Tag: Branding

While consumer brands can lean on the experiences their products deliver to tell their story, services firms don’t have that luxury. They must build their reputation on expertise and relationships. The way forward isn’t found in flashy campaigns or clever taglines—the creation of a successful professional services brand comes from understanding, and addressing, what truly drives client decisions.

In the push for growth, many professional services firms lose sight of what matters to clients. Selection isn’t made solely on the basis of cost or capabilities. Today’s clients want to know what makes your firm tick: what you value and what gets your people excited to come to work each day.  A strong professional services brand is grounded in what makes you, you—the people, understanding of client priorities and purpose behind every engagement. This will drive an approach that speaks to your market in an authentic and tangible way.

People

Your brand lives and breathes through your people, leadership, as well as employees. Without genuine and enduring buy-in at every level from the corner office on down, even the most vigorous branding effort can fade into little more than a short-lived marketing exercise. Senior leaders need to do more than simply approve: they must set the tone by actively championing the brand development process and weaving it into their strategic thinking and internal messaging. Knowing that leaders are personally invested in the brand inspires and motivates those on the front line every day, selling and delivering work. It’s also a two-way street—when you tap into and value your team’s insights, experiences, and contributions, you get better solutions while also naturally creating champions who will deliver on your brand promise for years to come.

Understanding

How well do you really know your prospective clients? A key challenge many firms face is the lack of comprehensive market data. Unlike consumer brands, professional services don’t have extensive syndicated research to rely upon. Each firm must build its own fact base, but the effort and investment can be well worth it. While qualitative insights help identify issues, quantitative research becomes critical to truly understand what drives client decisions. Demonstrating an in-depth understanding can be the crucial point of differentiation that wins a contract.

Purpose

Clients today look for firms whose values and approach align with their own. They’re looking to hire a team of experts they can trust and work with. This is why strong professional services brands aren’t built through marketing campaigns—they’re built through countless small interactions between your people and your clients. When you align these moments with a clear sense of purpose and strong leadership support, your brand becomes more than a logo: it becomes a true competitive advantage that drives growth and attracts both talent and clients. This means moving beyond capability statements and credentials presentations to reveal what truly sets your firm apart. When you can articulate not just what you do, but why you do it, you create deeper connections that lead to lasting relationships.

The path to a stronger brand starts with honest conversations—with your leaders, your people, and your market. It demands recognition that your brand isn’t something you create once and finish. It’s something you nurture and strengthen constantly, through every aspect of your firm’s operations.

Your brand. My reputation.
My reputation. Your brand.

In late October, David and I got to talking. Despite one of us living in a Blue state and the other living in a Purple state (with not near enough electoral votes to be a swing state), we were seeing similar things.

It was the time of year when an abundance of signs began appearing on neighborhood lawns, street corners, down highways and even near government buildings. There were also spooky pumpkins, skeletons and purple and orange-colored Halloween strand lights (who ever thought those would become a thing?) As scary as those were, we’re referring to something more frightening: the political signs.

It wasn’t about politics. It was about brands. And it made us think. The brands you choose tell others about you … whether or not that’s your intention. It’s called the self-expressive benefits of a brand—how your choice to use or associate with a brand reflects your larger personality or preferences. Or in other words, what your association with a particular brand says to others about you.

Aligning brands with values

But it’s not only about what people think about you. It’s about what’s important to you. The brands we associate with reflect our values and beliefs. In fact, a statistic from the IPSOS Global Trends Report confirms customers want to do business with companies who have purpose. Further, more than two-thirds want to purchase from companies who align with their values.

We with our wallets (and our yard signs), tend to select brands who align with our values. Whether Hobby Lobby, Target, Bud Light or Chick-fil-A —we often choose to do business with companies who we believe, think and act like we do. And that says something to others as well.

Just a few weeks ago, in fact, I overheard two men pleased when the supermarket shelves were full of Bud Light but empty of other beers. It took me a minute, but I finally caught on. Or I think I did. In their minds, people were disagreeing with Bud Light’s decision to feature a transwoman in an advertisement. Wherever you stand on the issue, your perception of these men is likely informed by their reaction. 

A virtuous circle

Let’s take it one step further. It’s not only about consumers and users wanting to purchase from brands who align with their values, but also about brands self-selecting customers who align with theirs. It’s a virtuous circle. And it seems to say as much about us as individuals as it does about those companies that sell to us. 

