcellent service to clients and each otherWorking together to succeedPersonal responsibility for high performanceDiversity for growth and innovationTrust through integrity in everything we do

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SLOGAN TIMELINERBC

YOU WILL LIKE BANKING AT THE ROYAL

YOU CAN BANK ON THE ROYAL

THERE'S NOTHING QUITE LIKE MONEY IN THE BANK

SEE HOW PLEASANT BANKING CAN BE AT THE ROYAL

THE BANK WITH A 1,000 FRONT DOORS

WE LIKE TO TAKE CARE OF YOU AT THE ROYAL BANK

THE HELPFUL BANK

WE’RE APPROACHABLE

WHEN YOU SUCCEED... WE SUCCEED

CAN DO!

FIRST FOR YOU

SIMPLIFY YOUR BANKING. SIMPLIFY YOUR LIFE

ADVICE YOU CAN BANK ON

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#e 1974 logo was a minor redesign. No major elements were cut, but rather detailing lines were removed, modernizing the logo. #e applied changes facilitated the logos use in signage.

#is logo lasted until 1962 when the emblem was simpli!ed, but retained the heraldic symbolism and motif of the previous logo. #e only remaining elements were the lion and the crown. #ese were used to preserve the character of dominance and strength, keeping the royal symbolism of tradition and stability. #e one element added was the globe to represent their expansion into the global market. #is design forms the basis for RBC’s strong brand identi!cation with the “Lion and Globe”.

#e !rst logo for the company was a three-mast sailing ship with an auxiliary engine. #is choice was due to the founders being well-established maritime merchants and the ship symbolized on the logo was a modern ship at the time.

#e secondary logo for the new Royal Bank identity was an emblem that resembled the British Royal Coat of Arms in order to focus on the “Royal” idea and name. As RBC’s website states it, “the royal insignia lent the desired symbolism of tradition, strength, and stability.”

Originally founded in Halifax, Nova Scotia as the Merchants Bank of Halifax in 1864, RBC did not have it’s current name until 1901 when the name was o"cially changed to Royal Bank of Canada. #e national expansion of the bank moving further into Canada resulted in the change to the company’s eventual and current name as well as a shift of the headquarters from Halifax to Montreal. #is resulted in the development of a brand new logo to go with the new identity.

HISTORYLOGO TIMELINE

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BRANDING SINCE 2001bottom and blue background were added to suggest the form of a shield. It implies the idea of security. Clearly retaining the lion and globe design, the removal of the crown and the change in position of the lion to the left was meant to represent RBC’s shift into the US and international markets and create a “forward-facing”

with their growth strategy within North American and international markets. RBC Financial Group was also created as part of this identity shift in order to have a master corporate brand among their

With the establishment of their new logo, RBC inscribed their umbrella identity RBC Financial Group. With this newly distinguished brand, both RBC and all of it’s subsidiaries including RBC Royal Bank, RBC Global Asset Management, RBC Insurance, RBC Wealth Management, RBC Capital Markets,

RBC Global Asset Management

RBC Wealth Management

RBC Financial Group

RBC Royal Bank

RBC Insurance

RBC Capital Markets

CONSOLIDATION OF SUBSIDIARY COMPANIES UNDER ONE PARENT

COMPANY

CURRENT STATERBC BRANDING

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RBC understands the baby boomer generation and looks to create a successful brand link with this market. Upon Little’s appointment as Brand Director, the company moved to focus on their target audience through internal business synchronization and alignment with their Canadian roots. #ey developed the icon Arbie to raise brand recognition and gain empathy from consumers. #ey also strengthen brand recognition by sponsoring interests like golf, environmental issues, and arts that resonate with the baby boomer generation.

BRAND APPROACH & MESSAGEBRAND RECOGNITION WITH AUDIENCE

W A R M .A C C E S S I B L E .

P R O P O S I T I O N S .A D V I C E B A S E D

WELCOME ARBIEGIVING A FACE TO THE COMPANY

In 2007, RBC’s brand research suggested the brand needed more warmth, more accessibility and more advice-based propositions. In addition to this, the research revealed a problem with linking the brand to

an icon that would raise our brand link but also inject some empathy”, states Jim Little, Creative Director at

forming a personal connection with RBC. He was originally created to be a minor component of their advertising campaign, merely meant as an iconic memory element. Now, Arbie stars in all RBC’s product ads, from credit cards to mortgages, a spotlight on TV commercials and also highlighted on in-branch print. “We now have 92% brand link with Arbie,” Little says.

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COLLABORATIONBRAND STEWARDS

BBDOCAMPAIGN IMAGES &

MATERIALS

RBC worked in collaboration with BBDO to develop RBC’s desire to be a warm and accessible brand. BBDO worked with Jim Little (RBC Chief Brand and Communications O"cer) to create Arbie, a personi!cation of the banks advertising for the Beijing Olympics in 2008, featured in a range of ads from print to television commercials. #e character’s success inspired his continued use in new commercials and campaigns. RBC still continues to collaborate with BBDO for their advertising campaigns.

