“It doesn’t matter where I bank, right? My accounts are just places to hold my money. Who cares?”

If you work at a financial institution you probably just threw up on your mouth a little bit. Then again, maybe you’ve heard it enough times that with a few antacid tablets you can keep your lunch down.

DISTINCTIVENESS is a constant struggle for banks and credit unions. It’s hard enough just to educate the public on the difference between the two, right? It’s even harder to educate your customers on the difference between your company and others in the same category.

While it’s important to have a brand story, it’s equally important to remember that your customers will identify you by what they see and touch before they will respond to what they read or hear.

As you strategize about how to be distinctive in the financial marketplace, consider these access points for new customers:

What They Touch

If your potential customers both see and feel your brand through physical touch, they are far more likely to remember it.

• Business cards with a tactile component such as raised or recessed lettering will stick in the recipient’s memory far better than seeing the logo alone.
• Direct mail pieces are effective if they stimulate something already on the recipient’s mind, and money is definitely something that is on more homeowner’s minds.

What They See

Both quality and quantity are important, and you will reach more customers visually than you will by putting items in their hands.

• An engaging design for multi-use graphic advertising on billboards, buses, vehicle wraps, etc. will reach eyeballs repeatedly and settle your brand into the viewer’s unconscious mind.
• Posters allow for a more intimate visual interaction and should at least be utilized in your lobby, if not in public spaces controlled by your more loyal commercial clients.

What They Use

If you can get them to use something with your name on it, you’re on a roll!

• The reason coffee mugs are so popular is obvious when you think about it: the association between the branded cup and the enjoyment of what’s inside is a powerful combination that creates a positive association.
• Pens, air fresheners, mouse pads and other promotional products customers can use communicate that you are in the business of solving the problems of daily life for your customers. These are items your employees can give away as gifts, which is great for relationship-building.

Digital marketing is important, but we still live in a physical world. That’s why they still print good old fashioned green money; and why we offer both digital and print services here at the Farmhouse.

Learn more about what we can do for your financial institution’s bottom line today.