When Barclays Zambia became ABSA, many Zambians were wondering what in the world Melu Mizinga and her team were up to. What many consumers of the old Blue Brand Banking offering did not realise that ABSA was now taking them into a whole new era of banking.
According to the Business Insider in South Africa, Absa become the latest South African bank to launch vertical cards in February 2019.
Whilst many believed that they were merely changing banking colors from blue to red, Melu and her team were, in fact, ushering the Zambian banking experience into what has now become part of a growing trend among card issuers worldwide.
These forward-thinking banks believe that the vertical orientation fits better with how people handle their cards these days. Not only has the way consumers use cards that is in a ‘somewhat’ a vertical way, tap and go is also being delivered with this new offering. This complements the ease with which the card fits into one’s wallet or phone case. It is like Melu and her team want to get closer to consumers with a financially intimate product.
ABSA is finally here. Melu and her team wear the crown of the second-best bank in Zambia following 2019’s financial results. But with transformational distractions out of the way, the light blues of Stanbic Bank will be watching closely as their fierce nemesis in South Africa has now branded an entire country red with its presence.
For ABSA, this has been a public relations masterstroke as they have tirelessly gotten consumers to love the ABSA brand even before experiencing it. This is because transformation requires astute leadership and leadership that is involved. One then asks themselves, “When was the last time I saw my CEO look this good in our uniform?” ABSA is here!