Adrenaline’s CXO featured for her branding expertise as the merged SunTrust and BB&T brand releases its new brand identity
Wednesday, January 22, 2020 – In “The Marketing Strategy Behind Truist’s High-Wire Logo Reveal,” The Financial Brand analyzes Truist’s brand strategy in the wake of the release of their new logo and color palette. The financial services publication of record incorporated insights from Adrenaline’s CXO Gina Bleedorn, including her thoughts from this summer upon the merged brand’s initial name launch when she said that Truist suggests trust and thought the brand moniker was the result of political exercise to be sure the new name checked the right boxes for both organizations.
Upon the release of the new brand identity, Gina believes that politics was part of decision-making here, as well. “Truist is a case study in the political balance of power,” she says. “When I look at the logo I can see how it was sold to the banks. It is a perfect balance of equality between the two entities.” While equitable, this direction might mean that the brand diffuses some of its power by trying to be all things to all people. Then on design, Gina says, “Overall the logo is iconic and modern…but lacking a little bit of soul and personality.” However, she notes that storytelling should help fill in some of those blanks.
On the iconography, the agency behind the design notes the logo was created for a mobile-first deployment. Gina says that’s a modern strategy with merit, naming Nike’s swoosh as an enduring insignia. “You can have equity in a mark that’s apart from your name,” she notes. Finally on the color palette, Gina recommends own-able colors like this saying purple has “inherent feminine properties that offset the square and the san serif, all-caps typeface, both of which are more masculine.” Representing loyalty, wisdom and power, purple’s qualities will stand out in the financial services sector.
For the full story behind Truist’s strategy, see all of Gina’s insights on their logo and color palette launch and their name launch this summer. The Financial Brand is digital publication covering marketing and strategy in the financial services industry. A resource for banking executives, the outlet focuses on issues vital to retail banks and credit unions. To learn more about meaningful branding and consumer experiences, contact our brand experts at [email protected].
Adrenaline is an experience design agency that creates and implements end-to-end branded experiences through creative and environmental design. We enhance our clients’ customer experiences across digital and physical channels, from their branding and advertising to design and technology in their spaces. After transforming an organization’s brand, Adrenaline extends it across all touchpoints — from employees to the market to in-store environments. And, we focus on serving industries that sell human experiences including financial, healthcare, sports and entertainment.
