Signage Strategies for Rebranding Financial Institutions

Financial institutions often find themselves at a crossroads when it comes to rebranding.

On the one hand, they want to stay relevant and competitive in a market that can be less than stable – a modern look can feel innovative to customers, building a sense of trust.

On the other hand, they don’t want to alienate their current customers or lose their brand identity. Plus, it can feel pricey and time-consuming.

Here’s the balance: with the right signage strategies, financial institutions can successfully navigate this rebranding process while keeping their current customers happy. Signage is often the first point of contact for customers, and it can play a crucial role in shaping their perception of the rebranded institution.

Whether you’re merging with another institution, updating your image for the digital age, or simply refreshing a dated look, your signage strategy can make or break your rebranding efforts.

Why Signage Matters In Branding

So, let’s start by exploring why branding and signage go together. Your brand is the face of your company—how people see you and what makes you different from others.

In the financial industry, where trust is key, a strong and consistent brand is key to customer loyalty. Think of times when you’ve chosen one bank over another because of its reputation and trustworthiness. Your brand is the intangible asset that sets you apart in a crowded market.

But branding isn’t just about logos, messaging and online presence. It’s also about physical touchpoints – how your brand is represented in the real world. This includes signage, which is a visual tool to communicate your brand to customers, employees and the general public.

Signage can reinforce your brand message and values, create familiarity and trust with customers, and enhance the customer experience. It can also be a wayfinding tool to direct people to your location or highlight important information or promotions.

Signage Strategies for Financial Institution Rebranding

Phased Rollout

One of the best ways to rebrand financial institutions is to roll out new signage phased. This means rolling out new signage across branches and locations over time rather than all at once.

Start with flagship locations or high footfall branches and you can manage costs by spreading the expense over time. This also allows for testing and refinement of designs so any issues can be identified and fixed before a full rollout.

Have a timeline to update all locations and use interim signage to bridge the gap between old and new branding.

Keep Consistency Across All Touchpoints

Standardizing signage design and placement across all branches and ATMs is key to any rebrand. This means standardizing sizes, materials, and illumination to create a brand image.

At this stage, you need to develop a signage style guide, including guidelines for placement, visibility, and integration with architecture.

To do this you need to audit all existing signage and develop templates for different types of signage – exterior, interior and directional signs.

Digital Signage

When rebranding, consider the long-term investment in digital signage.

Digital signage allows you to update messaging quickly, display dynamic content such as rates and promotions, and project a techy image.

To start, identify key areas for digital signage within your branches. Develop a content strategy for these displays and ensure integration with other marketing channels. This will modernize your brand and give you a platform to communicate in real-time with customers.

Tell Your Brand Story Through Environmental Graphics

Use interior signage and graphics to communicate your brand values and heritage.

This might mean creating a timeline wall to showcase your institution’s history, large format graphics to illustrate community involvement or incorporating brand colours and motifs into architectural elements.

Work with interior designers to integrate these brand elements seamlessly. For visual interest, a mix of materials, such as etched glass and dimensional lettering, is used. Make designs modular and easily updatable so you can evolve your brand.

Visibility and Legibility

New signage needs to be readable from different distances and angles in rebranding. This means choosing fonts and colours that enhance readability, considering lighting conditions at different times of day and complying with ADA guidelines for accessibility.

Conduct visibility studies for exterior signage to determine placement and size. Use contrasting colours for maximum legibility and test signage prototypes in real world conditions to ensure it works.

Use Interim Signage for Transition Periods

Interim signage can manage the transition and build the hype around your rebrand.

This could mean “Coming Soon” signs to preview the new branding, informational signage to explain the rebranding process, or temporary wraps for a phased rollout.

If you want to get really clever, develop a series of teaser campaigns to build interest and FAQ displays to answer customer questions. Use durable materials for outdoor interim signage to look professional throughout the transition.

Sustainable Materials and Practices

Signage can align with your corporate sustainability goals and appeal to environmentally aware customers.

This means using eco-friendly materials like recycled plastics or sustainable woods, energy efficient LED lighting and designing for longevity and updatability.

Work with suppliers that have a sustainability focus and consider certifications like LEED for signage elements. Calculating and communicating the environmental impact of your new signage will reinforce your institution’s commitment to sustainability.

Multi-Functional Signage

Signage that serves multiple purposes will have more impact and utility. It might mean interactive kiosks that provide information and wayfinding, signage with built in digital screens for announcements or modular systems that can be reconfigured.

Find high-traffic areas for multi-functional signage and work with UX designers for interactive elements. Ensure it integrates with existing technology infrastructure to create a seamless customer experience.

Localized Signage for Local Markets

Signage that’s localized to different markets while maintaining brand consistency will help your financial institution connect with customers in different regions.

This might mean incorporating local landmarks or cultural elements into branch designs, using regional languages or dialects where necessary, or featuring local staff or community partners in branch imagery.

Conduct market research to identify local preferences and create a flexible design system that allows local customization while maintaining overall brand consistency.

Are You Ready for A Rebrand?

Rebranding is a big job, but with the right signage strategy, it’s an opportunity to reinforce your brand and customer experience.

Remember, rebranding goes beyond just updating logos – it’s about creating a brand experience that resonates with your customers at every touchpoint. Your signage is the physical representation of your brand promise.

Contact Atlas Sign Industries today to discover how we can help bring your rebranding vision to life, creating a powerful and lasting impression.

At Atlas Sign Industries, we specialize in signage solutions for financial rebranding. Our team can help you navigate the complexities of large-scale signage updates to ensure your new brand shines across all your locations.

Contact Atlas Sign Industries today to discover how we can help bring your rebranding vision to life, creating a powerful and lasting impression.