Need
Brand identity, branding initiatives, print and outdoor advertising, marketing collateral and signage.
Background
First GREEN Bank is the first bank in the Southeastern United States to promote environmental and social responsibility. Launched in 2009, its eco-friendly practices include retrofitting its original buildings in Eustis and Clermont, Florida, with environmentally sustainable materials, fixtures and systems; providing incentives for employees to narrow their carbon footprint; and providing discounted interest rates for companies using LEED-certified green building practices.
Strategy
Although consumers are more environmentally aware and willing to support “green” businesses, Technetium knew that focusing on this aspect alone would not be enough to encourage community residents to open accounts with a new bank. We emphasized First GREEN Bank’s strong community ties and sense of small-town integrity, as well as its products, to build a sense of trust and affinity in conjunction with the ecological message.
Action
Technetium provided a new tagline – “a better banking environment” – which relates directly to both the institution and the Earth’s ecology. This tagline is incorporated into the First GREEN Bank logo to firmly establish the bank’s unique brand identity. Outdoor advertising in Eustis and Clermont delivered this message simply against a dramatic photographic backdrop of a Florida sunset. We also designed wraps for First GREEN Bank’s hybrid Prius courier vehicles, then extended branding indoors with a looping video in the lobby, and lobby signage identifying and describing each eco-friendly feature. Print ads focused on promoting banking products, with the inclusion of an informative “Green Factoid” statistic regarding the positive or negative environmental impact of various activities.
Result
First GREEN Bank received media attention from such major outlets as The Wall Street Journal, The Christian Science Monitor, Time Magazine and Fox Business News about its innovative approach to banking in an economic environment not conducive to launching new banks. First GREEN Bank substantially exceeded its first quarter goal for new accounts, and is well on its way to establishing a successful niche in the banking industry.