EXTON — For the first time in 15 years, Citadel Credit Union has introduced a new brand identity — complete with a new logo, colors and tagline — “Building Strength Together.”
The Aug. 19 launch of the new brand followed an 18-month process that included research across multiple audiences and markets to strategize and design Citadel’s new brand.
“With our new brand, Citadel is embracing our identity as a not-for-profit credit union with a dedication to the local community. It’s never been more important for those we serve to understand that we’re here to help create prosperity and to grow their financial strength,” Jeff March, Citadel president and CEO, said in a press release. “We’re proud to reveal all that we stand for, and we’re dedicated to enhancing our members’ experience with new tools, expert guidance, and a breadth of financial services.”
Over the past 15 years, Citadel has grown more than $3.5 billion in assets and has expanded to serve a broader region across the Greater Philadelphia area, including new markets like Lancaster and Bucks counties, according to the release.
The updated look will be implemented across Citadel’s platforms and channels in phases. The new look was immediately seen Aug. 19 on Citadel’s website and digital tools, and starting early in the fourth quarter, members will receive new contactless credit cards. According to Citadel spokeswoman Abigail Brooks, member communications are being updated, and the company has a new marketing campaign centered around the tagline: “Building Strength Together.”
“The interiors of our offices are currently being painted with new brand colors. New signage will be installed over the next month or two across all branches,” she said in an emailed response to questions.
Citadel’s in-house brand team partnered with Adrenaline, an experience design agency with a specialty in implementing end-to-end brands for financial services organizations.
Gina Bleedorn, chief experience officer at Adrenaline, said the timing of the launch speaks to the “resilience and resonance” of the Citadel brand.
“We were so gratified Citadel chose to reveal their updated brand during this time. It really speaks to the work we did together and how forward-thinking an organization they are that they understand the importance of brand and what it means for their business and the people they serve,” Bleedorn said in the release. “We only helped craft and clarify what was already there.”
Brooks added that the importance of being dedicated to the prosperity of the community became even more important when the economic impact of the pandemic hit the region.
“Our new tagline ‘Building Strength Together’ truly seems to resonate with what people need to hear right now, in addition to going forward,” she said.
The new tagline, speaks to the “balance of stability and progress that Citadel stands for,” the company said.
Once the research phase was complete, Brooks said the Citadel and Adrenaline teams worked on building the strategy and designing the new look, “to make it clear who we are today and where we’re headed.”
The newly redesigned logo represents a modern Citadel — a source of enduring strength and forward momentum, according to the company. The logo is named the “Dynamic C.” It stands for Citadel, Credit Union and Community, and is meant to invite people in, while giving the feeling of embracing and protecting a shared future.
“In addition, the logo is a hexagon, one of the most stable geometric forms in nature, rooting the brand in a foundation of strength and trust,” the release stated.
Citadel Credit Union, which has history spanning more than 80 years, is a not-for-profit, member-owned financial institution that provides banking, investments, and insurance services to more than 217,000 members. With its headquarters in Exton, Citadel has more than $4 billion in assets and serves residents of Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Lancaster, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties. For more information, visit CitadelBanking.com.
