Postbank
Brand value
$1,767m
Brand rating
A+
Market cap
$6,733m
Value / market cap
26.2%
User rating
Market cap
* For banks, enterprise value is substituted with market cap. Source: Bloomberg Finance L.P.
Performance of the brand
Counting around 14 million customers, the Deutsche Postbank Group (Postbank) represents one of Germany’s major financial service providers. Its 20,000 employees focus on both private and corporate customers and the bank currently holds total assets of €196 billion. Today, the multi-channel bank counts 1,100 own branches, 4,500 Deutsche Post branches offering selected Postbank financial services, and over 900 counselling centres of Postbank Finanzberatung, consequently providing the densest branch network of any bank in Germany.
Today, the Postbank brand represents one of the most well known and recognised brands in Germany with a recall figure of 99%. This is especially due to the banks strong brand positioning, corporate design, as well as its recent advertising campaign. Within the campaign, the entire focus is on the customer, outlining his wishes and requirements from the ‘I’ perspective. The ads always combine the German word "I" ("ich) in a playful pun with other words. The result is intentionally not quite grammatically correct, but customer-oriented by focusing on the "I", e.g. "frühzeitich" ("early" as well as "early for me"). The terms do not only outline the benefits of Postbank products, but rather focus on the emotional benefit for the customer. The strong corporate design, using the colours yellow and blue, further makes the brand very recognisable. The yellow used within the Postbank logo is the exact colour used in the Deutsche Post logo, emphasising Postbank’s affiliation to the Deutsche Post DHL Group. Yet, in December 2010, Deutsche Bank acquired a 52% stake in Postbank, making it a member of the Deutsche Bank Group. Although Postbank will remain an autonomous brand and retain its legal form, it will seize the opportunities and synergies, aiming to expand its operations within the private, business and corporate segment.
Postbank’s strong branding efforts paid off when looking at the bank’s brand value which has increased from $1,475 million in 2010 to $2,506 million in 2011 (+70%). In addition, Postbank improved its brand rating from A in 2010 to an AA- in 2011. All these positive results pushed up the brand to rank 69 within The BrandFinance® Banking 500 2011, an impressive improvement of 35 places within one year. Furthermore, in 2011, Postbank was also listed within The BrandFinance® Global 500 for the first time, signalising the strong and rapid growth of the German brand. This might also be a result of Postbank’s strong financial performance. The bank’s total income rose from €3,097 million in 2009 to €3,805 million in 2010, resulting in net profits increased from €76 million in 2009 to €138 million in 2010 (81.6%).
Last changed October 20, 2011
League tables
Postbank appears in the following brand league tables:
Rank 90 in the
Banking 500 2012.
Rank 69 in the
Banking 500 2011.
Rank 442 in the
Global 500 2011.
Rank 103 in the
Banking 500 2010.
Rank 117 in the
Banking 500 2009.
2012 brand performance*
Brand value
$1,767m
Brand rating
A+
Market cap
$6,733m
Value / market cap
26.2%
* Figures taken on 31st December 2011.
2011 brand performance*
Brand value
$2,506m
Brand rating
AA-
Market cap
$7,596m
Value / market cap
33.0%
* Figures taken on 31st December 2010.
2010 brand performance*
Brand value
$1,475m
Brand rating
A
Market cap
$7,534m
Value / market cap
19.6%
* Figures taken on 31st December 2009.
2009 brand performance*
Brand value
$905m
Brand rating
BB
Market cap
$3,353m
Value / market cap
27.0%
* Figures taken on 31st December 2008.
Brandirectory user rating*
* Average values from a total of 1 votes.
Company history
In July 1989, the Deutsche Bundespost was divided into three distinct units consisting of the Post, Telekom and Postbank, which was merged with Deutsche Post Postbank in 1990. From 1995 onwards, Postbank was turned into a joint stock company and has been allowed to grant loans and to establish collaborations within the insurance and home savings segment. Due to its continuous growth, Postbank merged with Deutsche Post in January 1999 in order to adopt a joint sales strategy for both companies. After Deutsche Postbank AG’s IPO in 2000, the financial statements of Postbank showed the highest profits in history in 2001, consequently receiving a top rating of Standard & Poor’s in 2002. However, the financial results for 2002 even topped the 2001 results with earnings before taxes of €399 million, representing the best results in Postbank’s entire history. Within the following years, Postbank’s success continued with a continuously increasing number of customers. Consequently, on June 23, 2004, the Postbank share has been offered at the stock exchange for the first time and managed to gain entry into the DAX in September 2006 after share prices doubled since the company’s IPO in 2004. During 2005 and 2006, Postbank further acquired a 76% stake in BHW Holding AG, as well as 850 of the most attractive branches of Deutsche Post. At this, 9,600 additional employees were now working for Deutsche Postbank AG, bringing the company’s workforce to over 25,000. Deutsche Bank gained a 30% stake in the firm through a tender offer completed in December 2010. Until today, Postbank has been expanding its market leadership and will certainly face further expansion in the future.
Key people
Stefan Jütte, CEO
Since 2000, Stefan Jütte serves as CEO of Deutsche Postbank AG and is also Member of the Board of Management. Before joining Deutsche Postbank, Jütte served as Spokesman for the Board of Management for DSL Bank and was a Member of the Board of Management for Corporate Clients and Lending Business at Sparkasse Münster.
Marc Heß, CFO
Since 2007, Marc Heß serves as the Chief Financial Officer at Deutsche Postbank AG, after he had been Group Head of Investor Relations and Research at Postbank. Before joining Deutsche Postbank AG, he served as Deputy Head of Investor Relations at HVB Group.
