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INTERVIEW – LAURIE CLARKE, OWNER/MANAGER, BANK OF QUEENSLAND MAROOCHYDORE

BM Team
  1. How do you differentiate the Maroochydore branch from other locations?
    Because our business is a franchise, clients need to be able to go into every Bank of Queensland (BOQ) branch and have a consistent experience in regards to the look, feel and products, so I think the differences are more subtle and reflect the personality and standards of the individual owner/managers. We add some personal touches such as artwork, newspapers, comfy chairs, pot plants, etc, however, our primary objective is that each client has a great experience every time they contact us either by phone or in person. That means minimal waiting time, happy staff, a warm and genuine welcome, and the staff going out of their way to make sure all of our clients’ needs or questions are resolved. Our clients range from young people opening their first account right through to property developers. We try to build a relationship with our clients so they have confidence in us to look after their money and assist them with their plans.

  2. How do you maintain your company brand?
    Debbie(Laurie’s wife) and I believe in the brand - that's first and foremost. It's one of the things that attracted us to the business, aside from the fact that I know banking. BOQ’s values align with our own values and personal service expectations and standards, which makes running the business in these guidelines easy. The BOQ - Bank Different brand value is key to just about everything we do. When we sit down at our weekly management meeting, it’s implicit in every discussion and decision.

  3. How do you ensure employees fit and maintain the brand?
    We've learned that it’s a big part of our recruitment process. We ask ourselves if the person will be welcomed by our clients, if they will fit with our team and if they’ll deliver on our brand promise in their client interactions. Then it’s about training, information sharing (we try to be very transparent with our team) by involving them in decisions, and, of course, our own role modelling.

  4. How do you manage employees who don’t fit with/maintain the brand?
    Just because someone doesn't fit your brand doesn't mean they are not good at their job, so whatever you do has to be done with respect. Initially, you try to influence people towards the expected standards and behaviours. However, if that doesn't work, I think you need to have an honest conversation about where they are and what they want to do. In most cases, the team member isn't happy and will self-select into another job. Rule one of our business from day one has been that we only want people to stay with us if they are happy as that flows on into our clients’ experience and our business success, so it has to be not negotiable. 

  5. How do you ensure each branch remains consistent with the organisation’s branding?
    The organisation has a lot of resources in place to assist owner/managers maintain and promote the brand as this is in the interests of everyone involved across the business. There is a regional support team and a marketing and PR department to assist with advertising and media campaigns. Any local campaigns or advertising have to be cleared by BOQ to ensure consistency and that standards are maintained.
    BOQ has also recently formed a National Advisory Council, of which I am a member, to improve understanding and communication between the owner/managers and the bank, which is a great initiative. 

  6. What tools does your branch use that is consistent across all locations?
    The level of support in this area from BOQ is really very good, ranging from business cards, letterhead, brochures, in-branch merchandising, style guides, and intranet resources providing case studies and examples of advertising to a fairly streamlined process for getting approval for local initiatives.

  7. What tools promotional tools do you use to differentiate the Maroochydore branch?
    BOQ does a lot of product and brand advertising across all forms of media, so replicating that at branch level doesn't seem to us to be value for money. Plus, as a small business, our budgets are naturally limited. Luckily, Debbie has a background in corporate marketing and event management, so we may have a little advantage in that regard.
    Community involvement is a big part of our differentiation strategy. Our signature event each year is the Celebrity Charity Golf Day, which is being held at Club Pelican this year on November 19. The aim is to raise money for a different local charity each year (in 2009 our charity partner was The Sunshine Coast Children's Therapy Centre) and we are hoping to raise $35,000 net from this event. It has a range of media and promotional activities in the lead-up to the event. We think that has a positive impact on our brand positioning and awareness. We are also a silver sponsor of the Hear and Say Foundation's Dancing with the Local Stars' Ball and are a Community Partner of the Sunshine Coast Netball Association. All of these relationships are very important to us, personally and professionally.
    We do a little local advertising, but for the most part the rest of our marketing is at a micro level with our clients - birthday and Christmas cards, and small gifts for doing business with us or referring new clients to us. For us, the majority of our business comes from our existing client base and from their referrals, so it makes sense to concentrate our resources and time with them.
    Debbie is a great contributor to the business in that regard. She does not have a banking background, so sees the business through different eyes, is very creative and ensures we complement, not duplicate, the BOQ advertising.

  8. Anything to add?
    Money is fundamentally just a commodity, so getting yourself front-of-mind with people considering a new bank and staying front-of-mind with existing clients is a constant challenge. We are a small business, so we don't have large budgets for marketing and advertising. It has to come down to everything you do every day being aligned consistently with your brand values.

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