FRANKLY, will students give a d*** about OCBC's youth rebranding ?

OCBC branches at SMU and NTU being renamed "FRANK" - no, really.

OCBC said customers will be served in FRANK retail stores instead of OCBC Bank branches. The store is designed differently from a traditional branch, allowing the FRANK customer to take his time to browse, touch and ask questions about the products and his banking needs. It is modelled after a shopping experience that youths and young working adults are familiar with, such as shopping for a gadget or fashion item.

The existing OCBC Bank branches at Singapore Management University and Nanyang Technological University have been transformed into FRANK retail stores. The NTU store is slated to open in June 2011. More such retail stores will progressively be opened in high traffic malls frequented by youths and young working adults.

Aside from a dedicated website for the programme, FRANK will also use Facebook as a tool to engage with its customers through regular updates on financial tips, promotions and topics that are relevant to a young working adult, such as preparing for the first job interview when entering the workforce.

FRANK customers can also choose, from one hundred designs, to customise their debit and credit card faces to suit their personalities and preferences. In addition, they can change the design anytime they want at a fee that ranges from S$10 to S$50, depending on the card design chosen.

The brand FRANK was chosen after a series of research and focus groups were conducted with youths and young working adults to select a name that would resonate what the programme seeks to do – “a trendy, relevant and meaningful banking experience,” according to OCBC.