First Albany Companies Name Exploratory

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First Albany Companies Name Exploratory
Name and Nomenclature Alternatives 12 February
2003
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Agenda

• Recap Where we are
• Case histories
• First Albany positioning and characteristics
  input (tally from 1/29)
• Name candidates brand and sub-brands
• Initial tag line exploratory
• Wrap-up and next steps

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Recap Where We Are
TODAY
Client input
Strategy
Ideation
Selection
Analysis
Implementation

• Shortlist
• Preliminary trademark POV
• URL availability
• International/cultural evaluation
• Sample name applications
• Audience research

• Final name selection
• Owners manual
• Internal communications materials

• Business plan, mission statement, etc.
• Stakeholder input
• Audience profile and drivers
• Competitive landscape
• 3rd party research
• Linguistic landscape

• Positioning statements
• Brand character
• Features, benefits, promises
• Naming brief
• Preliminary naming criteria

• Creative team structured sessions
• Individual name generation
• Marketing impact filter
• Phonetics filter
• Semantics filter
• Preliminary select list

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Renaming Apple Bank

• Harlem Savings Bank becomes Apple Bank
• Objective Communicate the banks brand promise
  and attract younger depositors
• Strategy New name and positioning to reflect
  expanded geographical base (beyond Harlem), while
  maintaining local tie. Emphasis on youth and
  vitality
• Results In the first 3 months after the new
  brand was launched, deposits rose nearly 150
  million dollars and led to a significant
  corporate revitalization

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Renaming SWS Financial

• MidSouthwest Securities becomes SWS Financial
  Services
• Objective Reflect expanded geographic reach of
  Texas-based firm and position for continued
  growth
• Strategy Shortened brand name, free from
  geographic reference. Continual brand evolution,
  reflecting aggressive growth strategy. Relisted
  on NYSE under SWS symbol in 1997 (listed since
  1972).

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Renaming Allegis

• April 30, 1987
• UAL, Inc. changes its name to Allegis
  Corporation.
• June 9, 1987
• Car rental executive Frank Olson is elected
  interim chairman, president - CEO of Allegis and
  chairman of United following departure of Richard
  Ferris. Edward Carlson rejoins Allegis board as a
  director and serves until May 26, 1988. June
  25, 1987James Hartigan, Sr. is elected chairman
  of United. Sept. 3, 1987The Allegis board
  approves the sale of Hilton International.
• Oct. 29, 1987Conniston Partners, a major Allegis
  investor group, forces Allegis to sell off its
  interests in The Hertz Corporation and Westin
  Hotels Company.
• Dec. 12, 1987Stephen Wolf is elected chairman,
  president and CEO of Allegis and president and
  CEO of United. May 1, 1988United chairman
  James Hartigan, Sr., retires and is succeeded by
  Stephen Wolf. May 26, 1988Allegis name is
  dropped and the holding company is named UAL
  Corporation.

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New ID Charles Schwab

• Objective Communicate Schwabs evolving business
  program, targeting new and existing clients
• Strategy Identify core brand attributes and use
  them to guide development of new corporate ID
  system
• Program New logo with emphasis on core
  attributes of strength, sophistication and a
  pairing of the personal and professional

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New ID Bank of East Asia

• Objective Communicate BEAs expanded offerings
  while building on its loyal customer base
• Strategy New positioning and corporate ID system
  to capture BEAs strong heritage while
  demonstrating the pioneering spirit of the newly
  integrated organization
• Program modernization of existing graphic
  identity shortened brand name

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FA Brand Attributes Results
Please select and rank the three most important
attributes

• ___ 50 years old
• ___ Accountable
• 4__ Boutique
• ___ Business unit independence
• 5__Client-focused
• 2__Creative
• 2__ Entrepreneurial
• 1__ Experienced people
• 3__ Flexible/nimble
• 2__ Focused
• ___ Good execution
• ___ Hard-working people, nose to the grindstone
• ___ In partnership with clients
• 4__ Independent
• ___ Low overhead
• 1__ Non-bureaucratic
• ___ On the move
• ___ Opportunistic in filling the voids

___ Passionate/dedicated ___ Profitable ___
Profit-oriented, internally and externally 1__
Research-driven ___ Smart with clients money 1__
Smart, capable people ___ Sophisticated about the
markets and our sectors ___ Stable place to work
and be rewarded ___ Steady ___ Teamwork 1__
Uniquely focused on underserved markets ___
Unpretentious ___ Value () focused ___
Vertically-focused ___ Other ____________________
___
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Positioning Exercise Results
Please draft your own version of the First Albany
positioning statement.

