Independent Banker - February 2022 - 41

Next: Advocating for regulatory relief on deposits 
embracing the bold look of powerful
retail brands.
Sarah Bacehowski, president of
Mills Marketing in Des Moines,
Iowa, recalls when banks' logos had
to reflect their name. " If the name
had 'river' in it, if the name had
'valley' in it, we had to represent
that somehow graphically, " she says.
" It was very literal. "
That's no longer the trend. " As
long as we can find a relevant and
easily identifiable way to shorten
the bank name, " Bacehowski says,
" we're concerned with what will
look good, what will pop on the
mobile app. "
She notes a few characteristics of
modern logos. First, they feel crisp
and clean and often use sans serif
fonts and a limited color palette.
Second, they're stripped-down so
they will be legible in both digital
formats (think: a small phone
screen) and traditional channels.
Finally, they're brighter, using
vibrant colors instead of more
traditional dark greens, blues
and reds.
Partnering with a vendor
Unless a community bank has
a design whiz on staff, it should
engage a professional design
firm. " Some community banks
have in-house design expertise
or marketing teams, but very few
have the experience that a vendor
can provide, " says Paul Tonelli,
VP, creative director at Pannos
Marketing in Manchester, N.H.
He notes that the design process
begins with discovery. " An agency
gathers insight from all levels of
the organization to understand
the brand story and the image
the client wants to portray to the
marketplace, " he says. The agency
will also draw on its experience
with other clients and its knowledge
Notable logos
American Bank & Trust, $475 million-asset bank, Davenport, Iowa
" We knew we needed to create a logo that not only reflected our
bank and culture, but one that would be attractive and resonate
with customers, prospects and our team. The [new logo] has
been a positive and empowering message for us-we use it in
nearly everything we do. We definitely believe this was a change
for the better. " -Jeff Rose, CEO
VeraBank, $3.5 billion-asset bank, Henderson, Texas
" The typography presents the bank as friendly and modern while
remaining established, trusted and capable ... We believe our tagline
'Genuine Banking' is a constant and universal reminder of our
commitment to facts, accuracy and seeking the best interest of
our customers. " -Robin Gibson, marketing manager
Avidia Bank, $2.3 billion-asset bank, Hudson, Mass.
" We want people to associate our brand, as well as banking
in general, with a positive feeling. We feel our bright colors of
orange and indigo help us with that. " -Jessica Bonetti, AVP,
creative manager
of the competitive landscape to
determine how to represent the
client's brand best.
With that knowledge in place,
the agency will produce a variety
of options for approval by the
community bank leaders. And once
one has been selected, the agency will
create new marketing materials and
establish logo guidelines for use in
the future.
Finally, an agency can help promote
the new logo with an internal and
external messaging strategy. After all,
now that you have a shiny new look,
you'll want to show it off. 
Amy Geist is a writer in Colorado.
independentbanker.org Q 41
http://www.independentbanker.org
Independent Banker - February 2022

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