First decide who you are: how the management of a de nova bank went searching for an identity that would help drive the institution's launch.

• Author: Gumas, John
• Position: Branding

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This is the story about how a brand was developed for Presidio Bank, the first new bank in more than 20 years to be headquartered in San Francisco. Development of a brand for a new bank is a relative rarity, and the challenge was to successfully launch the new brand quickly in order to establish awareness and credibility, and therefore help to build the bank's market share.

Another major challenge was the timeline, which was aggressive, although not unreasonably so. All elements had to be created quickly and cost-effectively, using a fresh approach at every step. The end result was a study in how to create an innovative new bank brand and identity that still retains the traditional feeling appropriate to the banking industry.

Getting started; targeting the right customer

The bank decided to build its brand identity in an early stage of the institution's development. While the bank was in the process of creation, the management made a decision to engage a marketing services firm to help develop a comprehensive marketing plan. The hope was to avoid the pitfalls of drafting a plan on a piecemeal basis, according to Steve Fleming, Presidio Bank president and CEO.

The comprehensive plan started with market research and went on to include development of the brand positioning statement, logo, tag line, brochures, stationery and other important start-up elements. "Throughout this process an emphasis was placed on the uniqueness of the bank and its brand," says Fleming.

To ably compete in a vast and crowded field of well-established banks, the bank decided to take laser-like aim at its most profitable market segments. First, the company conducted intensive internal research to tap into the knowledge of the bank's many industry-related investors. This research uncovered that the main area of customer opportunity lay with successful small- to medium-sized businesses throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. These included professional service firms, real estate developers and investors, nonprofit organizations, and the owners and executives of these companies.

"This segment was chosen because Presidio Bank management felt we could provide a superior experience for our clients via one-stop shopping, access to senior management, limited turnover of relationship managers, local decision-making, and personalized service," says Fleming.

How do you begin to create a brand?

Before beginning the branding process, a management team must...