Bank Merger and Brand Creation

Through the discovery process, the true sense of the journey toward brand building begins by uncovering what really lies beneath the surface of the current brand(s). By exposing the underlying truths about service, personality, culture, competition and most certainly, perception, we form the brand’s unique story. Taking this deep dive into the good, and not so good, is how we developed the authenticity and brand distinction for Bluestone Bank.

What began in a closed-door discussion with key stakeholders of two merging banks, quickly transitioned to multiple whiteboard sessions with a few dozen or more employees from each bank sharing their insights. Like all Pannos brand discoveries, close collaboration between client and agency is what drives the brand building process. In this case, being a merger of equals, two sets of clients were factored into our exploration. The participation and free form teamwork of the two organizations was impressive to say the least.

To set the stage, the first thing we asked was for all to leave their corporate hats at the door - no judgement, no politics, no wrong answers. In fact, we let everyone know that their participation was instrumental to the overall brand development, and that they should have fun. Yes, bankers can have fun too.

Bringing two bank cultures together with one common vision was no small task. After many hours of collaboration, in-depth review, and an endless amount of passion from both sides, the Bluestone Bank name and brand emerged. Bluestone was actually born from combined visual equities within the two existing brands, using “Blue” to represent the word water and color of Bridgewater, and “Stone” to characterize the pillar icon of the Mansfield logo.

This subtle gesture not only helped the new brand maintain individual attributes of each, but it also importantly served to unify the spirit and commitment as one brand with one purpose. Together, Bluestone embodies strength, support and a pathway to something better, and the trust that whatever your financial need might be, it will always be backed by Bluestone. That essence is proudly conveyed in their look and the message they stand for: customer service, providing value to others, and their belief in the power of community – expressed simply and genuinely in their tagline, “Let’s get there, together.”