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NewGround Wins 2007 ReBrand 100® Awards for Clearstar Financial Credit Union and Pilot Bank
St. Louis, MO —NewGround was recognized for their work in rebranding Clearstar Financial Credit Union and Pilot Bank in the third annual ReBrand 100® Global Awards Contest. ReBrand 100 recognizes the world’s most effective brand transformations: the repositioning, revitalizing and redesign of existing brand assets to meet strategic goals.
NewGround’s rebrand of Clearstar Financial Credit Union encompassed a new brand name and logo. Clearstar Financial Credit Union, previously known as Sierra Schools Credit Union, needed a new name to better reflect who they are and their ability to help all members succeed, educators and non-educators alike. Using a strategy that stemmed from their roots as an educator’s credit union, NewGround helped the credit union create a new brand promise focused on educating members and helping them become effective financial stewards. The new name, Clearstar Financial Credit Union, is derived from the “guiding light” image associated with education and intellectual enlightenment. It conveys a sense of moving forward, toward one’s hopes, goals and aspiration.
NewGround’s rebrand of Pilot Bank comprised of a new brand name, logo and brand experience to demonstrate the bank’s customer-focused approach. Pilot Bank, previously known as Terrace Bank, was operating in the rapidly growing Tampa, Florida market with a brand name that was geographically limited. With NewGround’s help, Terrace Bank was transformed to Pilot Bank. Using aeronautical imagery as a metaphor for soaring higher and achieving dreams, NewGround created a brand and banking experience that is progressive, customer-focused and differentiates Pilot Bank in Tampa’s saturated market.
The ReBrand 100® Global Awards, juried by an esteemed panel of international business leaders, is the highest recognition for brand rebuilding and redesign in the business arena. An international panel converged in Providence, Rhode Island, to jury the third annual competition.
“The solutions we found strongest and most effective are those that applied intellectual rigor and honesty in the delivery of brand attributes,” said Manuel Toscano, Principal, Zago, and 2007 ReBrand 100 Juror. “Many winners of the 2007 ReBrand 100 Awards reinforced that effective branding is much more than aesthetically pleasing design.”
This year’s jurors included, Procter & Gamble Design Director Helen Stringer; Interbrand Executive Creative Director Chris Campbell; Xerox Corporation Director Worldwide Brand Richard Wergan. Past jurors include Herman Miller VP Creative Director Steve Frykholm; MetaDesign Chairman and Founder Bill Hill; and Hasbro Playskool Brands General Manager Lorrie Copeland. Past award recipients include SwissLife; Unilever; and Virgin Atlantic.
The international jury reviewed the “before” and “after” scenarios of each brand transformation – a unique selection process among marketing, design and business award competitions. Eligible projects include rebranded products, services, companies, non-profit organizations, individuals, cities, buildings and interior environments launched anywhere in the world between January 2004 and September 2006. Winning rebrands range from a single brand component such as a website or packaging, to enterprise-wide initiatives.
Winning submissions become part of an online repository at www.rebrand.com, the only source for case studies and programs focused on effective brand transformations. This public showcase has become an invaluable and inspirational learning tool.
About ReBrand 100®
The ReBrand 100 Global Awards recognize the world’s most effective brand transformations: the repositioning, revitalizing and redesign of existing brand assets to meet strategic goals. Organized by ReBrand™, the only source for case studies and programs on effective brand transformations, ReBrand 100 is juried each year by a prominent, multidisciplinary, international panel. The 2008 ReBrand 100 entry deadline is September 26, 2007. For entry and partnership information, and to learn best practices from winning case studies, visit www.rebrand.com.
Ascend FCU and NewGround Win CUNA “Best Practice” Award For Branch Design
St. Louis, MO —Ascend Federal Credit Union and NewGround were presented with CUNA’s “Best Practice” Award for Branch Design at the 10th Annual CUNA OpSS Council Conference, held in Indiana Wells, California, on Tuesday, September 25, 2007.
Branch designs were judged on how they “pushed the envelope” and differentiated the look of branches. In addition, judges critiqued the non-traditional elements deployed in the new or remodeled branch to enhance member growth.
Ascend Federal Credit Union partnered with NewGround to transform their brand, culture and retail experience. Ascend, formerly known as AEDC FCU, was operating in a crowded marketplace where financial institutions were delivering nearly identical products and services. Ascend understood the importance of name recognition as a key growth factor of the credit union. They needed a name that better reflected their identity and the members they serve. Leveraging AEDC’s aeronautical heritage, the credit union was renamed as Ascend Federal Credit Union. A new brand was developed using the theme of flight to demonstrate Ascend could raise possibilities for members and help them achieve their goals.
