Sterling National Bank
The Situation
As two New York-based banks (Provident Bank and Sterling Bank) navigated the demanding process of merging operations, they realized that they needed help in navigating the equally important task of merging cultures and brands.
The Goal
The primary objective was to create a trademark that would appeal to merged staff, other stakeholders, clients and prospects of the emerging Sterling National Bank. On a deeper level, we were asked to help the merger team express the essential values and sense of purpose that would serve to bind the legacy cultures together.
The Solution
Tactical Magic led the merger team through a collaborative process of extensive discovery, brand strategy development and logo design These led to an ongoing campaign of internal and external marketing initiatives.
The Outcome
Not only did the new identity help to unify the staff, the mission statement we crafted served as a rallying call for the culture. The trademark and brand strategy supported the bank through the acquisition of Astoria Bank a few years later and into its recent merger with Webster Bank.
“Trace has tremendous patience and grace. He made everyone feel not just heard, but respected, while pushing to ensure we reached the right conclusions and the right outcome. Certainly, the quality of the work and getting the best outcome is the most important, but when you can achieve that on time and on budget while making the people involved feel good about it, that is a real win.”
- Suzanne Copeland, Former Chief Marketing Officer, Sterling National Bank
