Late last year, as part of our aspiration to become a super regional bank, we announced a new brand and logo for the Group to be rolled out progressively over the next two years.

Our strategy is for the Asia Pacific division to contribute about 20% NPAT of our earnings by 2012. As part of this growth agenda, we need our brand to translate across a vast region that covers diverse audiences and geographies, including those with non-English speaking backgrounds.

An important component of achieving our super regional bank ambition is going to be a consistent, highly-valued and relevant brand across the region. Our new logo will create a common visual identity for ANZ that is easily recognisable to customers, shareholders and staff, across all of our regions and segments.

In developing the new brand, we commissioned Millward Brown to conduct research across the Asia-Pacific region which covered six countries and 12 cities, 50 ANZ staff, and 1200 customers and non-customers.

THERE WERE TWO COMMON THEMES:
PEOPLE WANTED THEIR BANK TO BE “PEOPLE-SHAPED” AND THEY WANTED TO HAVE A BANKING EXPERIENCE THAT WAS “UNCOMPLICATED”.

From these insights we developed our new brand, which includes the following features:

• The reduction of ANZ word-mark lines from three to one – representing ‘One ANZ’. The line also represents the equator which runs through our region.
• The addition of a new symbol to accompany the wordmark called ‘The Lotus’ which will represent ANZ in all our markets regardless of language. The three petals of the lotus represent our region; Australia, New Zealand and Asia Pacific. The central shape represents the bank’s customers and people who are the driving force behind ANZ’s business.

Despite these challenging economic times, it is important for us to continue to invest in our brand and reputation so we will be better placed for the eventual upturn. A bank’s reputation is what carries it through the highs and lows of the business cycle.

We remain committed to extending our point of difference over the next few years with an even stronger focus on making banking uncomplicated and simple, and ensuring we are more focused on people and empathetic to the needs of our customers.

Given the current economic climate, there is the need to be prudent and mindful of costs across the Group. The new brand will be rolled out in stages across our businesses and geographies over the next 24 months as part of business-asusual upgrades and refurbishments.

ANZ chose Indonesia, one of ANZ’s highest priority markets in Asia, as the first market to officially launch the new brand to the world at the opening of two new branches in April. The brand will then be rolled out across our Asia Pacific geographies country-by-country in line with our expansion strategy, new developments and upgrades.

ANZ’s Institutional division will follow in August 2009 and in late 2009, we will begin rolling out the new brand across Australia and New Zealand and ANZ Private Bank.