What flavor is your bank? Don't arbitrarily pick a taste to fit your brand just because it's yummy. Rather, select a savory concept that complements and supports the overall brand experience that the bank is trying to create.

• Author: Stephens, Jeff
• Position: Multisensory Marketing

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You can learn a lot about people by sitting down together with them for an after-work refreshment. You place your order for a glass of the house pinot noir, and anxiously await your companions' order. You're intensely curious to see what menu item they will opt for. After all, if they say "make it two," it will tell you something very different about them than if they ask for an ice-cold High Life, or a decal skinny two-shot double-pump extra hot mocha with whip.

It turns out brands are no different--each has a signature taste that reflects its unique spirit and personality. And the masterminds behind many of today's leading brands--both within and outside the banking industry--have tapped into this knowledge in order to shape the experience people have with the brand and demonstrate what their brand is all about.

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On the tip of your tongue

Many of the brands successfully building equity into their sense of taste offer flavor-oriented experiences in their physical environments. Williams-Sonoma, for example, is famous for preparing its custom recipes in the stores so customers can sample them. In fact, the high-end kitchen accessories retailer has become known for offering delicious, seasonal recipes on its Web site, in catalogs and in its retail stores. In 2001, the company even launched "Taste," a travel and entertainment lifestyle magazine, as a way to further deliver on its taste-centered brand.

So can a bank have a distinguishable taste, too? Absolutely. The folks at Union National Community Bank had a flavorful idea when they unveiled their Gold Cafe--a hybrid of a cafe and a bank. The bank and cafe combo connects the financial sex-vices expertise of Union National Community Bank with the taste of a snack bar--essentially answering the question, "What does our brand taste like?" with, "It tastes like yummy snacks."

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The Lancaster, Penn.-based bank proves its story by using not only taste, but a complete experience for existing and potential bank customers. Specifically, the Gold Cafe caters to all customers, but is tailored to the small-business community by offering free Wi-Fi and conference rooms, and staying open seven days a week.

"We want to create a remarkable experience for all our banking customers," says Union National Community Bank's Vice President, Marketing Manager Terry Buda. By providing small-business owners with a place to conduct business, grab a...