DZ HYP

Following the approval of the merger of the two preceding institutions, WL Bank and DG HYP, the task for all those involved in the project was to define the joint umbrella brand as quickly as possible and establish an identity that would be accepted by both workforces.

This project also faced the opportunities and challenges typical for a merger process: How can the best possible result be achieved despite time pressure and ongoing business operations? How can all stakeholders be involved in the decision-making process? How can maximum transparency and clarity be ensured in the process? How can a strong basis for identification with the merged company be created? How can a comprehensible transformation be achieved without irritating customers and partners?

The first task was to find a name for the new institution, which was born out of WL BANK and DG HYP. The objective was to identify a brand name that would be natural for employees, customers, and partners of both companies, while at the same time differentiating the bank in the market and communicating its affiliation with the DZ BANK Group. The name DZ HYP ideally met these requirements.

The affiliation with the DZ BANK Group, and thus with the Volksbanken Raiffeisenbanken Cooperative Financial Network and its values, was central to the formulation of the new brand positioning.

Concurrently with the naming process, brand positioning and logo development, we created the bank's distinctive new corporate design. Cover pages and home pages feature an animated, extending banner that symbolizes shared success and represents the values of partnership and expertise . Throughout the development process, it was always important to ensure the right balance between distinctiveness in the market and clear affiliation with the Volksbanken Raiffeisenbanken Cooperative Financial Network.

The entire cross-media brand appearance – from digital touchpoints to signage – was set out in a practicable CD manual for further implementation and now guides the day-to-day management and communication of the brand.

Two years after the merger, it is now apparent that the merger of DG HYP and WL BANK into one of Germany's leading real estate banks has been a success. The acceptance and attractiveness of the new DZ HYP brand is now strongly acknowledged by the market.

This is underlined by the recent recognition of DZ HYP as the best bank brand in the Real Estate Brand Awards 2020, which the European Real Estate Brand Institute has been using since 2009 to determine the brand value of Europe's leading real estate brands. The award is based on the professional opinion of 109,000 industry experts on more than 1,000 brands from 45 European markets.