How should I transition my CU away from ugly kitsch decorations and advertising?

Maybe find a sign designer? If you put an ad on Craigslist you may find someone to do a redesign on the cheap. Or contact the International Sign Association.

Be careful of the other side of it too…some people approach ‘looking professional’ by getting those HIGHLY generic Microsoft pictures of a cross-cultural group smiling or standing behind a desk. You can definitely head the other way, too.

Be careful of the other side of it too…some people approach ‘looking professional’ by getting those HIGHLY generic Microsoft pictures of a cross-cultural group smiling or standing behind a desk. You can definitely head the other way, too.

Hi Michael,

I’ve worked on over 350 branch projects in my career. My task with each has been to transform the branch experience, create a professional image and raise awareness of the brand and its products/services.

In the next Banktastic answer, I’ll give you links to branch projects I’ve written about this year at my online publication, The Financial Brand.

If you have any questions or would like additional information, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

GOOD, BASIC BRANCH DESIGN ADVICE: http://thefinancialbrand.com/2008/03/21/branch-design-101/

INNOVATIVE RETAIL BRANCH DESIGNS: Deutsche Bank’s Q110: http://thefinancialbrand.com/2008/11/05/deutsche-bank-branch/

Jyske Bank’s “Bank of the Future”: http://thefinancialbrand.com/2008/10/28/jyske-bank-branch/

Umpqua Bank’s “Bank of the Future” (circa 2006): http://thefinancialbrand.com/2008/06/18/umpqua-banks-branch-of-the-future/

Bankwest’s interactive virtual branch tour: http://thefinancialbrand.com/2008/08/12/bankwest-virtual-branch/

BRANCH MERCHANDISING:

Delta Community’s clean, open floorplan and colorful retail graphics: http://thefinancialbrand.com/2008/10/24/delta-cu-branch/

Numerica Credit Union’s retail merchandising: http://thefinancialbrand.com/2008/10/30/numerica-branch/

BRANCH DESIGN:

Omaha Bank’s contemporary style and interactive floor graphics: http://thefinancialbrand.com/2008/02/12/omaha-bank-rolls-out-new-branch-prototype/

University of Illinois ECU clean, basic branch design: http://thefinancialbrand.com/2008/01/21/credit-union-adds-third-branch-with-nice-design/

ALTERNATE CASH DELIVERY SYSTEMS:

First Atlantic’s video tellers: http://thefinancialbrand.com/2008/12/03/first-atlantic-branches/

Dort FCU’s video tellers: http://thefinancialbrand.com/2008/12/04/dort-fcu-branch/

FirstBank’s teller pods: http://thefinancialbrand.com/2008/02/24/new-firstbank-branch-model-features-teller-pods/

Augusta Metro’s teller pods: http://thefinancialbrand.com/2008/08/22/dialogue-pods-and-cafe/

COOL & INTERESTING (BUT PROBABLY IRRELEVANT):

ING Direct’s Hawaiian cafe: http://thefinancialbrand.com/2008/11/14/ing-direct-cafes/

Luke Skywalker’s childhood home from Chebanca!: http://thefinancialbrand.com/2008/10/15/chebanca-branch/

Those are interesting, Jeff. Do you have experience improving the design of a branch without resorting to the futurist look?

The nice part about renaming or rebranding is that you have an excuse to introduce a whole new way of doing things to go along with a whole new look and feel. Even if you’re simply building a new branch, this kind of milestone can be used as the impetus to set new standards.

Now, if you’re not doing any of those things, it can be a little tougher to explain why everyone now has to remove all the crap from their workspace. You could perhaps marry your new branch standards to some arbitrary milestone (such as the credit union’s anniversary), but if you aren’t couching the changes as part of a grander strategy, people will struggle to accept them. They will feel like you’re picking on them, and they will complain.

It might be the price you have to pay though, because the truth is: Junky and cluttered workspaces translate into an unprofessional experience for members. Is it more important to let employees over-personalize their workspaces than it is to foster member’s trust and confidence? In the financial services industry, it’s critical that you project a professional image because people are wondering if they can trust you with their money.

There are ways to incorporate all kinds of merchandising that don’t have to undermine the “homey” image you want to preserve. “Professional” doesn’t have to equate with “futurist.”

A serious cleaning of an office or branch can do wonders for members’ perceptions. A new coat of paint is probably a good idea too. You can call it a minor branch remodel and introduce new workspace standards as part of it (and, optionally, a new dress code policy or uniform).

As far as the tacky, homemade 8.5×11 flyers that branch staff make, those should be strictly controlled, if not forbidden altogether. Marketing either needs to provide all branches with necessary signage (perhaps requested by the branch), or marketing can give the branches template documents from which they can generate visually-acceptable signs themselves.

Interesting. What should we consider if we want to improve our image while avoiding a futurist look?

Michael

—Original Message— From: system@banktastic.com [mailto:system@banktastic.com] Sent: Monday, December 08, 2008 2:10 PM To: mhopkins@rbcu.net Subject: [Banktastic] New Response to ‘How should I transition my CU away from ugly kitsch decorations and advertising?’

A professional image doesn’t have to be high-tech and futurist looking.

If you want to look “homey,” the best thing you can do is put in a fireplace. You’re waiting area probably also needs to be redesigned into a member lounge. If you’ve got corporate furniture in your waiting area, get rid of it and get sofas and comfy chairs instead. If you’re seating is arranged in a rigid row, change it. Get an area rug. Put in a TV. Make it just like people’s living rooms.

If you want to give people the homey feel, it helps to put a “warm, welcoming” member lounge (as I’m describing) up front and centerstage in your branches, so it’s one of the first things they see when they walk in. Compare that to the impression you get when a “waiting area” is buried deep somewhere inside the branch.

In other regular workspaces, get rid of the industrial flourescent lighting—very unhomey.

Kill your stantioned queuing system. Nothing says “you’re a number, not a person” more than the cattle queuing systems you see in most banks and credit unions. Totally unhomey.

There are many financial institutions that deploy the “living room” strategy in their branches.

Unfortunately, creating a homey impression in your branches is not something that can be done with just a new coat of paint and some new artwork (e.g., feel-good family photos). In all likelihood, the branch needs to be remodeled.

Do you have pictures of your branch(es)? That would help a lot.

I don’t know if this is anything like what you’re after (“professional” + “homey”):

http://www.webermarketing.com/newsmedia/ssp_altavista_redlands/ http://www.webermarketing.com/news/?p=24 http://www.webermarketing.com/news/?p=115

Also, go here and look at their project portfolio for financial institutions:

http://www.ehs-design.com/interactive/content.html

It looks like Jeffry has wrapped up this question, but I wanted to chime in and concur that moving your credit union away from homemade signs and posters will be a step in the right direction.

Whether you want to look futuristic or homey can easily be displayed in the design of new signage. Take a close look at the links Jeffry posted and work with your internal to determine the right “look and feel”, then move forward with a professional who can help bring that image to life in your branches.