ASB Bank
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| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Banking Financial services Investment services |
| Founded | 5 June 1847 (as Auckland Savings Bank) |
| Headquarters | Auckland, New Zealand |
Area served | New Zealand |
Key people | Barbara Chapman, CEO |
| Products | Finance and insurance Consumer Banking Corporate Banking Investment Banking Investment Management Mortgages Credit Cards |
| Revenue |  NZ$1.607 billion (2011) [1] |
| Total assets | NZ$63.1 billion (2011)[1] |
Number of employees | 5,300 |
| Parent | Commonwealth Bank |
| Subsidiaries | Sovereign Limited, BankDirect |
| Website | www.asb.co.nz |
ASB is a New Zealand bank owned by Commonwealth Bank, which is listed on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX: CBA). It provides a variety of financial services including retail, business, rural and institutional banking, funds management, as well as insurance through its Sovereign arm, and investment and securities services through its ASB Group Investments and ASB Securities arms. ASB also operates BankDirect, a branchless banking service that provides service via phone, Internet, EFTPOS and ATMs only.
History
ASB began in 1847 as the Auckland Savings Bank. During the 1980s the association of savings banks amalgamated the local savings banks throughout New Zealand with ASB at their head, and adopted the name, ASB Trust Bank. In 1986, ASB withdrew from the Trust Bank and in 1987 became a full-fledged commercial bank under the name, ASB Bank. In 1988, the Government passed the Trustee Banks Restructuring Act, which enabled ASB to become a public company. In 1989, the owner of the bank, ASB Community Trust, sold 75% of the shares to Commonwealth Bank. In 1994, ASB amalgamated Westland Bank, its wholly owned subsidiary, which enabled it to operate on a truly national basis. In 1999, ASB Group acquired Sovereign Limited, a life insurance company, and the retail stockbroking and fixed income operations of Warburg Dillon Read. In 2000, Commonwealth Bank bought the remaining 25% of ASB's shares from the Trust. In 2005 the bank changed the ASB Bank brand to ASB to reflect the more integrated financial services provider that it had become.
Innovation
ASB has a reputation for innovation and embracing new technologies. The bank has won numerous awards including NetGuide Award for best financial services site in 2006 and 2007, TUANZ Innovation Award for Financial Service in 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2005, and recently Canstar's inaugural annual 'Best Online Banking Award' in 2012 [2].
ASB launched pago in November 2006, which is an electronic payment service that allows anyone with a New Zealand bank account to send cleared funds via mobile phone or the internet to another person or participating retailer in real-time [3]. The technology has not succeeded in the way ASB hoped, with very little use and virtually no significant updates since 2010.
Advertising and sponsorship
ASB had a series of highly successful, award-winning commercials with the Ira Goldstein character (played by American actor Steve Mellor), a bumbling American banker sent to New Zealand to find out "what makes that bank different". The ads were popular over an 11-year period, however the campaign ended in 2010 as the bank moved to a new advertising agency [4].
The bank also supports the ASB Community Trust, which was formed in 1988 with an endowment from the sale of ASB to Australia's Commonwealth Bank. The Trust has distributed more than $745 million since 1988, mostly giving grants to the arts, sport, recreation, environment, heritage, health and social services areas, as well as funding capital projects in local communities around New Zealand [5].
ASB is the corporate sponsor for a number of high profile New Zealand organisations and events such as:
- Coastguard New Zealand
- St John Ambulances
- Starship Foundation
- New Zealand Football - including the ASB Premiership, ASB Chatham Cup, ASB National Woman's League, ASB Woman's Knockout Cup and the ASB National Youth League.
- Tennis - including the ASB Classic, Auckland Tennis, Canterbury Tennis and Tennis South Canterbury [6].
- ASB Gardens Magic - A series of summer concerts held in Wellington.
- ASB Classical Sparks - An annual concert in Christchurch's Hagley Park which attracts an audience of over 120,000.
- ASB Polyfest - A four day event in Auckland featuring over 9,000 student performers celebrating the culture of the Pacific and attracting an audience of over 90,000 [7].
The bank is also a major sponsor of several event venues in New Zealand:
- ASB Showgrounds
- ASB Stadium
- ASB National Tennis Centre
- ASB Stand and ASB Lounge at Eden Park
- Founding sponsor of North Harbour Stadium
- ASB Foyer at the TelstraClear Pacific Events Centre
- ASB Theatre at Aotea Centre
- ASB Atrium and ASB Careers Centre at the University of Auckland's Owen G. Glenn Building, home of the university's Business School.
See also
References
- ^ a b "ASB Annual Report 2011" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-07-27.
- ^ "ASB wins best online bank award". Retrieved 2012-07-31.
- ^ "About pago". Retrieved 2012-07-31.
- ^ "ASB farewells Goldstein as 11-year ad campaign ends". Retrieved 2012-07-30.
- ^ "About ASB Community Trust". Retrieved 2012-07-30.
- ^ "ASB Bank - Sports Sponsorship". Retrieved 2012-07-30.
- ^ "ASB Bank - Arts". Retrieved 2012-07-30.