THE BANK’S IMAGE: FORMATION AND WAYS OF IMPROVEMENT

The bank's image is the totality of perceptions, opinions, and visions of different contact groups about a bank. Its study allows determining the level of bank trustworthiness, on which depends its ability to attract financial resources and, therefore, to perform its activity. Due to this fact, image is a highly important asset for a bank. The assessment of bank image differs from one group of interest to another. It determines the division of the aggregate bank image into elements, namely: business image, social image, an image in the financial sector, image made by clients, by the government, by the international public, etc. Therefore, the formation and management of the bank image is a complex of activities, which include: communication of the corporate identity using different marketing techniques, correct management of the bank, especially related to risks and prudential norms, qualitative banking products, and high level of customer service. The recommended method for improving the image of a bank contains the following steps: evaluation of the current image; reviewing the philosophy on which the bank's activity is based and, if necessary, its re-formulation; checking the consistency between the bank's mission, objectives and long-term strategy; improving the elements of external and internal images, and developing the undiscernible banking image by establishing deeply subconscious links between the bank's image and the emotions and values of the general public.