How to Build a Long-Lasting Brand for Your Financial

Every bank or credit union has a brand. And that brand is either because of you…or in spite of you.

If you want to stand out from the crowd, building a strong, strategic brand is essential. But creating a brand that delivers long-term value is easier said than done.

So what does it really mean to manage a brand? How can you craft a unique identity for your institution? How can you strengthen that brand across every internal and external touchpoint, and why should you be genuinely passionate about this process?

Keep reading to find out.

(The ideas in this article are from our webinar, “How to Build a Long-Lasting Brand for Your Financial Institution,” presented by Amber Farley, Partner & EVP of Brand Development at Financial Marketing Solutions. You can watch the free recording of this webinar here.)

What is a Bank’s Brand?

Contrary to popular belief, a brand isn’t only your institution’s colors and logo. Yes, that’s certainly part of it. But in reality, a brand is so much more.

Here’s what it boils down to: Your brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room.

Let’s say that again. Your brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room.

It’s not the billboards or the flyers or the swag. It’s not the colors or the images or the logo. It’s everything your institution does, from how tellers greet each customer to the services you offer to the difference you’ve made.

Yes, that might sound a bit abstract. But that doesn’t mean you have no control over how your institution is perceived and what people are saying.

A big piece of your brand is your value proposition. What makes you different from every other bank and credit union in the area? Why should someone choose you for their checking or savings account? Why do employees enjoy working here? What do you do better? Differently?

One of the most powerful things a strong brand can do for your institution is unite and ignite people (employees, community members, customers/members, etc.). And your value proposition is what helps you do that.

Why Your Brand Matters

So why does having a strong brand matter?

Take Coca-Cola for example. This is one of the most recognizable brands in the world, but when it comes down to it, they’re just selling soda. And lots of companies sell soda.

Why do so many people choose Coca-Cola?

It’s not because of the #F40009 color. It’s not because of the iconic font. It’s not because of the cute polar bear commercials.

It’s because brand is at the center of everything Coca-Cola does.

Every product, campaign, sponsorship, and community initiative ties back to a clear and consistent value proposition: refreshing the world while making a difference. Coca-Cola doesn’t just sell soda. It sells moments, memories, optimism, and connection. That consistency is what builds trust, loyalty, and preference with consumers.

Yes, Coca-Cola’s brand is valued at around $98 billion. But the real power of their brand isn’t the dollar figure. It’s the way it makes people feel.

When it comes to your bank or credit union, there’s only so much you can do to differentiate yourself from every other financial institution in the country. Each one offers basically the same products and services (with some nuances, of course), and there’s not much you can do to change that. It’s how you make people feel that really sets you apart.

Getting your brand right can help you:

Stand out from the crowd
Attract new customers/members
Retain employees
Attract new talent
Reduce the need to compete on price
Create greater value for the institution

As seen by Coca-Cola and every other successful brand out there, the long-term value of your institution depends on the long-term value of your brand.

When You Should Consider A Rebrand

Yes, your brand is important and should definitely be audited. But that doesn’t mean your current branding should be entirely replaced. In fact, most institutions that go through a “rebrand” are actually going through a brand evolution, not revolution.

Whether or not you entirely rebrand your institution is up to you. Maybe you just need to update some brand elements or better define your brand story. You might decide it’s time for an entire rebrand if your institution:

Has brand confusion (internally and/or externally)
Is perceived as old-fashioned or out-of-date
Has expanded into new markets
Recently went through a merger or acquisition
Has become more competitive or disrupted the market
Has gone through a change in leadership

Whether your brand is evolving or changing completely, you want your new brand to last. Here’s a four-step process that will help you discover your brand, define it, deliver it internally/externally, and develop it continuously. Let’s get started!

The Four-Step Process to Building a Lasting Brand

We won’t sugarcoat it: Building a brand that lasts is challenging.

There’s a lot going on in your institution, and focusing so heavily on your brand might not seem very feasible. Especially if your institution is averse to change or has a small marketing team. But we promise that if you take the time to follow this four-step process, your institution—and your employees, community members, and customers/members—will be better off for it.

So here’s how to build a brand that lasts:

1. Discover

The first step to creating a brand that lasts is actually discovering it.

“I thought we were creating a brand,” you might be thinking. “Shouldn’t we be starting from scratch?”

Absolutely not!

Think back to the definition of a brand: Your brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room.

People are already talking about you. You already have a brand. Now it’s time to discover what that is, refine it, and make it more noticeable.

Start by asking yourself these questions:

What is our ultimate purpose?
What is our passion?
What is our brand vision?
What are our values?
What is our personality?
What is it that differentiates us?
What brand position is available to us?
What are our strategic goals?
Who is our target market?

The answers to these questions will be different for every bank and credit union. Some banks really value friendliness. Some value people. Some value saving money. All of these answers are valid, and your answers will help you discover and define your institution’s brand.

It’s important that you don’t start making assumptions here. This process is going to be challenging, and it’s tempting to stick with the easy answers, but easy answers don’t lead to strong brands.

So dig deep. Who are you really? What do you exist for? What is your purpose? What is your passion?

It’s also important not to do this alone. Ask your executive team. Ask each department leader. Ask employees, customers/members, and even community members who don’t bank with your institution. You’re looking for how people see your institution, not how you or your team sees it.

