Growth and geographic expansion have led Western Federal Credit Union to the decision to rebrand.
The Torrance, Calif.-based credit union will rename itself UNIFY Financial Credit Union. The credit union’s new name and brand identity will roll out across all service channels this year, it said in a March 9 news release.
The $2.2 billion-asset credit union chose to rebrand because its original name could be limiting, given that it now has branches in 13 states across the country.
“The Western name can imply that we are limited to the West Coast or Western United States, when in fact we serve a broad range of members throughout the nation, with branches ranging from California to Virginia,” Western chief executive Gordon Howe said in the release.
“As our geographic scope, products, services and delivery channels continue to expand, we recognize that our brand needs to more accurately reflect who we are today as a nationwide full-service financial institution as well as position us for planned future growth,” he added.
The UNIFY brand was chosen because it evokes the notion of “communicates a united national network” and has no geographic limitations, the credit union’s chief marketing officer Lisa Otomo also said in the release.
In conjunction with the roll out of the new brand, Western will also begin to offer new service initiatives to members, including a 24/7 full-service telephone contact center. Later this year, the credit union will be rolling out a new online banking platform, website and mobile app. The credit union also has plans to continue its expansion, adding new branches in Las Vegas, Mesa, Ariz., and Lexington, Ky.
