Crisis-chastened Citibank is looking to spring clean its image and open a fresh dialogue with its customers via a public blog at new.citi.com.
In a note on the home page, Citi CEO Vikram Pandit describes the site as "a new way for us to share ideas and create dialogue on all sorts of topics ranging from the global economy to personal finance, from microfinance to mobile technology".
The first batch of posts cover a range of issues, from Citi's take on political/regulation issues to boasts about the bank's green environmental initiatives and the launch of new consumer finance tools such as the Bundle PFM venture.
Recent snafus, such as the bank's run-in with a gay entrepeneur over 'objectionable blog' content, and the exposure of 600,000 social security numbers during a tax mail-shot, are not covered.
Comments are moderated, but not censored, says the bank, which emphasises that the blog will not be used to discuss specific account-related queries and complaints.
"As Citi begins a new chapter in our nearly 200-year history, this new platform is needed now more than ever," says Pandit. "We hope this site will encourage lots of discussion, ideas and debate...We promise we're listening."