by Curt Hamilton
President

It started as a trickle. A small consulting project through a business party we work with with for Chase Bank. Then, the call came in that we were being considered for an ATM surround for LaSalle Bank. The major factor in determining the best firm available to handle this type of project came down to our ability to steadfastly insist on brand consistency throughout the design, fabrication, manufacturing and installation process. We created pages upon pages of design and manufacturing standards after the initial design renderings were submitted and approved. The project was not limited to new ATM surrounds, towers, toppers and drive-up kiosks. In involved an estimated 100 sites that needed retrofit environmental and physically manufactured design elements. And, it was in both the Chicago and Michigan markets. The standardization of branded elements led to our involvement in supervising the design and manufacturing of signage also. That was also a huge project spread out over a couple of years. The scope of the signage design responsibility included wall, monument, pedestal, wayfinding, directional, ATM, windows and doors. The banking industry is full of signs.

So, all of that work led to merchandising, print, POP, product promotions, and a number of projects that were submitted, some approved, of creative initiatives that lacked easily definable marketing categories.

This client led to other clients, which led to banks buying other banks, creating more work and as we further developed our knowledge of the financial industry, its clients, products, environment and culture. Which led me to believe the expertise we gained went far beyond a passing knowledge of bank branding and marketing. And although we worked for a number of years for larger banking institutions, the talents we applied and lessons we learned were not only transferable to smaller banks, but essential. The banking industry products and services are rather similar to the bulk of the banking customers. Convenience and trust are often the deciding factors in both choosing a bank, say for your checking account needs, and further investing in additional banking services such as loans and investments. Trust = quality brand.

What's the next step if this is your industry? Look around the site, view our portfolio samples and decide if your bank or financial institution can use a visual marketing and branding upgrade. It may not be a calculatable number that you may be comfortable with, but investing in your banking image and brand can equate to big increases in the bottom line. That's what design can do in a number-laden industry. Believe.