Cloudraker Agency was brought in to reinvent the way RBC approached Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) campaigns. #ey found Arbie resonated with Canadian citizens, so carrying him into the Blue Water project beyond his Beijing debut. Blue Water Project is a long term project to raise awareness of water preservation both internationally and locally. RBC presented only the funding, but grant recipients present and educate audiences about their cause, through through Blue Water’s online social media platform. As such, the heart of the cause, the recipients, initiating the conversation.

CLOUDRAKER AGENCYBLUE WATER PROJECT

RBC HOCKEY PROGRAM

“When we discussed ways to tell the story, we all agreed that RBC was going to be the host, but that the grant recipients were ultimately the ones who would drive the conversation. The ‘let’s do good then spend a bunch of money telling people about the good we did’ model is outdated and consumers see through it.” - Christina Brown

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sponsorship projects, Jim Little says is driven by the corporations brand focus on the baby boomer generation. Known as the “boomer proxy” RBC strategically invests in their Canadian cultured roots, and local communities. Investing millions in 6 major areas with community, sustainability, and responsibility (Vibrant Communities, Sustainable

Project, RBC After-School Grants Project & RBC Emerging Artists Project.

COMMUNITY STANCECOMMUNITY TIES AND THE FLAGSHIP PROGRAMS

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RBC has several touchpoints at which customers and clients can interact with the bank. #e most obvious ones are retail branches, ATMs and telephone banking. RBC also o$ers online banking on their website at www.rbc.com. In addition to their banking services, RBC reaches out to the community in the form of donations and sponsorships. RBC has numerous websites for its various services and di$erent business platforms. RBC also has a strong digital presence with social media having various accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube channels.

12 Webs i tes

3 Youtube Channe ls

14 Twi t te r Hand les

4 Facebook Pages

1 iPhone App - RBC Mob i le

2 iPad Apps - RBC Canada

TOUCHPOINTSFORMS OF SOCIAL MEDIA

slogan, logo, or symbol that strongly correlates to a company’s ‘brand identity’. Elements that are

the personality that is associated with the product, service, and company and how it connects with customers and the various brand stakeholders. Any types of emotional or experiential aspects that occur at any one of a brand’s many touchpoints such as thoughts and feelings are considered as brand experience.

brand objectives. It is developed through a deep understanding of customers, perceptions of the brand, desired brand personality, desired and competitive brand positions, and the characteristics for the desired

build and design a new and authentic brand experience.

WHAT IS BRAND?THE DEFINITIONZIBA’S VISUAL BRAND LANGUAGE

WHEN A BRAND TRULY KNOWS ITS DNA AND INTIMATELY UNDERSTAND ITS CONSUMERS, THERE IS A SWEET SPOT WHERE THE TWO OVERLAP. THIS IS WHERE BEAUTIFUL EXPERIENCES LIVE.-SOHRAB VOSSOUGHI

“”

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Experience design is the development of a product, service, environment and any point where a consumer can have a moment of engagement. In the context of designing for a brand, experience design deals with the creation of how a person interacts with a brand’s various touchpoints. According to Nathan Shedro$, a pioneer in the !eld of experience design, “#e most successful experiences are meaningful.” By creating experiences that are meaningful, a brand can create deep connections with people that speak on a personal level. #is is the goal that experience design aims to create.

Ziba approaches experience design with the mind set of designing products or services that create meaning with a target consumer and not just designing something for the sake of design. #ey use a three-stage process to begin the experience design process. First, understanding a Brand’s DNA to realize their core brand identity. Second, identifying the target consumers. #ird, ascertaining existing trends. #rough this process, Ziba has the ability to !gure out a brand’s strengths and then create an experience that answers a clear need and matches patterns of trends occurring in the consumer experience context. #is is Ziba’s methodology for, as they phrase it, “designing beautiful experiences”.

WHAT IS EXPERIENCE DESIGN?THE DEFINITIONZIBA DESIGNING BEAUTIFUL EXPERIENCES

BRAND DNA

TARGET

TREND

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authentic experiences with their products and services. To understand the customers so they can determine what is considered meaningful to them. Taking an honest approach and staying true to the brand’s values and beliefs. In order to guide consumers to adopt it and love it.

Ziba aims to integrate products and services seamlessly and consistently into their customer’s experience. Consistency is key in maintaining how each touchpoint aligns with the brand’s promise. By doing this, they can meet customer needs and earn their trust, cultivating experience with their brand.

In the end innovation stems from great ideas. But they have to be real

in the physical and digital realm of design come into play, implementing ideas into touchpoints for the best possible experience.

INTRODUCTION TO ZIBA“MAKE THEM LOVE YOU”. ZIBA WORKS AROUND THIS IDEA TO IMPROVE THEIR CLIENT’S TOUCHPOINTS.

