With all of the M&A activity in the banking industry, bank branch rebranding has become one of our specialties. Mergers and acquisitions allow banks to better serve their customers by adding branches and ATMs, so making sure the new bank brand appears prominently on each location is essential.
The first step in the bank branch rebranding process is to assess the newly acquired locations so they can be quickly converted from the old brand to the new one. Our clients are often surprised by what we show them in Assessment reports, which include photos of outdoor and indoor signs, ATMs and other branded assets. We often uncover missed branding opportunities by previous owners, like ATMs with “ATM” in block letters, but no mention of the bank brand. That’s why we offer recommendations for ways to improve visibility, brand awareness and brand compliance. I’m going to focus on outdoor sign challenges during bank branch rebranding in this blog.
A bank branch rebranding involving hundreds of signs at multiple locations is complicated, especially for banks that haven’t been through the process before and/or expect branch managers to handle local signs on their own. National and regional banks often have branches and ATMs in diverse locations, including suburban malls, historic downtown landmarks, and rural communities, to name just a few. Exterior signs need to have a consistent look and feel, but they also need to be location-appropriate. By using a holistic approach to bank branch rebranding, outdoor signs can fit into their local surroundings while remaining brand compliant.
We use best practices gleaned from years of experience to streamline the process, which is why we’ve been able to complete multi-location bank branch rebranding projects over a single weekend. Among the things we review at the start of the process:
- Codes and regulations: Local ordinances dictate the type and number of signs permitted at each location – size, placement, brightness (if signs are lit), materials, etc. Historic landmarks are especially tricky due to the extra layer of permitting involved, but without the approval process by historical commissions, cities could end up with iconic landmarks sporting hot pink neon signs above lime green awnings.
- Visibility: Rather than simply replacing old signs during a bank branch rebranding, we make sure new brand-compliant signs are placed in high visibility locations, have proper lighting and are easy to read.
- Keeping bank employees focused on customers: Branch managers don’t have the time or expertise to deal with permitting requirements or soliciting bids from sign manufacturers and installers during a bank branch rebranding. By taking rebranding responsibilities off their plates, we minimize the time and disruption to bank employees and customers.
- Economies of scale: Using a large number of legacy sign companies for a national or regional bank branch rebranding can be costly in terms of time, money and brand consistency. Having a small number of high quality sign manufacturers produce all signs speeds up the process and reduces costs.
We deal with local sign ordinances all the time. If you want to keep your employees happy, turn your bank branch rebranding projects over to Implementix.
