ATM Branding: Your Complete Signage Overview

In addition to your institutional branding, ATM signage is one of the first things consumers look for when arriving at one of your branches.

With more and more consumers making use of ATMs as banks across the country reduce their footprint amid new banking preferences and staffing shortages, the strategic value of ATMs — especially leveled-up versions such as interactive teller machines (ITMs) and video teller machines (VTMs) — has grown significantly. Despite higher functionality and automation, there remains a need to implement effective ATM branding to ensure these systems deliver a unified experience with other physical brand assets.

Here, we’ll explore several types of ATM signage and how accurate brand implementation ensures success — whether these systems are on-site at one of your branches, are inside another organization’s facility, or are at strategic standalone locations.

ATM Branding and Signage — and How They Impact Your Audience

Outdoor ATM Signage

As with a branch sign or a sign on a partner’s facility, it’s important that you tie outdoor ATM signage to your institution’s brand. Roadway signs indicating an ATM, storefront signage, and other outdoor signage points should all reflect your brand to create consistency and create memorability in the minds of your customers. This applies across every location — yours or that of a partner — through your region and overall footprint.

Exterior ATM branding is just the beginning, too. Incorporating other brand assets alongside your outdoor ATM signage helps magnify its message and instill greater meaning when people experience it. Examples include unique backgrounds or mounting surfaces (and branded mounting hardware) as well as illuminated components beyond the signage itself. Remember, even though your customers’ eyes are only on the sign for a moment — make it an experience they’ll remember.

ATM Inside Signage

Just as exterior ATM branding is essential for creating the right impression and experience in the minds of your customers, so too is every ATM inside sign — whether it’s a lobby sign, a placard, a kiosk sign, or some other interior signage point. Interior ATM signage presents more flexible opportunities to be creative as you may not be subjected to property-specific requirements or municipal signage codes.

Each ATM inside sign is also an opportunity to provide a larger brand experience. Take a foyer ATM, for example. Creating a branded, experiential background around the signage — as opposed to leaving the wall plain or using little to no branding — creates a more engaging experience that people are more likely to remember and find welcoming. When people feel welcome and secure, particularly when dealing with financial transactions, they’ll be more likely to return to that specific space as opposed to using an unfamiliar one.

ATM Directional Signage

As a marketing or facility leader for your institution, you’re already well aware of what wayfinding signage is and how important it is for creating a strong brand experience. The same applies to bank ATM directional signs. Indicating where to find an ATM at your location (or a partner’s), identifying them, providing information about them, and complying with regulatory information requirements are all aspects of ATM branding that can be addressed with a properly executed program. Learn more about wayfinding, its impact, and its goals.

Just as with other signage programs, it’s important that your bank ATM directional signs are implemented consistently and strategically throughout all of your branches and any other locations where your ATMs are present. This includes standalone ATMs that are not part of any other structure. Clearly telling your customers where to go and how to get there from multiple approach points will ensure their experience is easy and pleasant.

ATM Drive-Thru Signs

While they’re essentially exterior ATM signs and can be considered wayfinding signage points, drive-thru ATM signs are another critical brand asset and part of a complete signage system. These signs stand apart from other exterior signage in that they serve a distinct need: when people arrive on site with the intent of going through a drive-thru, they need to know where that drive-thru is located on the property and which lane or lanes have ATMs for them to use.

Just like other ATM branding assets, there’s more to drive-thru signs than simply implementing them on canopies. The drive-thru signage must be designed to maximize traffic flow on the property and to reduce the impact on customers that need to go inside the branch or building. Remember: even a quick run through the ATM is a brand experience. If it’s not streamlined, there will be a chain of negative impacts: 1) that consumers looking for the drive-thru, 2) other consumers that get annoyed due to traffic issues, and 3) employees that have to deal with both frustrations.

Work with the Industry Leader in Brand Implementation for Financial Institutions

Stratus works closely with financial institutions in both a retail and non-retail capacity to support all of their brand implementation needs — from signage systems and energy to refresh & remodel services and preventive maintenance. Our multi-year relationships with regional and national brands have produced significant results thanks to our relentless focus on branding first and foremost.

From there, we design and oversee programs managed at the highest level yet with an incredibly detailed approach. We execute those programs through a national network of more than 4,000 proven field partners and provide all of the information you need in our online program portal. You receive a dedicated point of contact who will keep you informed on program status — whether it’s the manufacturing and installation of a new ATM branding program or a preventive maintenance solution that helps you avoid costs.

If you’ve been looking for a partner to support your brand implementation needs, we’re here to help. Get in touch with us today to learn more about our capabilities.