The brand was then infused into the design of a new financial center in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The new name and brand acted as a catalyst for the creation of new member-focused experiences. And the credit union transitioned from a traditional branch facility design and member approach to a fully branded and experiential retail design concept.
“We are honored to be recognized for our work with Ascend in creating this dynamic retail environment that provides an experience that goes above and beyond member expectations, and has proven to be profitable for the credit union,” said Kevin Blair, President and COO of NewGround.
The community’s response to Ascend’s new branch design has been positive. In the first five months since it’s opening, the financial center has realized a new household growth of 8.28%. Annualized deposit growth has increased 10.30%, and analyzed loan growth has increased 13.90%. In addition, the number of services cross sold into these households has increased at an annualized rate of 21.5%.
About Ascend Federal Credit Union
Ascend Federal Credit Union is a full-service financial institution with 14 locations in Middle Tennessee. Federally insured by NCUA, membership is limited.
NewGround Evolves Brand to Better Reflect Service Offering
St. Louis, MO — NewGround unveiled their refreshed brand identity today, unifying the look and feel of their services to better communicate NewGround’s distinctiveness and value to clients.
NewGround’s rebrand involved the addition of the tagline “Breakthrough: Ideas, Space and Growth” to the widely recognized NewGround logo created in 2001. The new tagline conveys the company’s mission and process for helping financial institutions succeed.
“Our corporate mission is to help financial institutions advance, achieve and succeed using Breakthrough Ideas, Space and Growth,” said Kevin Blair, President and COO of NewGround. “NewGround’s century of experience and ongoing industry thought leadership allows us to develop unique, customized spaces that grow our clients’ business. We wanted our logo and tagline to reflect this competitive advantage.”
NewGround has also branded the six elements of their suite of service offerings — Brand, Consult, Design, Retail, Build and Culture — as “The Core.” These components are represented by their own individual brand and are displayed in a visual graphic as individual links interconnected to complete a full circle.
“Each of our service offerings interconnect to create the core for developing a dynamic total customer experience. Our new brand identity showcases our 360-degree approach to growing and integrating all facets of our clients’ business,” said Blair.
Although NewGround shared its updated brand identity with the public today, the refreshed brand will make its advertising debut in a campaign for NewGround in 2008.
Jay Broska Joins NewGround as Division Vice President
St. Louis, MO —NewGround, a full-service design and implementation company, announced today the appointment of Jay Broska as Division Vice President for the Western Region of the United States. Jay will be responsible for leading business development activities for NewGround in Minnesota, Arkansas and select strategic accounts in the western states.
“Jay brings valuable industry experience to the NewGround Team,” said Kevin Blair, President and COO of NewGround. “Our corporate mission is to create breakthrough ideas that create breakthrough spaces, which drive breakthrough growth and advancement for our clients. Jay’s experience and determination to find the right solution for his clients strengthens our initiative.”
Jay has a decade of experience serving the financial service industry. Prior to joining NewGround, Jay was an Account Executive with BrandPartners, where he used his proven relationship management skills to develop strategic initiatives and design/build projects for financial institutions.
Among other significant positions, Jay was Vice President of Sales at HBE, where he provided comprehensive needs analysis and design/build solutions for financial institutions in a five state territory.
Jay holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business and Marketing from Webster University.
MacDill Federal Credit Union Introduces New Brand Identity
TAMPA, FL — On Monday, August 13th, MacDill Federal Credit Union formally introduced its new name and brand identity as Grow Financial Federal Credit Union to its membership. The name change will take effect on Tuesday, September 4th, with the conversion of all branches to the new logo and colors.
In a letter sent to all 180,000 members of the Credit Union, Robert L. Fisher, President and CEO of MacDill Federal Credit Union, explained the reasons for the brand redefinition and what it means to the members.
“Over the last two years, we have conducted extensive market research on the community we serve. One recurring theme that continued to surface is there are many potential members who have not joined the credit union simply because they believe the name MacDill implies you must be in the military to join. Although we have many other companies and associations in our field of membership, this misconception has been a significant barrier to many individuals who are in need of our credit union services. In order to reach out to these potential new members, we feel it is important and critical to establish a new identity that sets us apart in the financial community and defines what we represent as a credit union.
“Membership growth is also critical to your credit union. Spreading our costs over a much larger base of members will allow us to greatly improve on our mission of providing you lower loan rates, higher deposit rates, new and improved technology, and a multitude of other free/lower-cost products and services. We believe our new identity embodies the idea of Grow through Life and follows through with our promise of providing More in Return.
