Santander, based in Spain, has brought its brand to UK high streets by buying and replacing local brands like Abbey, Bradford & Bingley and Alliance & Leicester.This has not been an overnight process, as I wrote last July, but branding experts do note that putting the Santander brand on so many banks has happened unusually quickly. Santander's strength during the economic crisis is one reason why it can move with such speed and determination.
Customers can't help but notice the change. The key element that determines their reaction to rebranding is quality of service. If Santander maintains or, ideally, improves service levels without raising fees, customers are likely to be satisfied no matter what brand the bank happens to carry.
