Dear %%FullName_%%,

I would like to take this opportunity to introduce the HSBC Marketing Connection. HMC, as we refer to it, is the new self service online marketing tool for our branch network, relationship managers, marketing, financial advisors, MME and other users of the current PFS Sales Support or Relationship Marketing Ctr (RMC) on the PFS intranet. This initiative is the culmination of a year's worth of planning and gathering input and feedback from internal users. Ultimately, designing a solution to help us increase sales opportunities, save costs, increase efficiencies, and simplify many of our current processes today.

HMC will replace both the PFS and RMC portals, consolidating those two sites into one single portal with greater functionality, ease of use and self service capabilities, as well as advanced metrics to help us track to our goals. The following outlines just some of the key features and benefits that the new portal will offer.

HMC’s Features & Capabilities:

• Available directly from MCD - No login required
• Collateral Ordering with pre-set order limits based on branch profile
• Marketing Promotions/Initiatives calendars and alerts for new and expiring initiatives
• Co-op Spend Management system – Ability to view each branch’s “HMC co-op budget”, the materials they request will be deducted from their HMC budget.
• Fixture Ordering/Replacement – With pre-set limitations based on existing branch design elements
• Customized Materials – Ad Builder Customization Tool & Print-on-Demand Ordering
• Branch Alerts and Reminders
• Event, Tradeshow and Seminar materials
• Sponsorship Requests with automatic workflow for approvals

Each of the key features outlined above ties directly to corporate initiatives ranging from promoting sales opportunities, ensuring consistent branding and design to controlling costs. The co-op spend management feature of the portal, for example, will give each branch visibility into their own “HMC co-op budget” and materials they request will be deducted from their HMC allocation. Co-op budgets will work essentially like the Capital Management process where Corporate Real Estate centrally holds discretionary funds and allocates a portion to each district. In the case of HMC, Marketing will centrally hold these funds and each branch will have a yearly allocation to draw from. While this will not have a direct impact on their cost center, the goal is to help build awareness of the overall cost of marketing by associating a specific cost to materials by each branch and insight into their ordering behaviors. Ultimately influencing value added purchases.

Over the next year each branch will have a profile online that will contain a floor plan displaying the location of their branch elements (poster frames etc.) and the positioning of new marketing collateral to ensure standardization and reduce confusion and waste.

And this is only the beginning! The HMC was conceived with the flexibility to evolve as quickly as our business needs do, and input from our colleagues will be key to continuous improvement of your marketing self service site.

To learn more about this exciting new portal, we have made two great resources available to you: HMC Overview (tri-fold brochure - pdf) HMC Flash Demo (flash presentation with audio). This demo will be exhibited at the upcoming Premier and Business conferences in New York on October 1-2. HMC Testing & Launch Timeline: Pilot phase: Mid-October Training/Rollout: November – December Full deployment: December 31

We are counting on your support to help us make this initiative a great success. Over the next several months, we will be conducting a series of demonstrations, trainings, communications and other activities to help spread the word. Thanks for taking the time to familiarize yourself with the portal. I’ll look forward to your feedback and please let me know if you have any questions.

Warmest Regards,
Denise M Jones
Mgr, Local Area Mktg - Network Marketing | HSBC BANK USA, N.A.
One HSBC Center, 13th Fl
Buffalo, N.Y. 14203