Take for example, Patagonia. The company’s vision is to “save our home planet.” It is known for its passion and action for environmental causes, including its One-Percent For the Planet initiative. Several years ago, Patagonia decided it would no longer allow co-branded embroidery on its apparel. The reason cited was that the co-brands shorten the lifespan of the garment and limit its re-use. The more subtle message was the Patagonia wanted to disentangle itself from the finance and tech companies whose employees are renowned for their Patagonia branded vest “uniforms.” The decision both promoted the company’s values and distanced itself from customers who did not share those values.

Lululemon is yet another example. Over the years, the company  has made decisions regarding sizing inclusivity and the models it has selected for its promotion and advertising that have made it clear, Lululemon prefers a specific (thin) woman to be wearing its clothes. While the most vocal representation of these decisions has been from Chip Wilson, the former CEO, the brand remains associated with the beliefs (despite admitted changes in action). And the former CEO does not deny his intention; he has instead stated “And I think the definition of a brand is that you’re not everything to everybody … You’ve got to be clear that you don’t want certain customers coming in.”

Agree or not, Wilson is correct. We choose brands. And, they choose us. So, next time you make a brand selection, you may think about what it says to others. Or it may be more important to you to understand whether their values align with yours.

Credit unions—by definition member-owned, not-for-profit organizations—are charter-bound to put the interests of customers and communities first. That’s an extraordinarily powerful promise that goes far beyond mere marketing.

For customers, knowing that a financial institution is truly on your side and looking out for you is a compelling value proposition that, arguably, should be a cornerstone of a credit union’s brand. However, in today’s fast-evolving financial services landscape, that may no longer be enough for a credit union to capture and retain market share. As mainstream banks and agile, non-traditional financial technology companies (fintechs) continue to reshape the industry, credit unions must adapt to remain competitive and grow.

In our ongoing work with credit unions as well as traditional banks, Tenet Partners has identified four critical areas where credit unions can focus their efforts to scale successfully. If you’re part of the team charged with making your credit union grow, making the most of these opportunities opens the door to a new brand narrative that combines traditional credit union strengths with a bold, forward-looking point of view that can secure your place in the future of finance.

1. Lay the groundwork for scaling your credit union—and your brand

Credit unions, especially smaller ones, often struggle to match the resources of larger financial institutions when it comes to technology, marketing and product development. However, this doesn’t mean they can’t compete effectively.

To grow efficiently, make the most of what’s available to you:

• Instead of going head-to-head, focus growth initiatives on niche markets or specialized services where you can differentiate, and make that part of your brand story

• Forge strategic partnerships with fintechs to gain access to leading technology without massive capital investment; this can help position your brand as a leader

• Consider mergers or collaborations with other credit unions to pool resources; a merger is a great opportunity to rebrand and raise awareness

• Invest in solutions that can scale efficiently as you grow, such as cloud-based offerings

By finding ways to do an end run around scalability challenges—and more importantly, make them part of the conversation—you can punch above your weight class and compete with larger institutions.

2. Embrace personalization to differentiate your brand

Today’s consumers expect service providers to provide an experience that aligns with their needs and expectations: a trend set by tech-driven enterprises and embraced by fintechs, and one that’s raising the bar. For credit unions, personalization is not just a feature—it’s a necessity for attracting and retaining members, especially younger, digital-native customers who may never set foot in a branch at all. A focus on meeting members where they are can also be a powerful part of your brand story.

To build strong relationships, make personalization a central part of your brand offering:

• Leverage AI and machine learning to analyze member data and offer tailored product recommendations

• Implement predictive models to anticipate member needs and offer proactive solutions

• Create personalized financial wellness programs based on individual member goals and behaviors

• Use data analytics to customize brand communication and marketing efforts for different member segments

By offering more personalized experiences and leaning into them as part of your brand, you can deepen relationships with existing members and appeal to new ones who value individualized attention.

3. Boost member engagement to build your brand

Engagement is crucial, particularly as younger consumers—whose relationship with a credit union may exist entirely online—show a willingness to switch financial institutions. To stay at top of mind, credit unions must strengthen their brands. That means finding effective ways to build loyalty, increase product adoption, and turn members into advocates.

