Mark Arnold :: Blog :: People Hear What They See

In a recent session at Southwest CUNA Management School on “Advanced Branding for Credit Unions,” I had a Dallas branding company called Loudthought share a few case studies along with some of their ideas about the importance of branding.

One thing their CEO, Jim Foley, said especially struck me: “People hear what they see.” He went on to say that people will trust their eyes before your words.

So think about that minute. You can say your credit union is all about service and being member focused. But what do your branches look like? Retail marketing—how your branches look and feel—matter. This is especially important for older members because the branch is where they conduct the majority of their transactions.

Or you could look at the other end of the age spectrum and think of children. If one of your strategic goals is to get younger, do you have a kids’ play area inside the branch? Have you considered the radical step of having video games in the lobby for teens?

But it’s not just how your branches look and feel. With branding, everything matters. Even how your bathrooms smell. What are your bathrooms communicating about your brand? With branding, perception truly is reality.

What do members see when they drive up to your branch? What do they see when they walk in? Are you promising them one thing and delivering something else?

Here are some quick questions you can ask:

(1)    How is the parking lot maintained?

(2)    Is there adequate parking available?

(3)    Are sidewalks litter-free and maintained?

(4)    Are doors and windows clean?

(5)    Is the landscaping maintained?

(6)    Is the member service area clean, orderly and free of food and drinks?

(7)    How does the lobby look?

(8)    Is the marketing literature displayed nicely?

(9)    How is your staff dressed and groomed?

(10) How is the staff at maintaining professional behavior (refrain from chewing gum, OVER-socializing, drinking or eating in the presence of members)?