Launching a lending facility with consumer-driven communications

Challenge

The National Bank of Egypt (NBE) wanted to expand its capacities in lending to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME), to sustainably and effectively provide multi-purpose loans to MSMEs across the country.

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Approach

CID worked with DAI in order to launch the NBE’s new lending facility; providing recommendations and assisting with the implementation of measures to expand the company’s SME lending and risk management framework. We reviewed NBE’s existing strategy and portfolio of MSME products and used our knowledge of the market to assist with new product development which reflected both consumer needs and the client’s strategy. Good products are of little use however unless consumers are aware of them, so we worked closely with NBE to construct a marketing communications plan which effortlessly aligned with the bank’s wider strategy. Finally, in order to institutionalize our intervention, we worked with NBE to design and establish the MSME Advisory Services Unit with a dual role of providing financial and non-financial services to MSME Clients.

Results

CID and its partner DAI effectively enabled NBE to serve MSME Clients through a range of financial and non-financial services – the latter being a completely new and innovative introduction to the banking sector in Egypt. We also successfully designed and produced a creative marketing communications tool kit that effectively defined the key benefits of the facility and provided information needed to reach the right audience and spur engagement. In doing so, we helped medium and small businesses utilise NBE’s evolved capabilities and range of products contributing to The National Bank of Egypt's (NBE) small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to reach LE 37.5 billion ($2.1 billion).

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

We worked with the CID team for over 2 years to develop our strategies, and CID has provided two teams; one specialized in social issues and community development and the other in reputation management and corporate communications. The two teams are staffed with experienced professionals who are knowledgeable in their fields and have been working closely and effectively with the ERC team. We believe that CID’s guidance and support in developing and implementing our community engagement and communications strategy has been essential in positioning ERC to meet its corporate social responsibility obligations and its commitments to the stakeholders necessary for ERC to secure its social license to operate.

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Tom Thomason
Former Chief Executive Officer, The Egyptian Refining Company

I have a positive experience working with CID for the last four years in the frame of a consortium between GFA Consulting Group and CID; implementing one component for the GIZ Labour Market Access Project to help improve the quality of employment in small and medium enterprises. CID is known as a professional consulting firm specialized in coordinating and implementing development cooperation projects. In our partnership, CID has provided the project with the staffing needs which is key for the successful execution of the project. All the proposed experts are professional and competent experts who work in a variety of technical and capacity building related fields such as strategic planning, organizational development, marketing and branding, facilitation and trainings. CID is further reputable for managing staff and expert contracts in compliance with the relevant labor, tax and insurance laws. Lastly, the CID staff is positive, engaging and cooperative to work with.

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Maha El Moaz
Team Leader, GFA Consulting Group