“We know what the MacDill name means in our community and region. Our commitment to our heritage with MacDill Air Force Base and support of the men and women of our Armed Services will always remain steadfast, and in fact is stronger today than ever. Change, however, brings opportunity, and for you that means getting the most out of your financial life today, and creating a better future for your tomorrow. When you entrust your financial well-being to Grow Financial Federal Credit Union, you can count on getting more More in Return.”
Mr. Fisher emphasized that the redefinition of the MacDill FCU brand was not driven by a sale of the Credit Union, or a merger with another financial institution. Nor is there any change to the credit union’s charter.
Rather, the new name reflects a fresh approach in banking, that of providing financial services customized to lifestyle stages. The new logo, featuring a leaf-stem growing from a lower-case letter g, and new corporate colors of green and gray, clearly represent the goals of personal and financial growth the Credit Union strives to achieve in the lives of its members.
To assist in redefining the MacDill FCU brand, the senior leadership at the Credit Union engaged the nationally-recognized design/build firm, NewGround of St. Louis, MO, which specializes in branded retail and operations environments for financial institutions. NewGround’s brand consultancy partner, Adrenaline, Inc., of Atlanta, GA, spearheaded the redefinition effort. Their creative team developed the new name, logo and colors, and all print marketing materials to support the member communication campaign.
A teaser campaign has been launched to begin introducing the new brand identity, and over the Labor Day holiday weekend, all 18 MacDill Federal Credit Union branches will be converted to the new look in time for the formal launch.
About Grow Financial Federal Credit Union
Headquartered in Tampa, Florida, MacDill Federal Credit Union was established in 1955 and now ranks as one of the leading Credit Unions in the nation, with 18 branches and $1.9 billion in assets. The Credit Union serves the employees of more than 1,100 affiliated businesses throughout the Tampa Bay area, as well as active and retired military, and the civilian employees of MacDill Air Force Base.
NewGround Expands Strategic Team with Three New Vice Presidents
Jeff Glantz, Scott Randall and Justin Sweetman Join NewGround
(St. Louis, MO) — NewGround, a leading international design/build and retail services firm, announced today the appointment of three new vice presidents. Jeff Glantz, Scott Randall and Justin Sweetman have joined NewGround to advance the strategic development of the company.
“NewGround is committed to staying at the forefront of new technology, design and retail communications. With the addition of these gentlemen to the NewGround team, the company is well positioned to take advantage of the many new growth opportunities ahead,” said Kevin Blair, President and COO of NewGround.
Jeff Glantz — As Vice President of Strategic Alliances for NewGround, Jeff Glantz will develop strategic relationships with companies and associations to enhance NewGround’s suite of product and service offerings. Jeff brings to NewGround over 27 years of experience in serving the financial services industry. Prior to joining NewGround, Jeff was the Director of Business Development for De La Rue. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management from the University of Arkansas.
Scott Randall — As Vice President of Retail Media Sales, Scott Randall will lead business development activities for NewGround’s Retail Media division in the Northeastern territory of the United States. Scott has over 18 years of experience in developing strategic retail solutions that helps clients enhance product and service visibility. Before joining NewGround, Scott worked for Deluxe Corporation. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Binghamton University.
Justin Sweetman — As Division Vice President, Justin Sweetman will lead business development activities throughout Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. Justin specializes in developing effective designs that meet customer and employee needs and enhance the banking experience. Prior to joining NewGround, Justin served with DEI Incorporated, and from 1997-2003 he worked with Jim Canton & Associates as a manufacturer representative.
NewGround Hires Three New Division Vice Presidents to Accommodate Growth and Deepen Regional Coverage
(St. Louis, MO) — NewGround, a leading international design/build and retail services firm, announced today the appointment of three new division vice presidents: Greg Covington, Paul Klebba and Tony Lawrence.
“These new hires reflect our continued growth and commitment to our clients. Adding this caliber of experience to our staff will allow us to maintain our high standards of service in today’s fast-paced market, as well as deepening our coverage in key regions,” said Kevin Blair, President and COO of NewGround.
Greg Covington will lead NewGround’s business development activities throughout Arizona, Southern California and Las Vegas. Greg brings over 17 years of experience in sales and management to NewGround. Prior to joining NewGround, Greg served as a Sales Account Executive for Liberty Checks and Services. From 1995 – 2003, Greg was a Sales Executive for John H. Harland Company in Southern California. Greg holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from California State Polytechnic University.
