The shaping of a symbol.

• Author: Bettinger, Cass
• Position: Feature - F.N.B. Corp. creates new logo

Earlier this year, the $6.7 billion bank holding company, F.N.B. Corp., Naples, Fla., realized that it needed a consistent new logo to tie together, under a unified brand, its 21 affiliated financial service companies. The following is a study of what the company did and how it did it.

In today's highly competitive financial services environment, where margins are under intense pressure, branding must be a key consideration in any company's strategic planning. The stronger your brand, the less you have to compete on price and the easier it is to build customer loyalty. This increasingly important aspect of marketing represents a significant opportunity for most financial service companies.

The "identity trinity"--consisting of name, symbol and slogan--is central to a brand's equity. A common misperception, even among many marketing managers, is that brand is synonymous with logo. The reality is that brand includes not only the logo, but also everything that is needed to back it up, such as corporate culture, service quality, value propositions and delivery channels. Nevertheless, while a brand is far more than name, symbol and slogan, those elements can add a great deal to a brand's strength if they are created and managed effectively.

A great symbol should be sufficiently unique and noticeable to distinguish and differentiate its owner. You want to "own the mark" in your marketplace. Your symbol should be easily protected and represent and support the total brand through its visual and emotional appeal. Other important questions with respect to symbol include:

* How well does it translate into black and white?

* Does it work in reverse? That is, one color on white or white on one color?

* Does it work in both small and large formats?

* Does it interpret easily? Does it have a metaphoric symbol or have meaning without the name or slogan?

* Is it sending a dear message--especially to the target markets?

* Is it appropriate for your brand? Does it fit the culture and essence of the brand?

The case of the F.N.B. Corp.

In this article, we focus on the symbol/logo portion of corporate identity and demonstrate some of the challenges and opportunities involved in changing your symbol. We will use a recent symbol change for F.N.B. Corp. and its bank, asset management and insurance subsidiaries.

In mid-2001, F.N.B. Corp. was a $4.1 billion holding company headquartered in Naples, Fla. The company owned banks in Florida, Pennsylvania and Ohio, a...