Chinese sorcery

While banks spend millions on creating an “image concept” around the globe, their efforts run into the ground in China.

Take Chase, which spends much time reminding everybody that it is not Chase Manhattan, and certainly not Chemical.

However, in China the bank has pragmatically chosen to use Manufacturers Hanover’s name. The reason? Chemical’s first merger victim has a Chinese name that translates as Civilization Bank. The connotations of “civilization” are strong, one China expert told Euromoney, and this name was too good to ditch.