Mark Ingall

Managing Director/Head of Global Strategic Media
Citigroup

With over 20 years of marketing experience, Mark Ingall has a keen understanding of the role of a brand within an organization. Citi was turning 200 years old in 2012. Through research, Citi found that unlike other categories where a brand’s reputation is only as good as its latest performance, the past matters in banking. Mark knew that if he could communicate Citi’s anniversary by focusing on the forward thinking of its 200 years of accomplishments, he could rebuild trust and strengthen brand perceptions. Mark created a new idea that broke the mold of all previous campaigns: Citi would showcase its 200 Years of heritage and innovation by bringing its “History Forward.”

In his current role as Citigroup Managing Director, Head of Global Strategic Media, Mark is a steward of the Citi brand on an international scale. He continuously works to strengthen Citi’s brand image and health metrics, which in turn work to promote the bank and its products.  Following the 2008 financial meltdown, Citi, like most banks, had been deeply hurt both as an institution and a brand.  Mark understood that regaining trust on a global scale was not about generating transactions or new customers— it was about making positive inroads into the hearts and minds of the population at large. The idea that the bank has been involved in great feats of innovation—from championing the Panama Canal to embracing the modern ATM— allowed customers to put cynicism aside and reconsider how they felt about Citi.  A balance of heritage and innovation was critical to turning the brand around.