Championing Prosperity: Reimagining the BSP Brand for the South Pacific

Bank South Pacific (BSP) is a leading financial institution with a market cap of AUD $3.5 billion and operations across seven countries: Papua New Guinea (PNG), Fiji, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Samoa, Tonga, and the Cook Islands. Its key subsidiaries include BSP Life Fiji and BSP Life PNG. 

As part of its refreshed business strategy, Modernising for Growth, BSP sought to evolve its brand to better represent a growing South Pacific network, without losing sight of where it began. Founded and headquartered in Papua New Guinea, PNG continues to be a key focus for BSP. The challenge was to reposition the organisation as a digitally led, inclusive financial institution for the region, while preserving its long-standing role as a trusted community pillar, especially in supporting unbanked populations in rural areas of PNG.

Our Approach  

Sodali & Co partnered with BSP on a 17-month, multi-service engagement that spanned Research, Communications, Government Relations, Digital, and Brand & Design. 

We began with qualitative and quantitative research across PNG, Samoa, and Fiji to assess brand positioning and equity from both customer and staff perspectives. This included: 12 focus groups exploring brand perceptions and experiences, as well as a broader customer survey to validate insights. 

These findings informed a structured brand strategy process, including stakeholder interviews, a brand audit, and market trend analysis. From this, we defined BSP’s core brand pillars, personality, and value proposition. 

We developed the positioning “The South Pacific’s International Bank”, and a communications strategy aligned with the new purpose: “Championing Prosperity for the South Pacific.” This was supported by five brand pillars: 

• World-class 

• Modern Access to Opportunity 

• Strong & Grounded 

• Enriching Communities 

• Leadership Commitment 

Outcomes 

BSP’s new brand identity is a vibrant celebration of PNG and South Pacific culture, uniting tradition and innovation under the purpose of Championing Prosperity for the South Pacific. 

At the heart of the identity is a system of locally designed patterns and storyboards, each representing a core BSP value, created in collaboration with artists from each market. Together, these elements form a visual language that honours the region’s rich storytelling and artistic traditions. 

This comprehensive transformation modernised BSP’s brand presence while reinforcing its role as a trusted, forward-thinking leader. The new identity reflects BSP’s commitment to inclusivity, growth, and cultural pride—empowering communities and positioning BSP as a champion of shared prosperity across the South Pacific.