Solving a Brand Identity Crisis That Was Blocking Growth with Sonata Bank
Solving a Brand Identity Crisis That Was Blocking Growth with Sonata Bank The Challenge Sonata Bank had a great logo—but no idea what it stood for. As Nashville’s newest and most innovative financial institution, they weren’t just launching a bank. Behind the scenes, they were developing a fintech product to tackle one of the QSR…
Key Insight:
Solving the right problem isn’t about making a brand louder. It’s about making it true.
The Challenge
Sonata Bank had a great logo—but no idea what it stood for.
As Nashville’s newest and most innovative financial institution, they weren’t just launching a bank. Behind the scenes, they were developing a fintech product to tackle one of the QSR industry’s biggest pain points: high employee turnover. The strategy was bold. The technology was ready. But the brand? Totally unclear.
Inside the organization, employees weren’t sure if they worked at a bank, a tech startup, or in some cases, “a fast food chain with a vault in the back.”
Externally, the marketplace couldn’t figure it out either.
Sonata came to thinkSmith (then Barker & Christol) looking for more visibility. But what they really needed was clarity.
The Solution
We worked collaboratively to build a foundation that actually reflected Sonata’s ambition:
Key Strategic Message:
Sonata Bank will invite customers to become virtual stakeholders in the financial future of the community through an appropriately committed and transparent partnership. At its core, the bank will think entrepreneurially, with nimbleness and foresight that is unexpected by conservative banks, as it explores the best formula of technology-based opportunities to empower the whole community with financial strength.
From that shared direction, everything else aligned:
Language and positioning that unified all stakeholders
A new Mission, Vision, and Values rooted in action, transparency, and innovation
Stronger internal alignment across departments, leadership, and board
The Approach
We didn’t start with a campaign—we started with a conversation. Actually, a dozen of them.
Through structured workshops with Sonata’s 12-person senior leadership team, we uncovered the real issue: a lack of shared identity. Employees were enthusiastic but misaligned. The board, the fintech partners, even customers—each had a different interpretation of what Sonata was supposed to be.
The turning point came when the CEO’s wife made an offhand remark:
💬 “You’re so not another bank.”
That line wasn’t the strategy. But it was the clue. It helped the team give themselves permission to rethink everything—from how they spoke to the community to how they operated behind the scenes.
The Implementation
To bring this strategy to life, we created an immersive environmental experience within Sonata’s headquarters. Extra special thanks to @Bri Malaspino for bringing this concept to life.
Each room became a statement:
- “The Deposit Room” showcased mineral deposits—amethyst, quartz, geodes—instead of currency
- “The Safe Room” transformed financial vault into baseball metaphors
- Glass walls turned the idea of transparency into a literal experience
These were more than clever design choices.
It wasn’t just decoration—it was a cultural shift.
The Outcome
The transformation resonated.
Clients began requesting meetings at HQ—not out of convenience, but inspiration. Staff adopted the new language and purpose as their own. Board members aligned behind a vision that previously felt fuzzy.
Most importantly, Sonata’s market perception caught up with its internal reality.
They were no longer mistaken for “just another bank.”
They were celebrated as Nashville’s fastest-growing bank.