Paul Klebba will manage business development activities in Texas and Louisiana. He most recently held the position of Regional Vice President of HBE’s Financial Facilities Division. From 1980-1993, Paul was the Vice President of Middle Market Lending, Texas Region, for JP Morgan Chase. With over 20 years experience serving the financial industry, Paul brings a vast knowledge base to NewGround. Paul holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing from Saint Louis University, and an MBA from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX.
Tony Lawrence will lead NewGround’s business development activities throughout Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee and the Florida Panhandle. Prior to joining NewGround, Tony was a business development executive for Clarke American, managing business development and client acquisitions for 13 states. Tony holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from The George Washington University, and is currently pursuing his MBA from Auburn University.
NewGround Completes First Bank’s New Flagship Location on Highway N in Dardenne Prairie
(St. Louis, MO) — NewGround has completed First Bank’s new flagship location on Highway N in Dardenne Prairie, MO. The $3 million investment in this new building and site reflects First Bank’s continued commitment to provide high standards of customer service and an engaging banking experience.
The 4,000-square-foot branch features a spacious two-story lobby, four walk-up tellers, including one teller window with a button-operated adjustable height counter. The facility also hosts a safe deposit vault, prominent conference room, two drive-up lanes, and a drive-up ATM with a custom-designed roof to match the unusual gull-wing roof forms of the bank building.
First Bank is one of the largest privately owned banks in the country with over $10 billion in assets and over 190 locations in Missouri, Illinois, California and Texas.
NewGround/Desert Schools FCU Study Reveals Retail Media is Powerful in Influencing Consumer Purchasing Decisions
(St. Louis, MO) — Retail media has proven to be powerful when it comes to influencing consumer purchasing decisions, according to a new study released by NewGround and Desert Schools Federal Credit Union. The study also revealed that digital signage is more successful when it is used in conjunction with merchandising.
“We’ve found that digital signage and merchandising are highly effective in their ability to attract the attention of consumers, and engage them to act on the message they’ve received” said Rob Reis, NewGround’s Vice President of Retail Media Sales. “It has clearly proven to be a positive sales tool.”
In an effort to provide insight into the effectiveness of retail media, NewGround and Desert Schools Federal Credit Union conducted a study to measure its value within the financial environment. The study centered on the promotion of a children’s educational savings program called Moonjar. A digital graphic promoting the children’s program was designed to be inserted with Desert Schools’ regular loop of digital messaging, and an
8 ½” X 11” poster advertising the program was created to be displayed at teller stations.
Desert Schools FCU provided 10 branches as a testing ground for the study. Five branches were designated to advertise the savings program through digital signage only; four branches were assigned to promote the program through digital signage and merchandising; and one branch was asked not to promote the Moonjar program.
The study drew 255 participants over a 60-day period. Participants of the study revealed that digital signage in combination with merchandising attracted the most attention from members/non-members. Although none of the respondents came into the branch looking specifically for a children’s savings program, 238 consumers walked away with information pertaining to Moonjar.
When participants were asked how they heard about the Moonjar program, 55% of respondents answered merchandising, and 32% said digital signage. Three percent of respondents heard about the program from a friend.
More women responded to the Moonjar promotion than men with 200 of the 255 participants being female. NewGround wasn’t surprised with this finding. Women drive financial decisions in 80% of homes, balance the checkbook, hold the primary credit card, and choose the family bank.
“Research has shown that women are more aware of their environments then men, and have a stronger tendency to pick up on visual cues. That’s one of the many reasons retail media is so successful within the financial industry,” said Reis.
The study also revealed that retail media generates Word of Mouth advertising. Four percent of participants visited a branch to pick up a Moonjar Starter Kit. “Retail media helps create an experience where the consumer is inspired, engaged and satisfied. It’s an experience consumers tell others about,” said Reis.
Digital signage and merchandising yielded an extremely high sales closing rate at 93%. Retail media has proven to be a valuable tool in cross-selling, but NewGround stressed that frontline staff must use it as a device to engage consumers for it to reach its maximum sales potential.
“Retail media should be thought of as a marketing tool to aid frontline staff in sales. Employees must reinforce the messages being displayed within the lobby to make a successful sale,” said Reis.
To request a free copy of the survey results, call NewGround at 1.888.613.0001 ext. 8453.
About Desert Schools Federal Credit Union
Desert Schools Federal Credit Union is dedicated to providing outstanding member assistance through a full range of financial services, playing a positive role in the community, and supporting continuous education. With over 2.75 billion in assets and nearly 60 locations, Desert Schools in Arizona’s largest credit union and a financial partner to over 325,000 members in Gila, Maricopa and Pinal Counties.
