Overview

PROBLEM STATEMENT:

FTB faced challenges with inconsistent brand expression across various lines of business, leading to fragmented visual identities, accessibility issues, and a lack of cohesive messaging. The goal was to streamline access to brand assets and create a unified and trustworthy brand presence.

JOB(S) TO BE DONE:

Evolve the brand expression to ensure consistency across consumer, commercial, preferred, private bank, employee, and community lines of business. Improve accessibility, update color palettes, reusable patterns, photo direction, copywriting, and other brand assets.

Discovery

BRAND AUDIT:

• Conducted a comprehensive audit of existing brand assets across all lines of business to identify inconsistencies and areas for improvement.

STAKEHOLDER WORKSHOPS:

• Engaged with stakeholders from different business units to understand their unique branding requirements and challenges.

ACCESSIBILITY ANALYSIS:

• Evaluated the accessibility of existing brand elements, ensuring compliance with industry standards and best practices.

Brand Evolution

CROSS-FUNCTIONAL COLLABORATION:

• Formed a cross-functional team including designers, marketers, and representatives from each business unit to collaboratively define updated brand guidelines. Vetted and engaged with external partners to provide additional strategy and exploration.

DESIGN SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT:

• Created a comprehensive design system encompassing color palettes, typography, iconography, photography direction, and copywriting standards.

REUSABLE PATTERNS:

• Developed reusable design patterns and components to ensure consistent design elements across various touchpoints, both digital and print.

Implementation

TRAINING AND ONBOARDING:

• Conducted training sessions and onboarding programs for marketing teams, designers, and other stakeholders to ensure proper understanding and adoption of the updated brand guidelines.

BRAND ASSET REPOSITORY:

• Established a centralized brand asset repository for easy access and sharing of approved brand elements, streamlining collaboration across different lines of business. design.53.com

CONTINUOUS COMMUNICATION:

• Maintained open communication channels with stakeholders to address questions, provide support, and ensure ongoing adherence to the new brand expression.

Testing and Iteration

PILOT PROGRAMS:

• Implemented pilot programs in selected business units to test the effectiveness of the updated brand expression in real-world scenarios. Initially met with resistance from LOBs that were unaware of the effort.

FEEDBACK LOOPS:

• Gathered feedback from users, stakeholders, and customers to identify areas for improvement and iteratively refine the brand guidelines.

Outcomes

COHESIVE BRAND EXPRESSION:

• Achieved a cohesive and unified brand expression across consumer, commercial, preferred, private bank, employee, and community lines of business.

IMPROVED ACCESSIBILITY:

• Updated color palettes and design elements to enhance accessibility, ensuring a more inclusive and user-friendly brand experience.

CONSISTENT DESIGNS:

• Streamlined brand assets resulted in consistent designs across marketing materials, digital platforms, and internal communications.

TRUST BUILDING:

• The six-month effort built trust among customers and internal teams, reinforcing Fifth Third Bank's commitment to a unified and recognizable brand.