Services

Brand

• Springboard™
• Naming
• Positioning
• Identity
• Communications

Design

• Interior
• Retail

Retail

• Digital Signage

Build

• Construction Management

Situation

San Antonio City Employees Federal Credit Union, a $311 million Credit Union with over 46,000 members, expanded its field of membership to a community charter in 2006. The credit union's name had inherent limitations, resulting in low market awareness and confusion on membership requirements. Much of their target audience believed they had to be employees of the City of San Antonio to be a member. The Credit Union needed a new name and brand that was accessible and inviting to all residents of Bexar County who are eligible for membership, while still honoring the history and founders of the organization.

Solution

A new brand identity and architecture was developed and the new look and feel was applied to all communication materials. The new name "generations" was created to reflect the credit union's history of serving multiple generations of families within its membership, and its expanded mission to serve the entire San Antonio community.

The name is presented in all lower case letters in a bold charcoal grey to "de-institutionalize" the credit union's identity in their marketplace. The logo mark consists of a set of three stacked waves consisting of gradations of green and orange. The waves represent movement from one generation to the next, and they also visually represent the tagline "What's Next." The tagline sends the message to members to turn to the credit union for the products and services that they need to meet their daily financial needs at every generation.

The brand was then applied to the Yarrow Branch design. The new branch is a modern space with furnishings and finishes that incorporate the warm and rich colors of the generations brand. Traveling through the branch, members experience an open environment that adds to the contemporary appeal of the design.

Cultural influences were also taken into consideration when developing the branch design. The Hispanic market represents approximately half of the entire market in the San Antonio metropolitan area, and the percentage is higher at the location of the Yarrow Branch. Tapping into this lifestyle, trends, such as the fact that multiple family members often visit when conducting business at the branch, were factored into the design. Retail areas were modeled specifically for multiple generations, from the Children's Area, to the Computer Café for Gen Y members, and large loan kiosks and account representative offices for Gen X and Baby Boomer members who may prefer to be more discreet with their financial matters.

The space also hosts a curved cash bar teller station, which allows for more user-friendly and open frontline transactions. In addition, a Member Ambassador station sits in the center of the lobby to facilitate working with high-touch members during high volume periods. The facility also features biometric security access to safety deposit boxes, and a CoinExpress machine allows members to deposit loose coins directly into their generations account.

The overall effect of the branch is an inviting space that welcomes multiple generations of members, and demonstrates an understanding of the different financial needs members have as they travel through different life stages.

"At generations fcu, our brand is more than just our name and logo. It's a philosophy of providing the right products and services to our diverse generations of members. The incorporation of the design in the branch provides visual cues for our members to the messaging we're providing them. It also immerses our employees in the brand philosophy they're expected to represent."

"NewGround has been an outstanding partner in creating the Yarrow Branch. The project was an important undertaking for generations fcu because members had been requesting a branch in this area for a number of years. It was a critical for us to 'get it right,' because we had the ability to build from the ground up. NewGround was able to put our brand service concepts, along with a divergent list of practical needs, into a facility that says just what we want it to say — 'We're your financial partner for generations to come.'"