Which new branch designs excite depositors?
Local banks flirt with beyond-the-usual.

December 2019

By Kyle Battle

You walk into a bank, deposit some cash, grab a cup of coffee, and pet a horse on your way out. Well, not a live horse, but a vintage carousel horse from Funtown Splashtown at Kennebunk’s Norway Savings Bank. After all, when we think “bank,” we think “fun,” right?

BANKING AS THEATER
Norway Savings is one among many Maine banks adding spice to the mix. The Wall Street Journal says, “The days of boring brick and mortar, mono-colored walls and ceilings, and stuffy furniture are fading into obscurity. Lobbies are filled with refreshment stations, glass walls, and islands in lieu of teller desks.”

Feng shui consultant Jini Rayne of Sacred Landscapes says the secret is to blend intangibles with tangibles. “With any space, the entrance is very important. It’s where you make your first impression. You want good hardware on the door—it’s like shaking hands with the location. The space should feel good as soon as you walk in. Landscapes are calming. Nature is good, so art that depicts the colors of nature is good in feng shui. Abstract art is less healing.” Dress codes, anyone? “Bankers should wear blue because it builds confidence. Green is the color of growth, and you want your money to grow.”

At Norway Savings in Auburn, customers are greeted in a bright foyer with the natural greens and blues of Norway’s logo detailing the walls and ceiling. “The Norway Savings Bank logo is a lake and mountains with green and blue together. We want to tie into the environmental aesthetic,” says Darci Hamm, executive vice president of retail. “The space is welcoming, regardless of its necessity,” says Karen Hakala, senior vice president of marketing. “There’s a sitting area with a fireplace, engaging music, and even video chat at the drive-through teller windows.”

MAKING CHANGE
Feng shui designer Carol Daigneault has helped “over a dozen” banks across Maine with their interior transformations. “Public versus private [space] is definitely a consideration,” Daigneault says. “Feng shui considers the flow of things.” Your guided experience starts as early as “the traffic pattern of getting into the parking lot, the drive-through, and the teller window—it all matters.”

TEAR DOWN THAT WALL!
“The idea is to set up a more collaborative experience between the customer and the teller instead of creating a wall of separation,” says Jason Donovan, facilities manager for Bangor Savings Bank. “For our location on Marginal Way, we have a small lot. So we use a lot of glass and natural light to make it feel larger and open. We went with a barstool and beverage area in the lobby. I’ve walked in and seen people chatting, taking a break, and drinking some coffee. At this particular building, the windows all glow blue at night. We chose to give the building a little pop.”

THE ONLY BARS ARE COFFEE BARS
“You can take care of all your banking needs over the phone or through your web browser,” Hakala says. “Many people only go to their bank when they have important events in their life.”

Carousel horses and coffee bars aside, “It’s a long-term exercise to figure out how to grow our brand with retail consumers across everything we do,” says PNC chief executive Bill Demchak in The Wall Street Journal.

DEPOSITORS ARE BIG; IT’S THE SCREENS THAT GOT SMALL.

Technology is going to drive everything, big-time,” says Karen Rand, interior designer at WBRC Architects and Engineers. “I think we will see spaces shrink as things become more mobile. In commercial scenarios, you‘re going to see smaller footprints. You’re going to see more virtual reality. Call centers are becoming equipped with cameras and a background screen so you can interact face-to-face with everybody.”

To see breakout advantages of Maine banks & credit unions, visit HERE.