Everywhere--Conclusion to the first two chapters

This last summer, a TV commercial caught my attention. It features Michelle Branch and her hit song "Everywhere," for purposes of a Chase bank commercial. In a lot of ways, I think this sums up the first two chapters quite nicely.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4JWDbF0jV0

In terms of the marketing orientation "era's" from Chapter 1, this in my mind falls under the new era (era of mental manipulation). I'm inclined to lean more this way than to consumer era based on the take home message of Chase being "everywhere" in an era when many banks have gone out of business due to tight credit, poor lending standards, and a myriad of other related issues that led to our recent meltdown. It would seem that Chase is trying to befriend cautious consumers who want a bank that won't be in the news tomorrow for "running out of cash."

Chapter 2 allows us to go further into this discussion. We can look at the internal and external environment in which Chase is operating. There are certainly many factors beyond Chase's control as a single banking entity, including risk trading mechanisms, such as credit default swaps that became quite popular yet became misused, leading to the fall of some prominent corporations. The way the industry dealt with risk and like issues led to devastating impacts on the entire economy. Hence, Chase is operating now in a time of recession and may be seeking to be a reassurance to consumers. Furthermore, Chase's own particular internal environment--the way they do business--is alluded to in this commercial. In stating they are "everywhere" for their customers; the services and expertise they are presumed to hold, along with the intellectual capital and individuals inside the banking organization, may allow positive light to be reflected upon them in a time when the banking industry as a whole has come under fire for their massive bailout. In a time when this industry has come under intense critique, Chase seeks to side with the public and befriend those in need of an institution that is "there for them."