Branding Considerations When Expanding Geographically

What branding considerations exist when a company with a geographically specific name expands to a new area?

Consider First Tennessee Bank. While the company has been in NC for years, its acquisition of TrustAtlantic led to increased statewide visibility. According to First Tennessee Marketing Executive Amy Tharrington, a name change was never a consideration.

“We have not simply transplanted executives from Tennessee to NC,” she says. “Rather, we are made up of a group of talented executives who have lived and worked in NC for decades. While the name may say Tennessee, we are very much an NC business.”

– Mike Trainor, S&A Communications