Picture this: it’s Independence Day and you’re hosting the neighborhood barbecue. You fired up the grill, stocked the cooler and everyone’s expecting a feast. But here’s the thing…you can’t just throw random stuff on the grill and hope for the best.
A great barbecue needs the right ingredients in the right proportions. Too much of one thing, not enough of another, and suddenly your legendary barbecue becomes the neighborhood cautionary tale.
Your bank and credit union brand works the same way. You need all the right elements working together. Otherwise, your brand ends up being forgettable at best and a disaster at worst. Let’s break down what goes into a brand barbecue that’ll have your consumers coming back for seconds.
Burgers and Dogs: Why Strategy is the Meat of Your Brand
Every great barbecue starts with the main course. You wouldn’t show up to a cookout with just potato chips and call it a meal. Yet that’s exactly what happens when financial institutions skip strategic foundations and jump straight to the flashy stuff.
Strategy is your protein – it’s what feeds people.
Without solid brand strategy, everything else falls flat. Your bank and credit union brand needs to answer the fundamental questions before anything else matters:
- Who are you really serving?
- What makes you different from the institution down the street?
- Why should someone choose you over the big bank with better digital services?
Think about it. The best burger joints don’t try to be everything to everyone. They pick their lane and own it. In-N-Out does simple, fresh burgers. Five Guys does hand-cut fries and customization.
Your brand strategy should be just as focused. Are you the community champion? The tech innovator? The financial wellness expert? Pick your positioning and stick with it. Everything – from your website copy to your lobby design – should reinforce that core strategic direction.
Corn and Beans: Add Extra Flavor With Creative
Now we’re talking sides. These are the creative elements that make your bank and credit union brand pop. Strategy gets people to the table; creative keeps them engaged and talking about you long after they leave.
This is where your visual identity comes alive:
- Logo design that actually means something
- Color palettes that reflect your personality
- Photography style that reflects your target audience
- Messaging tone that sounds like you, not like every other financial institution
But here’s where most brands mess up…they think creative means bizarre. They go for the advertising equivalent of putting pineapple on pizza (yeah, we went there). Creative doesn’t mean strange. It means memorable and authentic to who you are.
The best creative amplifies your strategy, not overshadows it.
Your creative should make people think: “That’s so them.” When consumers see your latest campaign, they should immediately know it came from your institution. That consistency builds trust and recognition over time.
Good creative also tells stories. Instead of listing features, show how you helped the local teacher buy her first home or how you supported the small business through a tough season. Those stories stick with people way longer than interest rates ever will.
Hosting and Service: Train Staff So Your Brand Shines
The host separates good barbecues from great ones. You can have the perfect menu, but if the person serving can’t explain what’s in the potato salad or runs out of drinks halfway through, the whole experience falls apart.
Your staff are the servers of your bank and credit union brand experience.
Every interaction either reinforces your brand or undermines it. The friendly teller who remembers your dog’s name? That’s your brand in action. The loan officer who explains complex terms in simple language? Brand relatability. The service rep who solves problems instead of transferring calls? Pure brand gold.
But here’s the reality check…your staff can’t deliver on your brand promise if they don’t understand what that promise is. Too many financial institutions spend months crafting the perfect brand strategy and creative before forgetting to tell their team about it.
Training isn’t a one-time event. It’s ongoing brand maintenance.
Your newest teller should be able to explain your brand positioning as clearly as your CEO. Your loan officers should know which stories to tell and how to tell them. Everyone should understand not just what you do, but why it matters to the communities you serve.
Fire Up Your Brand
Building a strong bank and credit union brand isn’t about having the fanciest logo or the most clever tagline. It’s about getting all the elements working together: strategic foundation, creative expression and consistent delivery.
Just like that perfect barbecue, when everything comes together, people notice. They talk about it. They come back. And they bring friends.
The question is: what kind of brand barbecue are you serving?
If your answer is “I don’t know” or “I don’t like what I’m cooking up,” enlist the brand grill masters at On The Mark Strategies. We’ll help you create the perfect brand plate of strategy, creative and staff training. Book a free consultation today.
