Capital One merged with Hibernia National Bank. Hibernia was the largest banking organization in the state and one of New Orleans' oldest institutions. Capital One's sole identity was as a credit card issuer. The bank needed to change its identity and adopt the Capital One name while maintaining the equity of the Hibernia name among banking customers.

STRATEGIES: 

The Ehrhardt Group worked with Hibernia and Capital One to develop a transition strategy that emphasized that this merger only strengthened the bank's ability to serve customers. The Ehrhardt Group developed a media strategy for the first day of the new brand, including the new signage on bank branches, that placed the president of the bank in front of more than one million television viewers on the first day of banking under the Capital One name. Statewide print and radio media also carried the story.

The Ehrhardt Group worked with banking executives to develop talking points designed to provide comfort and confidence to customers making the transition. Internally, the Ehrhardt Group worked with the bank's communications staff and Capital One's corporate communications office to develop employee messages about changes in benefits, office protocols and operational issues. The Ehrhardt Group also worked with the banking segment's community relations staff to design and conduct a media event that announced the donation of $3 million to promote education and after school initiatives in New Orleans and throughout Louisiana.

RESULTS:

• More than one million viewers heard the Capital One banking segment president's assurance that account numbers, bank personnel and high levels of service would not change in the transition to the Capital One brand.
• TV stations across the state used video footage produced by The Ehrhardt Group and delivered via satellite.
• Print and radio stories ran statewide to announce the changeover on the day it happened.
• More than 20 community groups, community leaders and education officials attended the community donation announcement. All local news outlets covered the press conference.