ANALYSIS: Crunch time for financial services?

We ask: Is it possible for the finance industry to market itself back out of the black hole its image has fallen into?

Heading up the marketing function of a global investment bank might understandably hold little appeal at the moment. There's not much good news coming out of the sector and if there is, it's being drowned in a relentless swathe of bad press about price drop offs, sub prime lending scandals and an impending recession. Whilst some brands have come under particular scrutiny (Societe de Generale for its 'rogue trader' scandal and UBS for its sliding share prices to name just two) the sector is suffering from a crisis in confidence within the corporate space.