Citibank has refined its target market and will move away from its position as a mass market brand. Its customer acquisition efforts will be focused on what it calls the "affluent and globally minded" segment.Citibank's chief executive, Roy Gori, released details of changes to the bank's products, distribution and branding yesterday. Gori said the bank has been putting its new strategy in place for a couple of years. It will make a big push for customer acquisition next year, when the Government introduces measures to make it easier for customers to switch accounts.The bank's director of retail banking, David Mouille, said the bank's website will have sophisticated switching tools to help customers move. "Inertia has been the biggest friend of the Big Four. The changes planned for next year will be transformational," he said.The target segment includes people who earn a minimum of A$70,000 or have a household income of at least $130,000. Members of the target group also do a lot of overseas travel.The bank estimates there are 2.6 million people in the target segment. It will concentrate its marketing effort on the 1.9 million members of that group who live in the capital cities.Gori said: "We want to be Australia's global bank. We have surveyed out customers and they see us as credible in that segment."On the product side, Citibank has re-launched its transaction account, Citibank Plus. It has withdrawn all additional service fees, such as bank cheque and dishonour fees, and made overseas ATM and point of sale transactions, and funds transfers fee-free.In September, it launched a new Visa credit card, Signature, which sits between its Platinum card and its high-end Select card. Platinum, Signature and Select all offer high points accumulation for overseas spending. Signature and Select have no points cap.On the distribution side, the bank is opening new branches. As part of an effort to improve brand recognition, it is locating branches in high traffic areas such as Sydney's QVB shopping centre, which has 150,000 people walk through it each day.The branches have plenty of new technology, including interactive touch screens. Gori said the bank was aiming to give its branches an "Apple feel". Opening hours have been made flexible, with trading on weekends and late Thursday nights.The bank has upgraded its online offering, adding budgeting tools and a global view of accounts (including overseas accounts). There is a stronger mobile capability.On the branding side, the bank is using sponsorships of events such as food festivals to engage with customers. At a recent event in Sydney, Citibank customers were given priority access. In another promotion, diners at several Sydney restaurants who could produce a Citibank card had their meals paid for.Gori said that unaided brand awareness has been as low as eight per cent and brand consideration only 22 per cent. With a more active marketing program over the past year unaided brand awareness has increased to 24 per cent.One of the bank's bugbears has been low customer satisfaction. Director of marketing, customer experience and