Hear how branding happens in the real world with this case study of Cadence Bank’s massive rebranding effort–from the very people who conducted the process. Join returning experts Beth Flom and Andrew Bogucki of New York-based Tenet Partners and Cadence Bank’s Chief Marketing Officer, Jackie Hooper, to discover the ups, downs, ins and outs of an authentic branding process. Plus: special guest Dan Rollins (Chairman & CEO, Cadence Bank) discusses how to shape the culture that will become the foundation of your brand.
Show Notes
On our last episode, we explored how to develop a strong brand. But it’s one thing to talk about those principles, and another to put them into practice. So, on this episode, we’ve got a case study in the process of rebranding from a company that just went through it: Cadence Bank. That’s right–us!
In 2021, Cadence Bank officially merged with BancorpSouth Bank, which necessitated a large-scale rebrand to develop a new, shared identity. But while it presented massive opportunity, the branding process was also filled with plenty of challenges. And who better to tell us every detail than the very people who did the hard work? We’re bringing back the voices you heard last episode: our Tenet Partners team of Beth Flom and Andrew Bogucki, as well as Cadence Bank Chief Marketing Officer Jackie Hooper, to take us through every step of the rebranding journey–the difficult decisions, the surprising revelations and the rollout strategy that brought it all together. Plus, we’ll hear from a new guest, someone who had a huge hand in both the decision to rebrand and the culture that guided the process: Cadence Bank Chairman & CEO Dan Rollins.
Through their stories, you’ll hear about the ups and downs of this 18-month journey: how Cadence found the right partner in Tenet, what the research unearthed about their shared values, and the ways that Cadence differentiated from competitors. Plus, the unexpected emotions that accompanied all of it.
So let’s brand together and travel from a back porch in northwest Alabama to the facade of the New York Stock Exchange to discover what can happen in the best-case (study) scenario.
Highlights:
- Meet Dan Rollins (2:13)
- How the merger focused on culture (3:57)
- Why the new Cadence needed to rebrand (5:34)
- The opportunity–and scope–of the rebrand (6:31)
- What Jackie looked for in a partner (7:57)
- The secrets to a great collaboration (8:55)
- What the research revealed about culture (10:29)
- Creative decisions: how that culture is reflected in the new brand (13:52)
- Using sonic branding to differentiate from competitors (17:34)
- Rollout of the new brand (19:59)
- How customers kept the process in focus (21:54)
- Banner reveal at the NYSE (23:45)
- Transform Awards recognition (25:27)
- Dan on the importance of brand (26:51)
Links:
Feedback:
If you have questions about the show or topics you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producers, sheena.cochran@cadencebank.com or danielle.kernell@cadencebank.com.
What is In Good Companies?
Starting and running a business or managing one isn’t for the faint of heart. You’re balancing internal and external forces in a continually changing landscape. You’re building strategies, and banking on the future – no matter what it holds. This is where Cadence Bank’s In Good Companies comes in. We share our wealth of knowledge, and insights from noted industry experts, to guide you through the forces shaping business today.
We’re back for Season 6, and this time, we’re setting our sights on the future of work. We’re asking the big questions, like:
What will your career look like in 2030? Or 2050, even?
How is ESG shaping the future of companies?
And how can we leverage AI to our advantage?
We bring together experts from across the board, from Silicon Valley to multinationals like EY, to help you stay on the cutting edge of business. And we get to know those who are building the future of our companies; because at Cadence Bank, we want to hear the human side of every success story.
Hosting our stellar range of guests this season is our new host, Ari Marin. He is a Cadence Bank Senior Vice President and family enterprise advisor, whose specialty is consulting with family-owned and small businesses. Ari’s idea of “good company” is being around creative, insightful people with unique and inspirational stories. For Season 6, he brings in his curiosity and ambition to In Good Companies, to lead discussions with our guests, and bring listeners across the U.S. all the information they need, in one place, in under 30 minutes.
Ready to launch into the future? Then join us!