ABA Banking Journal - August 2007 - (Page 30)

COVER STORY to accommodate more appropriate wall textures, layout adjustments, and merchandising,” says BrandPartners’ Eduardo Alvarez, who is based in New York. Another aspect of this for big banks? Coping with urban, rural, and suburban variations as well as ethnic prototypes. “We believe strongly that there should be urban textures and approaches and a very different look for branches in each of the other types of environments,” says Kevin Blair, CEO, Newground, a design and building firm in St. Louis. “Branch planning staff understand this, but sometimes the concern is that difference will water down brand. You need a balance.” strategy simply because the big guys have done it,” says Tom Tedrow, vice-president design & construction services, with IBT, Norcross, Ga. “We counsel them to consider their own strengths and community story,” he explains. Bangor Savings Bank, whose photo opens this article, was expanding from northern Maine into the southern region, including the city of Portland. It wished to convey the flavor of that part of Maine with the use of Deer Isle Granite, a local material, as well as by using wall graphics featuring images of actual fisherman and local people. 3. Be like the big guys in terms of quality, if you are a small bank, but don’t believe you must literally ape 4. them. It makes sense to evaluate and consider the trends, but you also have to keep in mind your own attributes, market position, as well as your existing identity, which has grown organically and is a huge plus for that reason. “Sometimes we have clients that want to put in automation or do some sort of merchandising Sense of place reflects the standards of the community as well as the location. Okay, so you’ve avoided the Swiss chalet or the McBranch. But you also want to be a good neighbor by “upping the tone” of the entire retail block. In addition, says Tedrow, you might have an atrium that’s open to community events in off hours (many banks have done this sort of thing successfully), or erect a big board with community events somewhere in the lobby. Sometimes, it’s just a matter of being useful. This worked for North Shore Bank, a $430 million-assets institution based in Peabody, Mass., which partnered with a Canadian company, Irving, to create a branch and gas station combination on a busy thoroughfare in a town that needed this sort of outlet (see image on p. 28). “It was a really nice way to be different, be useful, add value to the community, and make banking be truly convenient for our customer base,” says senior vice-president of retail banking, Jim Muse. “People can grab a coffee, the morning paper, get gas, and get their banking done in the same easy trip. Moreover, if they have to make a ‘pit stop,’ it’s pleasant. This is a firm that puts art in its rest rooms.” 5. Let your locality reflect your customer base because different types of folks can live within a community—even within a block. Remember, clients are individuals as well as residents. If they choose your bank, it should be for more compelling reasons than sheer proximity. So mirror them. “Typically, the branch environment should be optimistic and caring, it should also be aspirational but not intimidating,” says DEI’s Bill Biley. BJ Two banks take the LEED cont’d development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality. Each of these have specific requirements. Details can be found at the council’s website, www.usgbc.org. Here are some of the features of Wainwright’s branches that garnered it points toward certification: • recycled rubber floor in the teller area, • low-flow toilets, • sun tubes (tube skylights with diffusers that let in natural light without heat), • bamboo flooring in the customer space (bamboo is an easily renewable resource), • refurbished office furniture, • location near public transportation, • low-energy computers, • cabinets and other millwork made of compressed corn husks PNC’s certified branches use much more natural lighting to create bright spaces and reduce lighting costs. Advanced heating and air-cooling systems use outside air to a much greater degree than traditional systems. Cabinets and office doors are made of wheat board, a byproduct of wheat processing, instead of plywood. Overall, more than half of these branches, which can be quickly assembled from pre-fab components, are made from recycled or “green” materials. Morale and retention rise Aside from the cost benefits of such efforts, Gary Saulson cites several other positives. “Employees feel special working in these buildings,” he says, and customers also love them. “How many times do you have customers come in and talk to the tellers about the branch building?” he asks. Saulson says the company has done studies that indicate employee retention is up and sick days down in its green buildings. A page on PNC’s corporate website reports a 50% improvement in retention and satisfaction among employees at its Firstside Center. Steve Young concurs that both employees and customers like the idea of a healthier environment, but he did not have data to quantify that. He did have data indicating that Wainwright Bank’s stock performance has been stellar of late. In a study by RBC Capital Markets of the 73 public banks and thrifts in New England, the median stock was down 1.72% from Jan. 1 to June 1. Wainwright’s shares were up 26.36% for the same period, and were the highest in the sample. “Our products are not all that different,” says Young, “so it has to be partly as a result of the media attention we’ve gotten from being featured in books and articles about our environmental efforts and our social agenda.” — Bill Streeter, editor-in-chief How green is your balance sheet? The accompanying story focuses on the “green branch” (a term PNC says it has service-marked), but there are many other efforts that fall under the heading of environmental sustainability, including special loan programs, geothermal heating, etc. If your institution has taken such steps, please let us know about it. Best way is by e-mail to the editor: bstreeter@sbpub.com 30 AUGUST 2007/ABA BANKING JOURNAL www.ababj.com/subscribe.html http://www.northshore-bank.com http://www.ibtsource.com http://www.bangor.com http://www.newground.com http://www.usgbc.org 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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