eBucks, First National Bank's multi-partner rewards programme, is now adding even more value to its financial partners within the First Rand Group, all thanks to its revolutionary brand redesign. In order to better engage with its financial partners – FNB and RMB Private Bank and their respective customers who are eBucks' members – the eBucks' brand has changed its visual language to complement each partner brand's colours, language, look and feel.

According to Interbrand Sampson, eBucks' creative agency, this particular brand innovation is also a first in South Africa.

"The end result can most certainly be considered as 'revolutionary'. While the eBucks name, brand and colours are well established, eBucks is now able to speak more meaningfully and personally to its members and partners," says Christopher Koller, Interbrand Sampson Group Managing Director.

"In order for a varied colour palate to work, it was important that eBucks understood who they were engaging with in order to determine which variation of the eBucks identity to use."

"This," Koller adds, "resulted in three major variations of the eBucks logo being re-designed, each incorporating the predominant colours of the FirstRand sub-brand that any marketing or communications collateral was attached to."

For example, where eBucks communications come from FNB, the predominant colours in the new eBucks logo are teal and orange, while communications from RMB Private Bank contain the signature blue and grey.

Any communications sent from eBucks itself now contains a generic black and grey eBucks logo, which can easily be integrated into any partner communications without any colour clashes.

"This was an interesting challenge for us, because we had to retain eBucks edge as a standalone brand, while making sure that it complemented the FirstRand Groups' sub-brands," Koller says.

"The new colours have allowed eBucks to customise the types of communications that are sent out – depending on the target audiences, which can vary greatly in preferences and requirements."

Jolande Duvenage, eBucks CEO, says that while eBucks may look slightly different, the heart of the company remains the same.

"eBucks as a brand has come of age and it has matured into one that is recognisable. While eBucks carries enough brand equity to hold its own as a standalone brand, being a part of the financial powerhouses adds significant clout to eBucks as a whole, and also makes it a coveted value-add to the sub-brands of the FirstRand Group.

"eBucks – along with its agency partner Interbrand Sampson – has undoubtedly achieved what it set out to do with the polishing of its brand, not only by positioning eBucks as a valuable asset to the FirstRand Group, but also as a multi-faceted business unit that benefits a wide variety of people," Duvenage concludes.

About eBucks:

eBucks, the rewards programme offered by First National Bank (FNB) and RMB Private Bank, is acknowledged as one of South Africa's leading rewards programmes with highly active members spending in excess of 80% of the eBucks earned in any given month.