internal brand

“Not a problem,” the customer service person said to me on the phone as we were wrapping up my transaction. What!? Not a problem? For who—you!? Wait a minute. Who is the customer here?

Special blog submission by Moriyah Ramberg

I was lucky enough to be selected for MB Piland’s internship program this summer. Now that I’ve had time to reflect on it,  I'd like to share tips on how to make an internship a valuable experience for both boss and intern, starting with the first day.

Have you put off planning, budgeting and—dare I say it—dreaming? If so, you’re probably working too much in the business and not enough on the business.

Don't wait for a crisis. Plan now.

Mergers and acquisitions are increasingly commonplace in the financial industry. So if your institution is joining or acquiring another, what do you do to ensure a perfectly blended culture that leads to consistent brand and customer experience at all branches?

Look no further than the '70s-era TV show, the Brady Bunch for inspiration. Here are 3 takeaways you can use to get started.

The starlet (insert name) was stunningly beautiful—until she opened her mouth and became a devastating disappointment to her fans. Her foot will be removed from her mouth with the help of a good PR agent.

Branders: it’s harder for you. You have numerous people who can make your brand look dazzling—or like Hollywood’s biggest trainwreck.

My mother grew up in West Virginia. Like many families at that time, hers had a sizable garden and some chickens and turkeys. Typically, my grandmother tended the garden and kept all the myriad household projects neatly organized and running smoothly. (Martha Stewart would be proud.)

Nearly every financial institution has a slogan. They believe it helps set them apart from competitors. And they think it’s a key part of their brand. While that may be so, we see two big problems with a majority of these slogans: 1) they don't truly differentiate, and 2) there’s no real support behind the promise.

You may think that because your website is updated and your new video takes your customers’ breath away that your brand refresh is spotless.

Employee behavior contrary to your brand promise will soil your brand overnight.

When I was a new college freshman, a classmate who was also from out of town attempted to make a deposit in the local “first national bank.” It wasn’t the same “first national” that she had at home, but she hadn’t realized that. Some big confusion about her account ensued. 

Watch any company’s recruitment video these days and you’re likely to see a foosball table, an espresso bar and a workout room. You may be wondering if you need those to attract great employees, too.

While games and fancy coffee are nice “extras,” they’re not the foundation of your culture. There are better ways to cultivate a winning internal brand.

Be honest: have you ever heard an employee (sincerely) say “OH cool—I’m so excited!” when you announced a staff retreat? For many, the thought of a day away from the office stuffed into a conference room to plan sounds like as much fun as a root canal.

Amazon Chairman Jeff Bezos has famously said, “Your brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room.”

If you take this to heart, you need to understand all the people who talk about you when you’re not in the room.

Old school sales guys will tell you sales is just a numbers game. Get enough prospects into the funnel and they’ll dump out X% of customers at the bottom. Easy.

News flash, Herb Tarlek: your lack of a system is as outdated as your plaid polyester coat.

Last week, a hot, tired delivery man came into our office with some much-needed supplies. He delivered more than just packages. He delivered angry, ugly opinions about someone else’s brand.

Often unseen, corporate culture is your essential power supply that keeps everything moving full speed ahead. And like technicians who conduct an energy audit, or engineers who design bridges, you need to ensure your organization is fit from the inside out.

Here are three ways to ensure your infrastructure supports a powerful future.

Almost every community bank will boast that they know their customers by their names. But do you really?

And do you teach your bankers to go further than just recognizing familiar faces and say customers' names out loud? It might be a little old school - but it will be music to their ears.

Many organizations have spent a significant amount of time thinking—and talking—about what they will do.

“We will deliver excellent service every time,” or “we will always be at the forefront of innovation.”

But what won’t you do?

Your first answer might conjure playground riddles from first grade: a frog in a blender. But it also might be the answer to a common struggle for merging institutions: their advisory boards.

Without proper planning and an intentional effort, blending cultures of two advisory boards may cause things to “go round all day.”