Transformation at the Brand Forum
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LEVEL5 Transforms Branches at the Brand Forum
Company Transformed Municipal CU’s Entire Branch Network
In a 15 minute rocking presentation complete with video clips and inspiring audio tracks, LEVEL5 showed the recent 2015 Financial Brand Forum attendees how the company would transform New York City’s Municipal Credit Union’s complete branch network. Municipal Credit Union (MCU) was selected by The Financial Brand as this year’s branch makeover financial institution from a multitude of institutions that applied.
MCU was represented on stage for LEVEL5’s design-build branch makeover presentation by Carole Porter – Senior Vice President, Chief Retail Banking Officer and Agnes Payadue – Vice President, Retail Banking Operations/Contact Center. Mike Colvin and Jason Summers presented LEVEL5’s innovative branch transformation concepts to the Credit Union’s team and the audience. MCU principally serves New York City employees and their families and the employees and their families of related agencies and companies in New York City and State. The Credit Union has 16 branches, more than 350,000 members and over $2.0 billion in assets.
LEVEL5’s presentation started with a video highlighting MCU’s New York City location, its branches and its members. From there the LEVEL5 team showed how a new brand language could be developed using MCU’s existing logo with enhanced colors and images. New MCU branded icons were presented representing the many products and services MCU offers.
LEVEL5’s branch makeover started with MCU’s Flagship Branch in the heart of Manhattan near City Hall, NYPD headquarters, and other municipal buildings. LEVEL5 divided the 5,000 square foot branch into 2 zones:
- The front of the branch – less than 5-minute zone for transactions
- The back of the branch – greater than 5-minute zone where members could be serviced and educated by MCU Guides, a new concept suggested by LEVEL5 to replace Member Service Representatives
The less than 5-minute zone uses ATMs and Interactive Teller Machines (ITMs) for transactions with a small teller line to be phased out overtime. The greater than 5-minute zone included technology such as tablets, large format touch screens, video conferencing, etc. to facilitate member service and education. The entire branch was transformed into a bright, colorful, highly branded environment with a variety of comfortable, casual sitting and standing member collaboration areas.
From the Flagship Branch, LEVEL5 moved to transform an actual MCU Express Branch, approximately 1,500 square feet. LEVEL5 again divided the space into the previously mentioned two zones with the front of the space being transaction-oriented using ATMs and ITMs, and the back of the branch providing member service and education by MCU Guides using technology tools in the same bright, colorful, highly branded environment as the Flagship Branch.
From the Express Branch, LEVEL5 presented an MCU Micro Branch concept of approximately 500 square feet with the same highly branded look and feel of the previously presented branches. The branch is not planned to be staffed, but contained ATMs and ITMs using video teller service. The vision is these Micro Branches could be conveniently and cost effectively placed in lease space throughout the city.
Finally, LEVEL5 presented an MCU Mobile Branch concept called a Power Pod complete with ATMs, ITMs and multiple self-sustaining Power Pads that could be placed around the Power Pod. The Mobile Branch can be moved around the city to parks, colleges and university campuses, as well as to special events. The Mobile Branch will be a great way to promote MCU, recruit new members, and provide convenience to existing members.
Mike Colvin, LEVEL5’s Executive Vice President and Principal, said “LEVEL5 has received tremendous positive response from our MCU Branch Makeover Presentation at the 2015 Financial Brand Forum. We had a lot of fun and showed MCU and the audience how financial institutions can makeover and transform their branches. Several institutions have reached out to us since our presentation asking us to help them makeover their branches using our design-build approach. We have placed an 11-minute video on our website at LEVEL5.com for anyone that may want to see a summary of the presentation.”