A high functioning brand that drives growth is more than a memorable logo and effective ad campaigns—it’s also about the internal culture that fuels it. At credit unions, brand and culture are tightly linked, and a disconnect between them is a drag on employee engagement and ultimately the public’s perception. But when brand and culture are aligned, together they can accelerate performance.
Short-term wins
Bridging a gap between culture and brand doesn’t happen overnight, but here are initial steps on the journey you can begin taking within weeks:
- Increase storytelling: Encourage staff to share experiences that reflect your credit union’s values in action. Whether it’s a member success story, a team achievement, or a leadership moment, these narratives reinforce how the brand lives within the organization. For example, spotlight employees telling stories of how they’ve made an impact on a member’s life. Having organization stats about impact is wonderful, but the personal narratives behind the numbers are more memorable.
- Brand research: Understanding what your current primary financial institution (PFI) members value most about the experience they have with you is a great indicator of what your brand should be communicating in the market. At the same time, this needs to intersect with insights about the needs and expectations of your priority growth targets, as well as the ever-evolving competitive landscape. It’s easy to operate on outdated impressions of who you serve, what they want, and who else is offering it. Invest in regular quantitative market research—and be open to what you hear.
- Empower brand ambassadors: Every team member, no matter what their job, should also see their role as being a brand ambassador. When executives, managers, and staff at all levels actively embody brand values in their decisions, communication, and daily interactions, they strengthen the connection between what’s said and what’s done.
Medium-term strategies for long-term impact
In parallel, if you start these efforts in the coming months, by this time next year your brand and culture will be in synch and firing on all cylinders:
- Branding initiative: If you have been investing internally in your culture, it’s time to let that strength shine externally through a refreshed brand that authentically tells the story of your organization. Member’s First rebranding journey is the perfect example of how to bring your brand story to life in a meaningful and impactful way that shows up in the community through passionate staff engagement.
On the other hand, if your culture has stagnated and needs to be reinvigorated, a branding initiative could be just the catalyst to move both your brand and culture forward together. Not sure or somewhere in the middle? If your current brand and culture feel misaligned or aren’t powering your KPIs, it may be time for a brand checkup. - Brand/culture training: Your staff in many ways hold the key to your brand, shaping every interaction and reinforcing your values daily. When employees understand and embrace the brand, they create winning member experiences. It only works if the whole organization has the knowledge and buy-in gained through effective all-staff brand/culture training.
Frontwave Credit Union completed their rebrand with brand/culture training shortly before the Covid pandemic hit. CMO Todd Kern reflected on that period of time, “It was extremely helpful to have a solidified brand as a North Star helping guide us. We never wavered through the crisis. We leaned into our brand of being ‘fighters’ which guided us and fueled our tenacious spirit to serve our customers and communities extraordinarily well during this time. Without our brand focus, we wouldn’t have been as prepared to respond quickly in relevant ways in helping our customer base and being there for them.”
Brand/culture training ensures that your team actively turns your brand into a true competitive advantage. As Kern put it, “I’m a firm believer that a strong differentiated brand tied to your culture really becomes your best weapon for success.” - Hiring and onboarding: From recruitment to training, ensure new hires align with your brand’s mission and values. Integrating cultural expectations early builds a workforce that naturally embodies the brand, strengthening the bridge from within.
Brand and culture should work together to create a positive experience for employees and members alike. With a strategic roadmap driving your internal culture and external brand forward together, you can ensure that you brand is a high performance machine for growth.
