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Aiming to eliminate overlapping brands, Providian Financial Corp. will phase out its Internet credit card Aria and consolidate its online financial services under its expanding GetSmart.com site.
The goal is to boost cross-selling and repeat business by uniting all of Providian's online offerings, said GetSmart CEO Lauri Kober.
"If a large number of visitors to two sites move to a single place and brand, and consumers can see a suite of products, that can be extremely powerful," she said.
Analysts say Providian's track record of trailblazing technology and new product offerings gives the move credence despite two years of spending millions promoting three separate brands: Providian, Aria and GetSmart.
But Providian leaders say the move is motivated less by a need to cut costs as the high-spending online world crashes to reality, but it is more about building deeper relationships with customers.
With GetSmart, Providian will blend credit cards, certificates of deposit, moneymarket accounts and electronic billing and payment at one site (though Providian's home site...