It’s inevitable: As time passes, markets evolve, member expectations change, and even the strongest credit union brand can become dated. Holding onto an outdated identity can quietly hold an organization back, especially when it no longer reflects who they are today, the value they bring to members, or the growth and innovation happening behind the scenes.
A thoughtful brand refresh becomes an outward reflection of that evolution, and it is about far more than just updating a logo. By setting strategy and a clear vision, credit unions can modernize their visual identity, define a consistent voice, and create a recognizable brand that stands out in a competitive landscape. Done well, updated branding reinforces trust, strengthens consistency across every channel, and signals forward progress to staff, partners, current members, and prospective members alike.
Central Maine Federal Credit Union, headquartered in Lewiston, Maine, wanted to refresh their brand to reflect a period of positive change and growth at the institution. They aimed to develop a modern logo that more accurately represented who they are today. Having long partnered with Synergent’s award-winning Marketing Solutions team, they began collaborating to brainstorm and shape their vision for what their brand could become.
Setting Goals
Credit unions who partner with Synergent for their marketing initiatives know it is not a process completed in a vacuum. Members of both Synergent’s and Central Maine Federal Credit Union’s teams collaborated closely throughout the logo redesign and brand refresh process.
Goals for the new logo were set from the initial discussion. The new logo needed to have a clear hierarchy, broad scalability, and include the word “Federal,” which had been omitted in the prior version of the credit union’s logo. The credit union also wanted to achieve a bold new look that would attract a younger membership base, emphasize community connection, and strengthen the use of the existing compass element that had long been part of their legacy brand.
“Working with Synergent Marketing Solutions was very easy and enjoyable,” shared Kerry L. Hayes, President and CEO of Central Maine Federal Credit Union. “We had stated what we were looking to accomplish and what we didn’t want in the new brand. They came back with four concepts that we reviewed and, with a few minor changes, came up with the brand we now have.”
Refreshing a Legacy
The legacy brand wasn’t erased, but rather re-envisioned in a forward, modern way. A four-color palette was chosen to represent the credit union’s foundational values: financial success, education, community, and service. The typography was updated to be clean, highly readable, and scalable. The compass logo was reimagined as a half-compass version of the full brandmark, resulting in a flexible, adaptable accent within the new logo suite. This provided the credit union with versatility for use across various mediums viewed by members, from digital platforms to embroidery and printed materials.
A brand is so much more than a logo. In addition to the creation of a full logo suite, with variations in all standard file formats, the Synergent and Central Maine Federal Credit Union teams worked together to create a comprehensive visual brand guide. This helped define for all staff how to use the new assets and project the updated brand.
A Phased Approach
In considering how to implement these changes, it was decided to complete the process in two phases.
“Phase one was creating the logo, which we wanted to have completed prior to phase two, which involved renovating the existing building built in 1988-1989,” explained Hayes. “Since that time, there had been no major renovations to the interior. It was very dated and dark. We wanted a more modern look to everything as we want the credit union to be where our members want to go to and do business with. We also wanted to attract younger members. By starting with the logo and color scheme, we were able to incorporate that into the design and palette of the renovations.”
Putting the Updated Brand to Use
Following the two-month collaborative, creative process, Central Maine Federal Credit Union promptly put their new tools to use. They integrated elements of the new brand across all physical and digital areas of their operations:
- Website update
- Interior branch renovation
- Exterior building signage
- Interior furnishings (floormats, signage, nameplates, etc.)
- LED lighting colors
- Giveaways and marketing materials (grocery bag, picnic blanket, umbrella, desk caddy, cribbage board, pens, etc.)
“Our logo colors are represented in our artwork in every office, and the ‘curve’ in our new brand is reflected in the lobby layout,” said Hayes. “It is modern and bright. During the renovations, our members couldn’t understand why we were renovating, but when they saw the final product, they were amazed. They couldn’t believe the positive changes made to the building and the logo, and actually said this should have been done years ago.”
Award-Winning Results
In addition to the impact of implementing a refreshed brand for their credit union, Central Maine Federal Credit Union’s rebrand was honored with a 2025 Marketing Association of Credit Unions’ MAC Award, receiving a Gold designation in the Logo Design category.
“I have worked with Synergent over the years on various projects, but nothing as intense as a full rebranding,” shared Hayes. “They made it easy to come together, and they knew exactly what we were looking for when we started the project. They did not try to influence us in any way as to which branding decisions to go with, and the end result came out great. Thanks to the team at Synergent!”
Learn More
Interested in a collaborative brand refresh for your credit union? Contact us today to schedule an initial marketing consultation.