MEANING & AUTHENTICITY

INTEGRATION

MAKE IT REAL

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WHY WE CHOSE ZIBAGIVING BRAND A FACE

RBC has already begun this methodology by applying the mascot Arbie to di$erent advertisements. RBC hopes to make their brand more empathetic toward audiences, and that they identify with Arbie that links to the larger group, RBC. Choosing ZIBA we want to use their ideals with character and an identi!able face to push the brand of RBC using what they already started with Arbie.

“ TO TELL A CONVINCING STORY, YOU NEED AN IDENTIFIABLE CHARACTER ” - CARL ALVIANA, ZIBA DESIGNER

Ziba believes IXD word is important but it is often misunderstood by a broad audience. Interaction design lacks a narrative that communicates to people outside the profession. It may be because that interaction design is a young profession, or that our tools and skills evolve rapidly with technology. It may also be that there is a lack of an identi!able character. Other design professions have established characters that relate to a broad audience. Architects are stereotyped lurking over physical models, and graphic designers are stereotyped playing with a Wacom tablet. #e lesson here is that a character with a set of traits can help identify a larger group. As stereotypical as it sounds it is a method that can help brand a business.

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KNOW COMPETITION

SEEKINGEXPERIENCES

BLURTHE LINES

ZIBA METHODOLOGYTOUCHPOINT APPROACH

Ziba reveals how they manage to keep their clients apart from the rest

of the experience correct, because if one is faulty, the sea of competitors will sweep in and do it better.

Acknowledge the bigger universe of competitors, seek out comparable experiences, and blur the lines.

By acknowledging a bigger universe of competitors, they learn and understand the other businesses that the consumer may compare their clients with. One cannot assume the customer loyalty of a consumer, the business has to earn it. Every touchpoint needs to be adapted with this in mind.

Seeking out comparable experiences means looking beyond the context where the client lies. Ziba determines what the consumers clients really

experiences.

Ziba then blurs the lines to innovate their clients touchpoints. After seeking comparable experiences, they spot the underlying principles that can be applied to their clients touchpoints, even though those

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LOOKING AT ZIBA’S WORKUMPQUA BANK USING TRENDS

Ziba worked with Umpqua to improve their banking experience. Umpqua already improves customer experience by building relationships, not transactions. Ziba applied comparable experiences to this intimate setting Umpqua has created. #ey merged localism and slow movement trends into Umpqua’s touchpoints. For example, implementing ideas from hotel lobbies and co$ee shops, letting the customer know they can linger through this metaphorical interpretation.

TRENDS

SEEKINGEXPERIENCES

BLURTHE LINES

SLOW& LOCAL

PERSONAL& INTIMATE

HOTEL LOBBY& COFFEE

ZIBA APPROACH THINK TO MAKE

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WORK IN DIFFERENT CULTURESLI-NING RETAIL SPACE USING CULTURAL HERITAGE

CULTURAL HERITAGE

SEEKINGEXPERIENCES

BLURTHE LINES

SOCIAL PARTICIPATION

SOCIAL CUES ROLE MODELS

SOCIAL HUBSOLYMPIC MOTIF

ZIBA APPROACH THINK TO MAKE

Initially, Li-Ning built themselves up as a Western-style brand that resonated with that particular culture, but did not inspire youth from their own culture.

Ziba researched modern Chinese consumers to gain insight on their cultural heritage. According to research, “Chinese youth are overwhelmed by choice and actively seek role models and cultural cues to guide them to meaningful experience.” In Chinese culture, sports are an expression of modernity and a

solution Li-Ning needed was to evoke Chinese heritage through their retail experience. Ziba helped Li-Ning portray social cues and role models through

social hubs and Olympic motifs.

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OUR APPROACH

TRENDS CULTURAL HERITAGE

POTENTIAL STARTING POINTS

KNOW COMPETITION

SEEKINGEXPERIENCES

BLURTHE LINES

PROCESS

Look at popular trends that resonate with RBC’s brand.

Research and understand RBC’s Canadian heritage.

Continue RBC’s efforts by pushing an identifiable character.

TAKING FROM ZIBA’S METHODS AND PRECEDENTS.

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REFERENCES

www.rbc.comwww.rbc.com/history/leo/index.htmlwww.rbc.com/investorrelations/pdf/ar_2011_e.pdfwww.rbc.com/investorrelations/pdf/rbcglanceq32012.pdfwww.rbc.com/newsroom/brand.htmlwww.ziba.com

Designing Meaningful Experiences. Shedroff, N. (2011) AIGA CT 2011http://www.nathan.com/thoughts/MeaningfulExperiences.pdf

Designing Beautiful Experiences -Sohrabum Vossoughi, 01 Jan 2010http://www.ziba.com/#/perspectives/article/designing-beautiful-experiences/

Where is the Love? Authenticity in the 21st Century -Sohrab Vossoughi, 04 Dec 2007http://www.ziba.com/#/perspectives/article/where-is-the-love/

Is Authenticity in the Eye of the Beholder? -Henry Chin, 02 Dec 2007http://www.ziba.com/#/perspectives/article/eye-of-the-beholder/