CitySavings
Finance & Professional Services Branding: Delivering a national expansion strategy through straightforward banking
CitySavings was incorporated by Don Ramon Aboitiz and Teotimo Abellana in 1965 in Cebu City (Philippines) as a Savings and Loan Association. Originally set-up to provide financial support for teachers, CitySavings looked to rebrand itself in preparation for expansion into new regions & segments by leveraging the Aboitiz Group’s reputation. It also sought to define a service culture that aligned its growing organisation. In 2013, City Savings was acquired by UnionBank and became its subsidiary.
Marketing & Communications
A Purpose Statement articulating CitySavings’s straightforward approach to banking was created & expressed in the tagline “Simple Is Good”. The brand’s new identity sports a simple wordmark that integrates the Aboitiz Group endorsement. Sunflower Yellow evolved from the existing colour palette and a Royal Violet was introduced to stand out. In place of typical lifestyle imagery (featuring influencers, celebrities, or KOLs), animal illustrations became symbols for product and service benefits. Data visualisation also became a feature of the new look, together with a straightforward copywriting style. Tangible developed the Visual & Verbal Core Elements together with a suite of communication templates and the City Savings Bank website.
People & Culture
Workshops engaging management, branch managers & staff were conducted to define the brand’s service principles. Examples of “on-brand” behaviour were identified and later incorporated into a brand book for all staff.
Products & Services
New product & service opportunity areas were identified in workshops. A more targeted menu system was created to highlight relevant products for different segments.
Spaces & Places
Tangible designed the new branch concept to incorporate the brand’s new look as well as signature features. Tangible’s ideation process involves the bank’s internal teams to uncover opportunities across; space planning, introducing new technologies, and other stakeholder insights. Together with a new website, these key touch-points were designed to create a straightforward banking experience for customers.
