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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 21, 2001
 
Changes Announced in Citigroup's Portfolio of Brands
 
The following is a memo to Citigroup employees from Sanford I. Weill, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Citigroup.


  Previous Brands
 

  New Brands
Over the past few months, we have reviewed our company’s portfolio of brands with the goal of developing a coherent brand communication strategy with our various constituencies. We have canvassed both consumer and corporate customers globally, as well as a cross-section of our employees.
 
We have found the brand name "Citigroup" has become strongly established in the corporate and institutional marketplace and that many of our clients now use "Citigroup," regardless of the business with which they may work.
 
There are advantages to having a more unified brand. Marketing and advertising campaigns in one business group can be leveraged across the company. An overarching brand will also strengthen the common culture we are developing as Citigroup. Most importantly, simplification of our branding can bring further clarity to our identity in the marketplace and among our clients.
 
These observations have led us to a series of decisions about our branding. I am pleased to share the most important of those decisions with you today:
 
Global Corporate & Investment Bank
  • Salomon Smith Barney (SSB)/Global Relationship Bank (GRB) will be rebranded Citigroup Corporate & Investment Bank globally. In particular, for SSB/GRB clients globally, marketing material (e.g., pitch books) for GCIB products will be branded Citigroup. This name change will officially take effect first quarter 2002.
     
  • Smith Barney will replace Salomon Smith Barney as the brand for our Private Client business. This name change will take effect coincident with the name change of the corporate and investment bank.
     
  • Citibank will remain the consumer and corporate bank brand in the emerging markets.
     
  • CitiCapital will be the new brand for our Equipment Finance business.
Consumer Group
  • Citibank and Citi will serve as primary brands for the Consumer business. Citi, in particular, has been incorporated into the retail identities of some of our key businesses (e.g., Citimortgage). Citibank will also continue to be used as our consumer brand in the emerging markets.
     
  • CitiFinancial will be the brand for the Consumer Finance business.
     
  • Primerica will continue to be used as a brand in the U.S.
Insurance
  • Travelers will be the brand name for the North American insurance franchise.
     
  • CitiInsurance will be the brand name for the international insurance business.
Asset Management and Private Banking
  • Citigroup Private Bank will replace Citibank Private Bank.
     
  • Citigroup Asset Management will replace SSB Citi Asset Management. Smith Barney and Salomon will continue as fund family brand names and Citifunds will be our primary international fund family brand. CitiStreet will also continue as the joint venture with State Street in Retirement Services.
Investments
  • Citigroup Investments will continue as the brand for our investment business.
     
  • Citigroup Venture Capital will replace Citicorp Venture Capital.
We have also made a number of changes to the design of our brands (i.e., colors, symbols, and fonts) to establish a more uniform look. In particular, we have taken the powerful visual symbols that have until now been used in different businesses, i.e., the blue wave and the red umbrella/red arc, and will use them moving forward as common, unifying symbols for the entire company; all business cards will now use the blue wave as well as either the red umbrella or red arc.
 
These branding decisions bring cohesion to our corporate identity. It is important that this cohesion be preserved as we continue to grow our company. I look forward to continuing to work with all of you to position Citigroup as one of the great global brands, not only in financial services, but in any industry.
 
 
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Citigroup (NYSE:C), the preeminent global financial services company, provides some 120 million consumers, corporations, governments and institutions in more than 100 countries with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, insurance, securities brokerage and asset management. Major brand names under Citigroup’s trademark umbrella are Citibank, CitiFinancial, Primerica, Salomon Smith Barney, and Travelers. Additional information may be found at: www.citigroup.com.