NewGround Releases WayPoint 2.0 with New Capabilities for Advanced Reporting
(St. Louis, MO) — NewGround, a design/build and retail services firm serving the financial industry, today announced the latest release of WayPoint, its diagnostic assessment tool for the alignment of a company’s retail service delivery. WayPoint 2.0 provides enhanced capabilities to develop a more detailed and comprehensive analysis of an organization’s business strategy.
WayPoint 2.0 provides these additional benefits:
- Allows access to up to 100 individuals per organization for surveying to create a strong base comparison.
- Enhanced data collecting allows for advanced comparison between different levels of management, departments or by branch, region or state.
- Drop down explanations provide clearer understanding of results
“In the previous version of WayPoint we’ve been able to view where an organization wants to be in regards to future retail delivery. Today, with the enhanced version WayPoint 2.0, we are able to analyze if an organizations future goals are realistic and achievable based on their current retail delivery strategy,” said Kevin Blair, President and COO of NewGround.
Building on the WayPoint diagnostic system, NewGround has added features to allow more participants from an organization to take the on-line survey, and the ability to categorize the level of management they represent. WayPoint can now distinguish participants on three distinct levels of influence within an organization: Executive Management, Operations Management and Branch Level.
Analysis has been further improved by the addition of more complex questions to the survey surrounding the company’s strategic business plan.
“WayPoint’s more extensive survey and its larger participant capacity allows for a greater base for comparison, providing a more in-depth analysis of the organization’s strengths or breakdown in retail service delivery,” said Blair.
Results can now be broken down by management levels, branches, regions and states to display a more concise report to identify where the gaps and consistencies reside within the company’s brand, place and culture. New drop down features also add flexibility and a clearer understanding of the data provided and the results reported.
“When a company’s vision and organizational goals are misaligned, employee performance and sales are reduced,” said Blair. “WayPoint allows us to pinpoint this misalignment and guide a company forward, united, and in the right direction.”
NewGround White Paper Says Strategy and Staff Must Align for Financial Institutions to Create a Successful Customer Experience
November 13, 2006 (St. Louis, MO) — NewGround, a design/build and retail services firm for financial institutions, has released a new white paper examining how financial institutions must align management and staff to deliver a cohesive retail strategy, and in turn, a successful customer relationship experience.
“Ninety-five percent of respondents admitted that they have a traditional retail delivery model, despite the fact that the market is shifting to an experiential paradigm. Consumers are experiencing a major disconnect between what they want and expect from their financial institution, and what the financial service industry is providing,” says Kevin Blair, President & COO of NewGround.
NewGround’s research builds on the findings of The Relationship Experience, a new BAI study launched in partnership with NewGround, SAP, Accenture, Unisys, ARGO Data Resources and Strategic Horizons. The study uncovered that more than 95% of participants have considerable misalignment in the perceptions of their retail delivery strategy across their organization.
“Our survey revealed that many financial institutions lack a clear insight as to what kind of value proposition they currently offer their customers, and what their customers want from them. Understanding these views and expectations is a critical step in creating and providing a relationship experience,” says Blair.
Findings show that one in five customers (20%) are “loyal” or extremely satisfied with their primary bank relationship, while one in four are positive about it, and 55% of those customers would qualify as hesitant or at risk of leaving. The survey also found that customers who are the most loyal to their financial institutions are also the ones that are less sensitive to pricing, putting a premium instead on “excellent customer service” and “warm, enthusiastic and friendly employees.”
According to NewGround, a crucial factor in developing more effective relationships with customers is communication. Senior management and frontline employees alike need to have a shared, cohesive vision of their retail delivery approach and how to go about delivering it. While the industry seems to agree with NewGround’s assessment, few organizations are following it through with frontline staff.
Nearly all participants—more than 93%—indicated that these frontline positions require a combination of customer relationship and sales skills to succeed, while only 33% say they currently incorporate formal training or relationship management. And 79% say that their frontline staff lacks the skills or the access to utilize the basic customer relationship information that would allow them to retain and grow relationships.
Ironically, 81% of bank executives believe that developing relationship experiences will lead to financial success. More than one-third (35%) of respondents cited creating great customer experiences as a way to differentiate themselves from the competition and 19% said it was through delivery.
“Financial institutions that can successfully align their goals for the organization’s brand, place and culture and can articulate and deliver this vision to their customers will have a greater competitive advantage that will result in larger deposits and cross-sales, and more satisfied and loyal customers,” says Blair.
To request a free copy of the white paper, call NewGround at 1.888.613.0001 ext. 8453.
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