Updating the C&F Brand to Better Reflect Their Purpose
C&F Bank was built on the simple truth that if you pay attention to people and the community, you can make a difference. The financial corporation established their first bank in 1927 in Westpoint, Virginia. Since then, they’ve expanded their business to include C&F Wealth Management, C&F Mortgage Corporation, and C&F Finance Company. After nearly 90 years of massive growth and dedication to their people and communities, C&F Bank decided it was time to take a look at their branding to ensure it was up-to-date, relevant, and communicating their commitment to providing undivided attention for their customers.
After completing a brand study, C&F Bank learned that their messaging and visuals were a bit outdated. With this information, they decided to take a deeper dive and partnered with Randall Branding to help them with a brand refresh. The challenge was to first identify the core of the C&F brand and the needs of their target audiences. Once this was determined, we would need to adjust the brand’s messaging and visual representation to ensure the correct and strongest message was being communicated.
To kick things off, we started with a brand audit. The purpose of the brand audit was to both index and compare all current communications to determine any opportunities or inconsistencies. In tandem, we conducted primary research and interviewed 20 current and desired C&F Bank customers. Our research was focused on two main questions: 1. Is the essence of the C&F Bank brand accurately and consistently portrayed through their communications. 2. How does the C&F Bank’s desired audience perceive the brand based on various communications? With the research conducted and a thorough report of findings shared, we began reenvisioning C&F Bank’s look and feel. Our goal was to refresh the company’s brand so that it better communicated their purpose while feeling more relatable to their current and desired customers. Once the new branding and messaging were determined, we extended the project’s reach and began collaborating with all of the C&F subsidiaries. Using the Randall Branding Brand Suitcase platform, we were able to share all of the new brand standards, digitally, with the entire C&F team. This was a great way for the entire corporation to see the new brand in action and to learn how to implement the brand themselves. From these efforts, the C&F corporation began working more closely with each of its subsidiaries, all of which adapted the new visuals and messaging. A C&F branding team was created and the Randall Branding Agency attended monthly meetings to consult on decisions and proactive next steps. Together, this team created a brand rollout plan which included president announcements, a brand video, and other internal communication strategies.
