ABA Banking Journal - August 2007 - (Page 28)

Looking like something for the Museum of Modern Art, this display in HSBC’s brokerage center on Fifth Avenue in New York says “financial services, global banking, and ‘exciting enough for the Big Apple’” all in one look. In another take on “sense of place,” below, North Shore Bank, Peabody, Mass., partnered with a gas retailer to create the ultimate drive-in convenience store. it’s about showing off the interior so that there is a lure to draw you in. You don’t get that same pull with a brick wall.” conveying tangible brand qualities. So, characteristics such as “friendliness” or “customer focus” can be physically displayed in color or merchandising. Sense of place can also convey brand personality, the way clothing choice conveys the moods and values of people, although there are limits to the comparison. “Architectural and design trends have longer cycles,” says Eduardo Alvarez, executive vice-president, marketing and strategy, BrandPartners, a brand strategy firm based in Rochester, N.H. “You don’t have the equivalent of the rapidly changing hemline.” What he sees in 2007 is an extension of what he’s seen for the last five years or so. This includes more emphasis on color (he favors bold primaries or “smoky neutrals”), use of contrast, wall graphics, digital signs, merchandising and bold, geometric “architectural” display fixtures. Moreover, what you see, to varying extents, is a reflection of “thirdspace” values (not business, not home, but a third location between), first promulgated by that famous coffee house from Seattle, notes Jeff Ferris, director of architecture and design for BrandPartners. “In many ways, Be consistent in look and ops As with a person dressing up to fool a date, or prospective employer, buildings can “fake an image.” In the long run, though, the disconnect will shine an unflattering light. Envirosell, a market research and consulting firm in NYC, functions, among other things, as a test agency for prototype branches. Paco Underhill founder, knows what good design can accomplish but knows its limits: “The branch can be fabulous looking, yet, without good online and physical channel linkages and a physical presentation that is consistent with who you really are, you won’t succeed,” he says. “You won’t get anybody to read your great merchandising wall if they’re ticked off at you.” Beyond the look and feel of things, says Randall Stone, partner, Lippincott Mercer, N.Y, place should be evoked in your branch because it is a way to convey authenticity. It is a way to say that you know what’s valued in your community. William Bily, director of design for DEI Corp., Cincinnati, agrees, adding: “Sense of place encompasses geography, demography (including class and lifestyle references) and corporate culture.” To make the grade with design our experts suggest that you: 1. Work with materials, colors, and themes that make sense for your geography, and weigh this equally with brand personality factors. Let’s say your bank is “family friendly.” Ob- 28 AUGUST 2007/ABA BANKING JOURNAL www.ababj.com/subscribe.html http://www.northshore-bank.com http://envirosell.com http://www.brandpartners.com http://www.lippincottmercer.com http://www.dei-corp.com http://www.ababj.com/subscribe.html

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of ABA Banking Journal - August 2007

Contents Editor's Column The Unbankers Snapshot: Do Share Repurchases Signal More M&A Activity Sleight of Mind Goals Behind Proposed ABA/ACB Merger ABA Resources ABA Chairman's Position Should You Sell Those Nonperformers Pass the Aspirin Branch Design - Evoking a Sense of Place Two Banks Take the LEED Move Over, Buddy Service Feature: Bankers' Banks Directory Websites: What's State of the Art for Banks? Citi Mobile to Go Strong with iPhone? Date First, Marry Later Mailbox Banker's Mart To Advertise/Index of Advertisers The Economy

ABA Banking Journal - August 2007

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