The goal of the survey was to show interdependencies between the image and reputation building characteristic of banks. The surveyed objects: 19 banks with Ukrainian shareholders, 5 banks with Russian shareholders and 12 banks owned by foreigners (all of them among the largest and large banks, as classified by the NBU in 2012). The surveyed period: the 3^d quarter of 2012.

Expert group: (within the transparent version): representatives of investment banks, investment and securities firms (Concorde Capital, Dragon Capital, Sortis, European Capital Management, iTrader, UFC Capital, “Altera Finance”, "Art-Capital", BH "Otkrytiye", "Ikeco-Invest", TAKS, IG "Univer", Ukrsib Asset Management, AYA Capital, Ogilchyn Capital, OTP Capital, Pro Capital, SP Advisors).

Applied methodology — expert assessment of the information about the bank by the reputation building factors / thematic blocks as follows:

• "marketing/sales": measures taken by the banks towards their products’ promotion;
• "banking product/services": quality and quantity characteristics of the products, services;
• "business/assets/liquidity": factors that form the basic value of the bank, — strategy, financial performance results, ratings, growth in assets, restructuring, shareholders’ support;
• "external communications": actions aimed at integrating the bank with the system of political and social-economic constructions that exist in the country;
• "internal communications": system for managing personnel and business processes within the bank.

The best average dynamic of the reputational rankings was demonstrated by the banks with Ukrainian capital, whereas the lowest growth was demonstrated by the financial institutions owned by foreign shareholders. Also, as the local banks were characterised by decline in their reputational indexes by internal communications, the rankings of the foreign ones dropped by the product range characteristics.

The banks with Ukrainian shareholders demonstrated the highest increase in the ranking in the reputational block “Business”. According to the results for the 3d quarter FUIB was ranked first, having outperformed the long-standing leader in this group – PrivatBank. The reputational indicators of FUIB were the highest not only among financial institutions with Ukrainian capital, but all the surveyed banks.

OPINION. Andrey Shevchishyn, Head of the Analytical Department at IG TASK:
— High reputational rankings of FUIB, as I see, are based, on one hand, on assessment of the bank as the financial institution of one of the largest financial and industrial group in Ukraine. On the other hand, it is necessary to do justice to the bank’s representatives and their interaction with mass media and customers. Also worthy of attention are the bank’s sustainability and its positive financial results.

OPINION. Vladimir Landa, Head of the Analytical Unit at UFC Capital:
— It is unlikely that someone calls the rapid strengthening of the reputational risks of FUIB an accident. For some years in a row the bank has been implementing the complex policy aimed at its image strengthening, and not within Ukraine only, but abroad as well. The informational transparency is accompanied with high professionalism of the management and strong financial performance results.

Source: "Vlast Deneg" weekly No 48 dd. 30.11.12