To show that you’re an invested, caring financial partner, stay close to your members:

• Look beyond the technology table stakes of “me too” mobile and online banking experiences by branding around financial insights, education and interactive planning tools that help members visualize and achieve their goals

• Use gamification elements such as dashboards and progress trackers to make financial management more engaging, especially for younger members

• Improve the online banking experience with responsive, effective AI-driven chatbots and efficient, easy-to-use self-service account management tools

• Strengthen the human side of your brand by fostering a culture of service, collaboration and personal relationships

• Be present in local communities by creating programs that align with your members’ values and interests, to raise local awareness of your brand

By focusing on engagement as a key brand differentiator, you can get closer to your members and become an integral part of their financial lives.

4. Take inspiration from fintech brands

Fintechs have set new user experience standards in financial services, emphasizing simplicity, speed, and innovation. In a very real sense, they’re changing the way people think about working with money. To scale successfully, credit unions should consider adopting a similar mindset while leveraging their unique strengths to tell a brand story that stands apart.

To compete in a fast-changing landscape, create a streamlined experience:

• Foster a culture of customer-focused innovation within your organization to continually improve and adapt, while remaining focused on member needs

• Streamline processes to offer quick loan approvals and account openings, and use those advantages in brand communications

• Develop intuitive, user-friendly branded digital interfaces for all your services

• Implement features such as peer-to-peer payments, budgeting tools, and automated savings programs, and associate them with your brand

• Explore emerging technologies such as blockchain for more efficient operations

By aligning fintech-style experiences with traditional values, you can offer the best of both worlds to your members—a unique brand value proposition that can set you apart.

The bottom line: Stay grounded as you grow

Scaling to succeed is not just about getting bigger—it’s about becoming better at serving your members and community. With the right strategies and a commitment to your brand’s core values, you can turn the challenge of scaling your credit union into an opportunity for growth, impact, and most importantly, differentiation.

The future belongs to financial institution brands that can offer the efficiency and innovation of a fintech with the trust and community focus advantages of a credit union—and tell a compelling story about why that matters for customers. By striking the right balance you can stand apart, attract new generations of members, and continue to fulfill your vital role in the financial ecosystem—and not just survive, but thrive.

Whether to rebrand is not a decision to be made lightly.  Factors such as if your brand is setting you up for success, how much equity your brand has and if you have permission from target audiences to change all come into play. But one element that often gets overlooked are the real, tangible costs associated with introducing and maintaining a new brand. For a new company, these are simply the cost of doing business. In the case of a rebrand, however, you need to consider whether you can fully support a new brand. If not, now may not be the time for a big change.

Costs can generally be grouped into one of four categories:

1. Creation: cost to create a brand platform, name and logo

2. Protection: cost to file and maintain the trademark(s)

3. Promotion: cost to build awareness and engagement with target audiences

4. Governance: cost of ongoing, required brand management

Creation: Cost to create a brand platform, name and logo

Even the largest companies with the deepest marketing and creative benches frequently look to outside help—namely, branding agencies—when the need for a new brand arises. Once engaged, diligent agencies will follow a tried-and-tested process to take you from your starting point to a solid brand foundation.

A typical creation process begins with a robust discovery phase that may include qualitative research alone or, if budgets allow, quantitative research and social listening. The next step is a strategy phase, to develop a brand platform that can anchor all creative development and communications.

Next comes creative development, the process of generating and clearing names, including knockout IP searches, developing logo options and look-and-feel designs, and wrapping all that up in usage guidelines.

At this point, some also choose to conduct validation research, to test concepts with target audiences and refine as needed before fully launching the brand.

Protection: Cost to file and maintain the trademark(s)

If a company is fortunate enough to have a legal department capable of trademark clearance and registration, out-of-pocket costs may be kept to filing fees. If not, you are also looking at consultative legal fees. As for those filing fees, there are application fees for each trademark, name and/or logo, for a single class of goods in either the US only or internationally through the Madrid Protocol. Those costs can increase, sometimes significantly, if you are:

• Filing in multiple classes

• Filing in multiple countries (called “contracting parties”)

• Not actually using the brand commercially yet (filing on an “intent-to-use basis”)

• Missing requirements in your application  

Maintaining these trademarks brings another set of fees. In the US, every ten years you must file to show you are using the brand commercially (or explain why you are excused from doing so) as well as to renew your trademark. Similar filings are also required under the Madrid Protocol. And if, after five years of use, you want to claim “incontestable rights,” that involves another fee.

Promotion: cost to build awareness and engagement with target audiences

Promotion is, without a doubt, the costliest part of the equation. It is also where companies have the most discretion as to where, and how much, to spend. However, insufficient investment can cause a brand to wither on the vine.

