Mountain America, ASI and Arrowhead Named Best Credit Union Brands
(Article appeared on CreditUnions.com Press Center, July 8, 2008)
Bancography ranks financial institution brands in its 2008 Bancography Brand Value Index.
Among the nation’s largest credit unions (assets of at least $1 billion), Mountain America Credit Union (MT) holds the most powerful brand, followed by Arrowhead Credit Union (CA) and JSC Credit Union. Top ranking small credit unions (assets under $1 billion) include ASI Federal Credit Union (LA), Trona Valley Community Credit Union (WY) and First Community Credit Union of Houston.
Among the nation’s largest institutions (banks with assets of at least $30 billion), Wells Fargo holds the most powerful brand, followed by U.S. Bank, Northern Trust, Union Bank, and PNC. Top-ranking midsized institutions (banks with assets $2B – $30B) include Woodforest National Bank (TX), Westamerica Bank (CA), City National Bank (CA), City National Bank of West Virginia and Nevada State Bank (note the two City National Banks are separate, unrelated institutions).
Bancography announced these findings in the release of its 2008 Bancography Brand Value Index, a comprehensive ranking of all U.S. bank and credit union brands. The index, which also includes categorical rankings by asset size, market area and institution type, ranks brands by the premium they contribute to each financial institution’s underlying tangible value.
In calculating brand value, Bancography quantifies the proportion of each institution’s long term value that is attributable to the intangible factors that constitute an institution’s brand. These factors include the institution’s reputation, service quality, image and market awareness. The brand value index identifies institutions that produce financial results beyond what their capital base, market conditions, and competitive environments would predict.
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The top ranking major credit union brands: |
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Assets > $1 billion |
Assets < $1 billion |
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1. Mountain America (UT)
2. Arrowhead Central (CA)
3. JSC (TX)
4. University of Wisconsin (WI)
5. Police & Fire (PA)
6. GECU (TX)
7. Chevron (CA)
8. Tinker (OK)
9. MidFlorida (FL)
10. Onpoint Community (OR) |
1. ASI (LA)
2. Trona Valley
Community (WY)
3. First Community
CU of Houston (TX)
4. White Sands (NM)
5. Pelican State (LA)
6. Utah Central (UT)
7. Water and Power
Community (CA)
8. Golden Plains (KS)
9. Midland Community (TX)
10. Complex Community (TX) |
The leading brands show consistently strong earnings performance and the ability to grow deposits without paying above-market rates. John Mathes, Bancography’s director of brand strategy notes “In the banking industry, product offerings are often very similar among competitors, so it is paramount for financial institutions to build differentiating brands.” Mathes adds “The Bancography Brand Value Index measures which institutions have successfully differentiated themselves, in terms of image, service quality and the other intangible factors that bond consumers to their financial providers.”
Bancography, based in Birmingham, Alabama, provides consulting services and software tools to financial institutions in support of their branch, research, product and brand positioning strategies. To help institutions position themselves in the marketplace, Bancography’s brand strategy service creates names, logos, identities and brand positions that distinctly reflect each institution's product and service proposition.
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