Basler Kantonalbank
Back in black
Back on track: after some aberrations in the past, Basler Kantonalbank (BKB) recollects its strength. The state-owned bank is the number 1 in the Basel region and focuses on its most important mission: advancing the prosperity of the people and economy of Basel.
Basler Kantonalbank holds roughly a third of the market, making it the region’s most important universal bank. The bank offers retail banking for private clients and SME, private banking for wealthy individuals and a full range of financial services for large corporations, institutional investors and other banks. In 2000, Basler Kantonalbank bought a majority stake in the nation-wide operating Bank Coop (now Bank Cler). The BKB group ranks as one of Switzerland’s ten largest banking groups.
No stone left standing.
Basler Kantonalbank started a radical transformation that affected all business areas. The bank renewed strategy, processes and structures. Driven by the President of the Bank Council, Andreas Sturm, and CEO, Guy Lachappelle, the bank redefined its brand promise and its brand identity with the help of Scholtysik. On that basis, we created corporate design, interior design, corporate language and corporate sound. Scholtysik took also care of a solid implementation and great brand consistency across all aspects of customer experience.
BKB increasingly focuses on businesses that require a high degree of individual consultation and are hardly going to be standardized or automated in the near future. Conflicting interests are systematically eliminated: the bank closed offshore subsidiaries in other cantons as well as abroad and sold all interests in asset management providers. Most notably, Basler Kantonalbank hands over all retrocessions (distribution allowances) to the clients and implements extremely strict measurements against tax evasion that go further than those of other Swiss banks.
“The team’s straight-forward, down-to-earth attitude, their track record, expertise in digital branding and their vast experience in the financial industry made us opt for Scholtysik.”
Mathias von Wartburg, Head of Marketing
Both digital and physical
At the new BKB, clients are able to open an account or apply for a credit card online in just a few minutes. They can work out their investment profile by themselves, while advisors are available via chat for questions or consultations. Identification is made via video chat and contracts are concluded completely paperless. That way, all the basic services are available both in the branch offices and online.
For a UX and interface design that is true to the brand, Scholtysik cooperates with the internal specialists, as well as with different IT providers for e-banking, mobile banking, website, myBKB and various apps, to guarantee a brand experience as consistent as possible throughout the different applications.
Maximum clarity for the user is top priority. And this does not only apply to the design.
From A to Z
The services of the agency include strategy, positioning, code of conduct and leadership principles, corporate design, corporate language, corporate sound, internal implementation,rebrushing existing and designing new digital applications (e-banking, mobile banking, website, myBKB, apps, social media), branch design supervision, launch communication, event collateral, sponsorships, print publications, forms and brand monitoring.
“Basel is the homeland of Swiss type design. Haas Unica is a typographic treasure of the Basel School of Design, clear as the Univers, but a touch more human. Suits perfectly.”
Fabian Sander, Partner
Of Basel, for Basel
The clear black and white design reflects BKB’s commitment to its home region and its regained strength. The versatility and the digital character of the brand presence also signalize the volition of Basler Kantonalbank to actively shape the ongoing transformation of the sector.
Services
Brand analysis | Brand positioning | Vision | Brand promise | Brand personality | Naming | Leadership principles | Code of conduct | Design assessment | Corporate design | Corporate language | Corporate sound | CI/CD guidelines | Product naming | Interface design for web and banking applications | Coaching branch redesign | Implementation planning | Launch | KPI definition and controlling | Brand strategy | Corporate identity