Auswirkungen von Finanzbildungsmaßnahmen auf das Image von Banken am Beispiel der Sparkasse Mühlviertel-West Bank AG

Abstract

The topic of financial education is playing an increasingly important role for young people. For this reason, Sparkasse Mühlviertel-West has set itself the task of addressing the topic of financial education and offering free workshops at schools, which don’t include any advertising such as the Logo. This raises the question of what impact these financial education measures have on the image of Sparkasse Mühlviertel-West. In order to answer this question, the term “brand image” was first defined more precisely on the basis of a literature research and analysis and the role of brand image in the financial sector was explained. Subsequently, the effects of financial education measures of Sparkasse Mühlviertel-West were examined with the help of guided interviews with five customers and five non-customers, and the differences between customers and non-customers were identified. The brand image can essentially be defined as the sum of the associations connected with the brand in the minds of consumers. Strong, positive, and unique associations with a brand have several advantages for a company. In addition, the brand image is characterized by five dimensions. The structure of a brand in the minds of consumers consists of the changeable image and the consistent brand substance. Brand image has a significant influence on customer satisfaction in the financial sector. Trust plays a particularly important role here. Depending on the type of financial service, different priorities should be set in communication, but what they all have in common is that the customer's trust is the most important goal. Above all, the confidentiality of customer data and the seriousness of the bank are decisive factors when choosing a bank. A bank's commitment to financial education also ensures a positive response. In addition, several studies show that this topic plays an important role. The image of Sparkasse Mühlviertel-West is perceived as very positive by both customers and non-customers. Both groups describe SMW as trustworthy, structured, reputable and security-conscious. In general, non-customers tend to refer to the visual appearance and public relations work in their descriptions, whereas customers tend to refer to their personal experience with this bank. The topic of financial education has a positive impact on the image of SMW, especially among non-customers, as it is described as young, fresh, and dynamic because of the financial education measures. No significant differences in the perception of SMW were found among customers. However, both groups agreed that the topic of financial education is important and that a bank should be committed to it.

Date of Award	2024
Original language	German (Austria)
Supervisor	Kathrin Lager (Supervisor)