I recently came across a full page advertisement in the Wall Street Journal for Wells Fargo. The bank was promoting its Wholesale Banking services: Business Banking; Corporate Banking, Commercial Capital, Insurance, International, Investment Banking, Middle Market Banking, Treasury Managment.

Not necessarily an unusual sighting, except I couldn't recall ever seeing such an ad. Then again, I'm never all that attuned to printed ads while skimming through the Journal.

Anyway, along with the traditional Stagecoach were the words, "Together we'll go far." Those words alone are enough to stop the reader to ask: "Really? Do I actually believe that my firm can go very far with Wells Fargo? Do we really want to enter into or expand a relationship with Wells Fargo " It's a touch call, seeing that each day introduces a new angle or lawsuit to the account scandal.

The ad reads further: "You set goals for your business, and we're here to help you reach them. Your Relationship Manager will take the time to understand your business - from your day-to-day operations to your long-term vision and goals. ... We're committed to your success."

Maybe it's just idle curiousity, but I wondered how much institutional business is being driven away by the bank's account scandal - just like with it retail business. Probably a fair amount, which led the bank to post a full page ad in the Journal.

In any event, one can't expect Wells Fargo to stop doing or pursuing business just because it ran across a huge pothole in the road.  It simply is changing the tire and moving on with 'business as uusual'.