When evaluating your brand strategy, avoid confusing your corporate identity with your brand. They are really different things. Corporate identity is your "mark," such as logo, colors, fonts, stationary, etc. Brand is the representation of your institution's vision, values and mission in all the ways you interact with others — your advertising and communications, the quality and preparedness of your people, the style and condition of your branches, etc. Certainly an effective corporate identity is a critical component of your branding strategy, but consistent and effective communication of your brand will be what builds your reputation.

Much like you would tell a story differently to your children than to your spouse with the choice of words or examples given, you should consider altering the delivery of your marketing messages to different audiences. For example, you may want to alter the style and images used in your urban versus suburban markets. The lifestyle, preferences and needs of a hip, single city dwellers will likely differ from a growing suburban family so you may need to grab their attention in different ways. It is important to stay consistent to your core brand, but your "story" can be told in a slightly different style.

Your brand positioning should answer the following question for your audience: "Why should I choose you to handle my financial needs?" Efforts should be targeted to building a bridge between what you do and how you do it across the psychological miles to your potential customer or member. Successful financial brands connect with their audience and evoke some or all of the following feelings: trust, confidence, caring, integrity, stability, convenience.

When designing, constructing, and operating a branch office, you should consider using environmentally friendly products and approaches, like:

• Selecting paint with low volatility components
• Using recycled materials for carpeting, ceiling tiles, and other construction materials
• Installing office equipment certified with an Energy Star rating
• Locating as close to mass transit as possible
• Using only "green" cleaning products to keep your office sparkling
• Installing the most energy efficient heating/cooling hardware available
• Using recycled paper for all operations

Wisely using environmental friendly elements in construction, rehab, and operations at your locations can help demonstrate your commitment to the community. Many institutions are highlighting their going "green" efforts to enhance their brand image.