Client Overview

Sterling National Bank is a leading financial institution offering a range of personal and commercial banking solutions tailored to meet the needs of communities and businesses across the New York Metro area. With a commitment to delivering exceptional customer service and innovative financial products, Sterling National Bank has established itself as a trusted partner in the region.

Project Overview

Sterling National Bank sought to enhance its brand presence and engage more effectively with its diverse clientele. The goal was to create a cohesive visual and editorial strategy that would resonate with both personal and commercial banking customers, reinforcing the bank's reputation as a reliable and forward-thinking financial institution.

My Role

As the Art Director, I was responsible for leading the creative direction across multiple facets of the project, including:

• Art Direction: Developed the visual identity for various campaigns, ensuring consistency across all platforms and materials.

• Social Creation: Crafted compelling social media content that aligned with Sterling's brand voice, designed to engage the community and increase online visibility.

• Editorial Design for Connect Magazine: Led the design of Sterling's Connect magazine, a key publication that highlights the bank's services, client success stories, and industry insights. My role involved creating visually appealing layouts that enhanced the readability and impact of the content.

• Whitepaper Design: Designed informative and visually engaging whitepapers that showcased Sterling's expertise in the financial sector, providing value to both existing and prospective clients.

Challenges

1. Maintaining Consistency Across Diverse Platforms: Ensuring a unified brand message across print and digital media while catering to the different needs of personal and commercial banking clients.

2. Engaging a Wide Audience: Creating content that resonated with a diverse audience, from individual customers to large businesses, each with unique needs and expectations.

3. Balancing Creativity with Corporate Standards: Developing creative designs that stood out while adhering to the corporate standards and compliance requirements of a financial institution.

Solutions & Strategies

• Integrated Visual Identity: I developed a cohesive visual identity that was adaptable across various mediums, ensuring that Sterling's brand was consistently represented whether in print, digital, or social media.

• Targeted Content Creation: By understanding the distinct needs of Sterling's personal and commercial clients, I tailored content to speak directly to each audience, resulting in more relevant and impactful messaging.

• Collaborative Approach: Worked closely with the marketing and compliance teams to balance creativity with regulatory requirements, ensuring all designs were not only visually compelling but also aligned with industry standards.

Results

• Increased Engagement: The strategic social media content led to a measurable increase in online engagement, with more followers, shares, and positive feedback from the community.

• Enhanced Brand Perception: The new design approach for Connect magazine and whitepapers was well-received, contributing to an enhanced perception of Sterling National Bank as a thought leader in the financial industry.

• Stronger Client Relationships: The targeted, high-quality content helped Sterling deepen its relationships with both individual and business clients, reinforcing its position as a trusted financial partner.

Conclusion

Through a strategic blend of art direction, social media creation, editorial design, and whitepaper development, Sterling National Bank was able to elevate its brand presence and effectively engage its diverse clientele. This project exemplifies how thoughtful design and targeted content can drive meaningful results in the financial sector.