Our branding solution energized staff and inspired customers, helping HVB become one of America’s fastest growing banks, leading to a successful acquisition in 2023.
SITUATION
In 2013, Huntingdon Valley Bank (HVB) was a small, six-branch community bank struggling to compete with larger banks in two higher income counties north of Philadelphia. The new CEO, Travis Thompson, had a vision to build a culture of innovation that would embrace the changes necessary to compete in the fast-changing, retail banking industry. Thompson hired Princeton Partners to engineer a brand transformation that would inspire the organization to create loyal customers and advocates through superior levels of service.
INSIGHT
Princeton Partners discovered that HVB’s mortgage business was already achieving exceptional customer satisfaction by delivering “the perfect closing” to every customer. Across the entire bank, HVB had strong internal processes, but needed employees to embrace new technology and use their ingenuity to create exceptional customer experiences. Princeton Partners conducted mini-discovery sessions with customer-facing and support staff, middle managers, and leadership to reveal the key aspirations, strengths, and opportunities that could be leveraged to accelerate success. Through our UBI Branding Process, we articulated the bank's purpose: to bring joy to customers through banking. We also worked with the leadership team to define and communicate the core values that would help the bank meet that goal.
SOLUTION
We recommended that HVB go to market as "The Better Experience Bank" with a new logo, website, signage, collateral and inspirational employee handbooks. Our subsequent marketing campaign initiatives leveraged this positioning and created new levels of awareness and growth in deposits.
RESULTS
The leadership team credits the new branding with helping them re-energize the organization, excite investors, and set a foundation for solid growth. HVB earned recognition as the best bank in its home counties and also became one of the fastest growing banks in the nation over the next six years, doubling its assets without acquisitions.
Rapid Growth
Rebranding energized HVB, helping it to grow, without acquisitions, from $180 billion to over $500 billion in assets over 5 years.
“The team at Princeton Partners played a critical role in helping us articulate our values and purpose. The brand they created has transformed HVB’s culture and has really resonated with customers.”
Logo Design - Before & After
The new logo features a “happy check mark” depicting a person with their arm raised in joy.
Website
Collateral Design
Let’s talk growth.
To discuss ways we can accelerate your bank’s success, please fill out the form below or schedule a 15-minute discovery call directly with our CEO.