When launching a new brand, there are both the implementation and launch costs as well as the year-over-year marketing spend to consider. As a point of reference, the average annual marketing budget is 9.2% of revenue according to the Fall 2023 CMO Survey. 

After the basic building blocks—brand platform, name, logo, look-and-feel—have been developed, usually the next step is to create a library of templates and marketing assets—such as PowerPoint presentations, brochures, product sheets, email templates, etc.

Next comes launch planning—essentially introducing your new brand and what it stands for to internal and external audiences.

You will likely also need either a new or redesigned website for your brand. Most brands only have a “brochure” site, but consumer-facing brands may also need an e-commerce component. A website may also require one-time search-engine optimization (SEO) keyword research as well as ongoing costs for hosting and maintenance, SEO monitoring and optimization and search-engine marketing (SEM).

You also may want to develop a content marketing strategy. This is all about delivering the right messages to the right audiences, in the right place, at the right time. SEM would likely be factored into this plan, creating a slight overlap in budgets. This content market strategy is in turn implemented through things like advertising, PR, thought leadership and other marketing activities appropriate for your brand.

Finally, you may choose to develop a suite of data science tools to aid marketing decision-making. Common tools include predictive/prescriptive modeling, NLP/text analytics and advanced forecasting.

Governance: cost of ongoing, required brand management

There are two aspects to governance: internal management, to ensure the materials you produce are using the brand properly, and external management, to ensure others are neither misusing nor infringing on your trademark.

Internal enforcement usually starts with an ounce of prevention in the form of employee engagement training. Often, a portion of this training is specifically targeted to a group of brand ambassadors who can help champion the brand internally and answer questions that arise. Larger, multi-office organizations frequently also opt for a brand center, a digital repository of guidelines or standards, training and assets. A brand center also requires ongoing hosting and maintenance—which can likely be bundled with website hosting and maintenance for cost savings. Brand training and brand centers are particularly helpful if you have any external partners who create content or materials for you.

For external management, some turn to active trademark monitoring. There are a variety of software and service options available, and prices vary based on how frequently you check, how in-depth the check is and how much analysis is provided.  The second part of external management that can incur costs is legal action for trademark protection. Costs can again vary widely based on what action is required, from filing a Letter of Protest with the USPTO to trying a lawsuit. One important factor to keep in mind: if you do not take action against trademark infringement, it can damage your ability to maintain that trademark.

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As all of these costs make clear, the decision to rebrand is a large commitment. If there is a strong enough business case though, you may decide it is the right move for you.

The aerospace industry, long dominated by established players with proprietary systems, is facing an unprecedented shift. New entrants from Silicon Valley are rewriting the rules of the game, leveraging open architectures and open-source models to drive innovation and disrupt traditional aerospace brands. This transformation isn’t just technological—it’s existential, forcing aerospace brands to rethink how they operate and differentiate themselves in an increasingly open and collaborative environment.

Historically, aerospace companies have thrived on proprietary technologies, creating “black box” systems that ensured ongoing revenue streams through long-term contracts and locked-in customers. However, much like the tech industry in the 1990s, when companies like IBM were forced to adapt to the rise of open-source software, aerospace brands must now contend with a similar wave of disruption. Silicon Valley firms are bringing a fresh mindset, using open-source principles to outpace traditional competitors in speed, flexibility and cost-efficiency.

Take Anduril, a startup from California that has already secured significant defense contracts. By combining open architectures with cutting-edge AI, Anduril has positioned itself not just as a technology provider, but as a mission-critical partner by embracing open architectures. This approach mirrors the rise of open-source software in enterprise IT, where open systems allowed new players to innovate faster and more effectively than incumbents.

For legacy aerospace brands, the implications are clear: the days of relying solely on proprietary systems to generate value are numbered. The future lies in open ecosystems, where collaboration and flexibility drive competitive advantage. This means evolving business models to focus on services, partnerships and integration, while still leveraging legacy strengths.

Brands that resist this shift in both organizational culture and business model design face the risk of becoming obsolete, outpaced by faster, more agile competitors. Aerospace companies must learn from past disruptions, applying foresight to understand how the future will demand new ways of thinking and operating. By embracing new positioning to reframe attributes that underpin their business strategy and brand personality, they can stay relevant in an industry increasingly defined by innovation and collaboration.

The challenge is not just surviving this wave of disruption but thriving in it. Brands that successfully navigate the transition will be those that redefine what it means to be a leader in aerospace, much like Silicon Valley companies have done in technology.