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HSBC Green: 'There’s No Small Change'

HSBC

Issue 6 | July 2008

Agency

RMG Connect New York

Creative Team

Cesar De Castro – Creative Director;Peter Ikrath – Creative Director;Suzanne Darmory Dunleavy – Head of Copy;Peter Mullaney – Mac Operator;Ekin Seker - Flash Designer

Production Team

Eric Brooks

Other Credits

Filip Oginar – Account Director

Date

April – June 2007

Background

HSBC wanted to educate their customers on the small changes they could make on a daily basis to help the environment. By demonstrating how the bank’s products (on-line bill payment, digital billing statements etc.) reduced carbon emissions, the aim was to reinforce HSBC’s worldwide legacy of supporting environmental initiatives.

Idea

The core of the HSBC Green campaign was a website, theresnosmallchange.com, which educated visitors about changes they could make on a daily basis to be ‘green’. The site offered a carbon calculator to track the user’s impact on the environment, programs of participation in environmental events by way of an events calendar and links to make donations to ‘green’ organisations and causes. The site also detailed HSBC’s worldwide environmental initiatives, showing visitors why HSBC’s products were 'greener' and hoping to lead them to start a relationship with the bank. As an incentive to pay bills online, links on the site encouraged visitors to get a 'Green Kit'. The kits contained an assortment of eco-friendly products such as A CarbonfreeTM compact fluorescent light bulb, a reusable shopping bag, money off vouchers at selected ‘green’ suppliers and a year’s subscription to The Green Guide.

The campaign was launched with a combination of direct mail pieces, online banners and in-store advertising, all featuring a leaf visual. The DM piece was printed on recycled paper using environmentally friendly processes and used a travel journal (highlighting five 'green' destinations) to make a powerful connection with the 'Cosmocrat' target. The online banners informed small business owners how they could be eco-friendly, thus helping them save money as well as the environment

Results

The campaign achieved 103% of its business goals, generating 42,428 retail checking accounts, as well as procuring $28.7 million in new Premier Account balances.

Target Audience

The primary target was small business owners and world travellers. The secondary audience were 'light green' retail bankers - those who enjoy helping the environment, but are not obsessed with it.

Our Thoughts

Here's digital technology at its most involving and useful: the online calculator which allows you to work out your carbon footprint. The whole campaign, however, strikes me as being disingenuous and some customers will notice this (‘cos this one did) and it could be damaging. If HSBC really is so intent upon getting us to go green then how about this: use the online calculator to assess all their customers' carbon footprints and start offering discounted saver rates to those who are actively saving the world. Yes, this will cost HSBC money but what was it Mr Bernbach said about a principle? SH

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