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In an ever-changing market, even the most established brands need to evolve to stay relevant and connected with their customers. For First Federal Bank, this evolution has come in the form of a thoughtful brand refresh led by Vice President and Marketing Director, Nick Popplewell.

Nick explains that the decision for a brand update was driven by the need to modernize while honoring the bank’s long-standing heritage. “All great brands evolve over time. We looked at examples like Starbucks, Nike, and Apple. They make subtle changes to stay current without losing their identity,” he says. For First Federal, the aim was a similar evolution, not a complete overhaul.

The year-long process began with internal conversations, extensive market research, and consultations with Idaho-based branding experts Mitchell+Palmer. The goal was to create a brand that would resonate with both familiar audiences and new ones.

The updated branding goes beyond just a logo or color scheme. It’s about reflecting the bank’s values and ethos. “Our brand is much more than marks and colors; it has to be representative of who we are, what we stand for and believe in, and serve as a promise to our members,” Nick emphasizes. The refresh is rooted in the bank’s strategic plan and mission to enhance customers’ well-being. As Idaho’s only mutual bank, First Federal prioritizes its members’ needs and interests as well as serving and improving the community.

“We want our brand to truly embody our ideals,” Nick explains. “Being a mutual bank is something special and a differentiator. We don’t have shareholders or owners to pay dividends to; instead, we can reinvest in our communities and our members, offering market-leading products and services.”

Community-mindedness is a core component that the updated brand highlights, as is the focus on the state of Idaho. First Fed has a long history of supporting local causes and needs, beginning with the bank’s founding as a Building and Loan in 1915 – helping with a housing shortage in the early days of Twin Falls – to the establishment of the First Federal Foundation in 2003. To date, the Foundation has contributed over $1.4 million in grants to various Idaho-based non-profits.

“We are 100% focused on Idaho, which is something we are going to leverage and use as a competitive advantage,” Nick adds. “Most of our direct competitors are doing business in multiple states. We’re completely committed to the Gem State, to making it better and improving the lives of Idahoans.”

Key elements of the revised brand include retaining the color red as well as the large “1” in the logo. However, the red is a little deeper and the “1” is modernized and strategically accompanied by the letters “st” to clearly signify “1st”. “There is now an official ‘First Fed Red’ as well as a new primary color, ‘Gem State Gray’,” Nick explains. “We also were very intentional about making sure the logo was ‘1st’ and not just a ‘1.’ Although this seems simple, that level of thought and discipline is key to great branding. There should be an interconnectedness among all the brand elements – name, colors, logos, et cetera.”

Nick also has a competitive streak, a carryover from his previous career working in college athletics, which is visible in the updated brand. “In addition to ‘First’ being in our name and the importance the logo echoed that, we also wanted to leverage ‘First’ as an overall market position and ‘North Star’,” Nick mentioned. “Our renewed brand promise is ‘First’ in being employee-engaged, member-centric, community-minded, and Idaho-focused. We also say that it is not a coincidence that ‘First’ is in the name.”

The long-term vision for the First Fed brand is to make it more of a lifestyle brand, something that isn’t common to financial institutions and the banking industry. “It might sound a little ‘out there’,” stated Nick. “For a majority of the public, banks and financial services can seem sterile, rigid, and even cold. We want our members and the broader community to feel like we are relatable and an important part of their identity and personal makeup. Can we get to the point where people put a First Fed sticker on their car rear window, wear a “1st” hat or T-shirt while exploring Idaho, and other things? I don’t know, but we are going to try.” 

The brand refresh officially launched on June 20 and included a new bank website (www.bankfirstfed.com). In the coming months, the updated brand will begin to appear on bank signage, stationary, and customer-related items, eventually replacing everything that features the First Fed brand.