M&A: Integration of aquired Brand

When a Bank Brand meets another one

The goal

For the Volksbank PHD, the brand agency is developing the integration solution for the acquired business of another bank, the Bankverein Werther.

The customer base of the acquired bank should be integrated into the Volksbank structure as seamlessly as possible. The brand values are similar, the Bankverein Werther also has its roots in the cooperative movement and is organized cooperatively.

However, the customers should not simply change the bank, because the core business of the Bank Association is in the catchment area of Volksbank Bielefeld. Traditionally, Volksbanks do not compete in the respective regions.

The bank bank Werther should therefore be preserved in any case, in order to avoid this direct cannibalization.

Analysis

At the beginning is the analysis: Which target groups does the former Bankverein Werther address and should it stay that way? Where are opportunities in the competition? Which target groups do the other banks and savings banks address locally? Where is the ideal “landing pad” for Bankverein Werther.

The Sinus Milieus give a good orientation overview. We use these mafo milieus for the reconciliation with the acquiring Volksbank and thus determine which target groups we should achieve in an ideal way from a cost-benefit point of view.

Strategy

As a core target group, the middle is interesting with direction tradition; this is mainly due to the withdrawal of private banks.

Bankverein Werther can make the most of this vacuum in order to win “left-alone” customers, especially from the mid-sized business segment.

Positioning

Bankverein Werther, as a bank brand integrated into the Volksbank, has decisive advantages over private banks and their branches: It is rooted in the region, knows the customer’s mentality and has short wires to regional decision-makers.

We use this proximity – Bankverein Werther fully exploits this advantage over receding private banks.

Creation

Logo

The old logo of the Bankverein bears the 1930s. Of course, the word mark must be adjusted for the “AG”.

The new logo, designed by LOK, is up-to-date and will be supplemented by the reference to the Volksbank PHD in order to make the strength of the institution already visible in the logo.

The regional connection and thus the proximity to the customer should be reflected in the slogan. The agency therefore presents a claim with a strong connection to the catchment area.