The Royal Bank of Scotland Group has recruited Royal Dutch Shell and British Gas marketer Nimai Swaroop to the new position of group head of employer branding and marketing.

The majority of consumers ask for a little help from their friends when it comes to choosing financial services products, but recent research shows we turn a deaf ear to that advice with advertising holding the most power in this market. companies that invest most heavily in advertising top the list of most favoured brands, according to the fourth biannual fast.MAP/DMA Financial Services Tracker study. Article from Marketing Week.

The UK is braced for a new breed of High Street banking chain. Is it possible for them to overcome the frustrations with which savers and borrowers have become familiar? Imagine it: a bank with branches open when you need them - at evenings and weekends. Or even 24 hours a day. Jon Kelly of BBC News Magazine takes a look a new bank brand.

Spanish bank BBVA is said to be mulling a bid for National Australia Bank’s (NAB) UK brands.

Financial Marketing UK is delighted to extend an invitation to all members to submit case studies specifically on the subject of brand differentiation in financial services.

US private equity firm Blackstone and the Wellcome Trust have failed to make the shortlist of interested parties bidding for 318 Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) branches according to City AM

Barclays is to launch a talent- contest-based campaign to publicise the fresh look for its 1700 branches across Britain.

New UK entrant Metro Bank have revealed some of the people behind the brand on their new website, including executives and non-executive directors.

New market entrants have an opportunity to sweep away the sleeping giants; the giants (possibly) have a once in a lifetime chance to reinvent and reboot themselves. The emergence of future industry leaders will be determined by their preparation to meet the stringent demands of this new financial marketing era.

Wilbur Ross, the US billionaire, has pledged £500m to help Virgin Money bid for Royal Bank of Scotland's High Street branch network. Over the weekend, Mr Ross agreed a deal to buy 21% of Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Money for £100m.

RBS has been very quiet hasn't it? While the Lloyds and Halifax brands have carried on advertising as if nothing ever happened, the battered one-time king seems to be nursing its wounds and keeping its head below the parapet.

Investment bank Standard Chartered is rolling out its first global brand campaign in 40 years to support its forthcoming sponsorship of Liverpool Football Club.

25 years ago, we were exposed to around 1500 messages per day. It's been estimated that this figure has now doubled and that by 2010, it will have risen to 5000 per day. Overload!

Comparethemarket.com parent company BGL looks set to expand its meerkat branding with the introduction of a range of branded merchandise including toiletries later this year.

Financial advertising has been a rather predictable beast of late. Banks are clamouring to reassure us that they are safe, strong and, above all, surviving. HSBC's TV spots by JWT London offer a different perspective.

Being unique in the marketplace is THE imperative financial marketing strategy for today. Uniqueness is effectively the make-or-break virtue in this era of hypercompetition. You're in a lift. The CEO of your hottest prospect is also in the lift and recognises you. He says, "I'm curious, tell me what you do again?

High-street banking challenger brand Metro Bank is set to roll out its debut advertising campaign, prior to the opening of its first branches next month.

Santander has moved into pole position to take over the 320 branches in England being sold by Royal Bank of Scotland. A large corporate buyer with existing UK interests such as the Spanish bank would frustrate attempts to inject fresh competition into British banking.

Metro Bank is to become the first new full service high street bank for more than 100 years after being granted a banking licence by the Financial Services Authority.