<!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Garamond; panose-1:2 2 4 4 3 3 1 1 8 3; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:647 0 0 0 159 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin-top:0cm; margin-right:0cm; margin-bottom:9.0pt; margin-left:0cm; text-align:justify; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Garamond; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;} @page Section1 {size:612.0pt 792.0pt; margin:70.85pt 70.85pt 70.85pt 70.85pt; mso-header-margin:36.0pt; mso-footer-margin:36.0pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --><!--[if gte mso 10]> <mce:style><! /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Normal tabell"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} > <! [endif] > Throughout time, marketing activities have moved from a transaction perspective to a relationship building perspective on the idea that service quality is an essential part to achieve competitive advantage. In building a strong service culture internal marketing can be used as a tool to increase the employees' commitment to their customers and raise the standards. Also, internal marketing can be used to make employees aware of and be a part of the brand identity of the company. One business where relationship marketing has become increasingly important is the banking sector. Today, a financial crisis is swiping over the world which has lead to questions about the stableness of banks. The purpose of this thesis is to investigate and analyse how Swedbank and Forex Bank use internal marketing to effectively transfer their brand identity to the employees. The focus will be on internal marketing and communication in crisis. This study has been conducted from a qualitative approach base on case studies of Forex Bank and Swedbank. Data have been collected through semi-structured interviews with people at different levels within the companies. In both the cases of Swedbank and Forex Bank the conclusions of this study showed that the employees were well aware of their respective companies' brand identities and was trying to live up to them as they were deeply rooted in the companies culture. Interviews revealed that none of the companies uses a clear internal marketing strategy. However, both Swedbank and Forex Bank use different internal marketing activities though with a slight difference in their focus. It was concluded that they would both benefit from having a structured internal marketing strategy. During the crisis Swedbank successfully use and enhanced their brand identity when communicating with their customers. Forex Bank on the other hand was not as successful, and some employees felt they were given some of the blame for the crisis, where the top management could have used the strong brand identity of the company to calm worried employees about the situation.< ><-->

<p><!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Garamond; panose-1:2 2 4 4 3 3 1 1 8 3; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:647 0 0 0 159 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin-top:0cm; margin-right:0cm; margin-bottom:9.0pt; margin-left:0cm; text-align:justify; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Garamond; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;} @page Section1 {size:612.0pt 792.0pt; margin:70.85pt 70.85pt 70.85pt 70.85pt; mso-header-margin:36.0pt; mso-footer-margin:36.0pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --><!--[if gte mso 10]> <mce:style><! /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Normal tabell"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} > <! [endif] ></p><p>Throughout time, marketing activities have moved from a transaction perspective to a relationship building perspective on the idea that service quality is an essential part to achieve competitive advantage. In building a strong service culture internal marketing can be used as a tool to increase the employees' commitment to their customers and raise the standards. Also, internal marketing can be used to make employees aware of and be a part of the brand identity of the company. One business where relationship marketing has become increasingly important is the banking sector. Today, a financial crisis is swiping over the world which has lead to questions about the stableness of banks.</p><p>The purpose of this thesis is to investigate and analyse how Swedbank and Forex Bank use internal marketing to effectively transfer their brand identity to the employees. The focus will be on internal marketing and communication in crisis.</p><p>This study has been conducted from a qualitative approach base on case studies of Forex Bank and Swedbank. Data have been collected through semi-structured interviews with people at different levels within the companies.</p><p>In both the cases of Swedbank and Forex Bank the conclusions of this study showed that the employees were well aware of their respective companies' brand identities and was trying to live up to them as they were deeply rooted in the companies culture. Interviews revealed that none of the companies uses a clear internal marketing strategy. However, both Swedbank and Forex Bank use different internal marketing activities though with a slight difference in their focus. It was concluded that they would both benefit from having a structured internal marketing strategy. During the crisis Swedbank successfully use and enhanced their brand identity when communicating with their customers. Forex Bank on the other hand was not as successful, and some employees felt they were given some of the blame for the crisis, where the top management could have used the strong brand identity of the company to calm worried employees about the situation.< ><--></p>