If you’re still struggling to discover your brand, it might be time to whip out a good old-fashioned SWOT analysis. Look at the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to your institution. Lean on these answers as well as any other information you’ve collected.

2. Define

Once you have a list of what your institution values and how others see you, it’s time to put words to your brand.

Here’s what you’ll be defining:

Brand Purpose: Why do you exist?
Brand Promise: The commitment you make to customers/members.
Brand Vision: Where are you headed?
Brand Mission: What is your role in the lives of the people you serve?
Brand Values: The principles and beliefs that guide your brand.
Brand Story: The emotional narrative that defines who you are, what you do, and why it matters.
Brand Positioning: How your brand stands out from competitors.

As you start to define your brand, there’s one thing you need to keep in mind above all else: Keep it simple! The more complex your defined brand becomes, the less likely your employees and customers/members are to remember it, believe in it, or talk about it.

Unfortunately, keeping your brand simple is not a simple task.

Chances are, you’ve gathered a long list of attributes, values, and phrases during the discovery phase. Now it’s time to edit this list ruthlessly. Focus on the one or two core ideas that define who you are, resonate with your audience, and can carry your brand for years.

Here’s a real example from Security National Bank of Sioux City, Iowa:

Brand Promise: We promise to do what’s right because it matters.
Brand Vision: To be your trustworthy partner because you matter.
Brand Mission: To help achieve your financial goals because they matter.
Brand Values:

Mean what you say.
Always do what’s right.
Think creatively.
Tell the truth.
Earn respect.
Reach farther.

Brand Story: We believe EVERYTHING MATTERS — your plans, dreams and all the little steps in between. We believe what was worth doing well yesterday is worth doing well today, people change and banking changes, but our time-tested principles remain constant. We believe integrity, honor, open-mindedness, excellent service, good humor, respect, duty and human connection matter in life and banking. We believe doing what’s right is the only way to take care of customers, help businesses thrive, farms grow, inspire our community and do something remarkable.
Brand Positioning: Everything Matters

As you can see, this bank’s defining attribute is that they believe everyone and everything matters. This value is what sets their bank apart from every other bank in the area, and they’ve made it clear throughout their entire brand.

(If you’d like to learn more about this bank’s branding journey and how to define your brand, watch our webinar recording.)

Building a Brand Identity

Now that you have a defined brand, it’s time to start building all the stuff that most people think make up a brand. This includes:

Name
Logo
Color palette
Typography
Imagery and photography
Iconography and badging
Packaging

This is your brand identity, and it’s how your company visually and verbally expresses itself.

Guess what? You officially have a brand!

3. Deliver

You’ve discovered the brand. You’ve defined it. Now you have to deliver it.

Internally

Delivering your brand should start with your internal team. If employees don’t understand and love your brand, how can you expect customers/members to care?

Work your brand into every aspect of onboarding, employee appreciation, employee events, and anything else that involves your institution’s team members. If you want your team to provide an exceptional experience for customers, your brand should provide an exceptional experience for your team.

Consider starting with a big, employee-wide launch party. Unveil your new brand to all employees at once and make it a really big deal. Show them who you are visually. Show them what language to use. Show them how this applies to each of their roles. Hand out new swag.

Your brand touches every department, every person, and every aspect of your bank/credit union. If you want employees to be passionate about your mission and brand, they must understand it.

Externally

Once employees are on board, you need to start promoting your brand externally. Update signage, website, stationery, branch posters, social channels, email signatures, community initiatives, advertisements, swag, etc., etc., etc.

Yes, there’s a lot. And chances are you’ll think you’ve updated everything, and six months later you’ll come across something in your old brand. That’s okay! Update it and move on. Eventually, your new brand will be your only brand, and customers/members will recognize it immediately.

And this isn’t just all the typical branding stuff. Now is the time to reinforce what people think and feel about you. Go back to that list of attributes and values, and continue to do what sets you apart from your competitors.

A brand that lasts forever isn’t about the logos and the colors. It’s about how you make people feel.

4. Develop

Delivering your brand is not a one-and-done event. Your brand is something you will always be reinforcing, updating, and promoting.

In fact, once you start to get sick of your brand, that’s when it’s starting to work. Stick with it!

Something you might consider as you develop your brand is appointing brand champions, or people who are responsible for promoting your brand and building support for it internally and externally. This isn’t a formal role, but it’s one that can help get the word out and spread excitement for your brand.

Brand ambassadors can be anyone from employees to executives to customers/members. They should be passionate about your institution and your brand, and they should spread that passion and get others excited.

Once your brand has been going strong for a few years, take some time to audit, reassess, and see if any changes should be made due to leadership changes, industry updates, community evolution, and employee interests. Your brand isn’t set in stone, even after all this work. You should always strive to be relevant, clear, and adaptable.

Your Brand is Built to Last

This four-step process was long and challenging, but in the end, worth it. Your bank or credit union has a defined brand that will shape the way you interact with your community for years to come, and you should be proud of all your hard work.

Now it’s time to enjoy that beautiful brand. And remember, just stick with it.

To learn more about building a brand that lasts, check out our free webinar, “How to Build a Long-Lasting Brand for Your Financial Institution.

None of Kadince, Inc., its affiliates, or its respective employees, directors, officers, and agents (collectively, “Kadince”) are responsible or liable for any content or information incorporated herein. Read full disclosure.