Customers commend Sterling Bank for rewarding loyalty

Impressed by the ‘One Customer’ experience they had at the exclusive private pre-release screening of the award winning film, ‘Half of a yellow Sun’, Customers of Sterling Bank Plc have commended the Bank for providing a platform to access the film before its presentation to members of the local and international community via the public release on April 25 2014.  The film is an adaptation of Chimamanda Adichie’s novel, which depicts the story of the Nigerian Civil War, its effects on families and the triumph of love over war.

A cross section of the Bank’s customers who watched the film at the Silverbird Galleria last Sunday in Lagos, noted that with the sponsorship of the exclusive pre-release screening of the film for customers, by Sterling Bank had introduced a new dimension to banking in Nigeria. In this customer-centric path Sterling Bank has aggressively started rewarding its customers for their loyalty and this has gone far beyond promotions tied to deposits.

The Nigerian-born British actor Chiwetel Ejiofor, Hollywood actress Thandie Newton and Onyeka Onwenu, Genevieve Nnaji, John Gboyega and Joseph Mawle all contributed in no small way to the palpable pride and nationalist fervor that buzzed through the cinema as the guests enjoyed seeing Nigerians on a world stage telling the nations of the earth our own story our own way.  Half Of A Yellow Sun will be screened to the public from April 25 2014.

 This was quite exciting as Sterling Bank a truly national bank, provided a platform for this story to be told to Nigerians of various walks of life united by its one customer mantra. It was an opportunity seized to remind its clients that they are the centre of the brand’s attention, and it was truly a memorable day.

 Adepegba Ogunlesi, a customer who banks with the Yaba branch of the Bank said after watching the film with his wife, Bisi who is also a customer: “This is a new experience for me and coming during the festive period, there is no other way to celebrate Easter. This is a new dimension to banking and it’s been a sweet experience for me and my wife. For Sterling Bank, it is a matter of time for the Bank to increase its rising customer profile if this innovation is sustained”.

Similarly, Clara Nwosu, a customer with the Igbosere branch of Sterling Bank noted that “the experience of today (Easter Sunday) has demonstrated that banking is no longer about over the counter transactions but that of building relationships through innovative schemes like this. With the introduction of entertainment to Banking by Sterling Bank, it has shown that the Bank is not only interested in securing our money, but ensuring that customers also enjoy some privileges like this watching a film that has not been released to the market and creating fun and excitement for us,  especially at Easter”.

Speaking with journalists after the premiere, the Group Head, Strategy & Communications, Sterling Bank Plc, Shina Atilola said that the sponsorship of the private pre-release screening of the film exclusively for the customers of the Bank was meant to reward customers for their loyalty and brand support over the years.

Besides, Atilola said that the premiere of the film is a demonstration of the Bank’s resolve to make impact in the entertainment industry having successfully established itself as a reference financial institution in education and the environment. “What we are doing today (Sunday) in the entertainment industry is in line with the major Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) thrust of the Bank which is focused on education, entertainment and the environment. In addition, the movie industry has continued to grow over the years. In the last 15 years, it has contributed about 1.2% to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), so we are looking at investing in the sector to make it bigger and better, generate employment and increase its contribution to the nation’s GDP”.

The Sterling Bank executive explained that the involvement of the Bank in the production of the film was informed by its unique story line just as he described the film as one of Nigeria’s finest export brands.

Sterling Bank Plc is a leading commercial bank in Nigeria and one of the country’s fastest growing banks. Originally incorporated in 1960 as NAL Bank (the country’s first investment banking franchise), it acquired the operations of the erstwhile Equitorial Trust Bank in November 2011 in pursuit of its growth and expansion plans. The bank currently operates out of 168 branches, about 4,648 POS and 300 ATMs across Nigeria.

HOPE MOSES-ASHIKE