• For ______________________________
• who want/need ___________________ ,
• First Albany is ____________________
• that _____________________________
• Unlike __________________________ ,
• First Albany offers _________________
• YOUR NAME ____________________

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Positioning Exercise Results
Please draft your own version of the First Albany
positioning statement.

• For ______________________________
• who want/need ___________________ ,
• First Albany is ____________________
• that _____________________________
• Unlike __________________________ ,
• First Albany offers _________________
• YOUR NAME ____________________

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Positioning Exercise Results
Please draft your own version of the First Albany
positioning statement.

• For ______________________________
• who want/need ___________________ ,
• First Albany is ____________________
• that _____________________________
• Unlike __________________________ ,
• First Albany offers _________________
• YOUR NAME ____________________

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Positioning Exercise Results
Please draft your own version of the First Albany
positioning statement.

• For ______________________________
• who want/need ___________________ ,
• First Albany is ____________________
• that _____________________________
• Unlike __________________________ ,
• First Albany offers _________________
• YOUR NAME ____________________

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Positioning Exercise Results
Please draft your own version of the First Albany
positioning statement.

• For ______________________________
• who want/need ___________________ ,
• First Albany is ____________________
• that _____________________________
• Unlike __________________________ ,
• First Albany offers _________________
• YOUR NAME ____________________

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First Albany
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First Albany FA Municipal Capital Markets FA
Taxable Fixed Income FA Equity Capital Markets FA
Technology Ventures FA Asset Management

• Easy to understand
• Brings a degree of consistency to sub-brands
• Evolves from common usage most people today just
  say FIRST ALBANY
• By dropping Companies, supports notion of one
  unified entity
• Could be first step towards making FA the master
  brand

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First Albany Capital
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First Albany Capital First Albany Municipal
Capital Markets First Albany Taxable Fixed
Income First Albany Equity Capital Markets FA
Technology Ventures First Albany Asset Management

• Capital affiliates brand with financial markets
• An easy evolution to communicate
• URL can stay as www.fac.com

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First Albany Securities
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First Albany Investment Banking
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First Albany Capital First Albany Tax Free First
Albany Fixed Income First Albany Emerging
Growth First Albany Technology Ventures First
Albany Asset Maximization

• Sub-brand variation branding the benefit instead
  of being merely descriptive
• Contemporizes the brand and distinguishes from
  competition

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FA Capital
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FACapital FAMunicipals FACorporates
FAEquities FATech Ventures FAAsset Management

• Move to FA is fairly easy to understand but
  requires explanation including reason why
• Brings consistency to entire brand architecture
• Division names are reduced to their essence
  consistent with brands move to familiar
  shorthand (i.e., FA)
• URL facapital.com is in use by Forbes Alliance
  Partners fasecurities.com is registered but not
  in use fafinancial.com appears to be for sale

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FAC
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FACFirst Albany Companies FAC Municipal Capital
Markets FAC Corporate Capital Markets FAC Equity
Capital Markets FAC Technology Ventures FAC Asset
Management

• A natural evolution, modernization exists in
  the brand vocabulary today
• Nonetheless, requires explanation including
  reason why
• Brings consistency to entire brand architecture

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FACT Financial
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FACT Financial FACT Municipal Capital
Markets FACT Taxable Fixed Income FACT Equity
Capital Markets FACT Technology Ventures FACT
Asset Management

• FACT already exists in the First Albany verbal
  portfolio and is known by our Wall Street and
  investor audiences
• FACT points to our unpretentious approach to the
  financial markets
• FACT also subtly reflects our unblemished
  history Our success is real, not an accounting
  fiction
• URL fact.com is owned but not currently in use
  factfinancial.com is available

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Hudson Securities

• Retains historic and geographic roots while
  providing some evolution from First Albany name
• Existence of Hudson Capital Partners, Palisades
  Hudson Financial and Hudson Securities
  (Australia) requires further investigation no
  live trademarks found
• URL Hudsonsecurities.com is available
  hudsoncapital.com is owned but not in use
  hudsonfinancial.com is in use

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NYCapital

• Enlarges geographic connection and provides brand
  with Wall Street associations

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Capitol Capital

• Another way of evolving beyond Albany
• Probably too clever by half

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Empire Capital

• Evolution maintaining New York State roots
• Existence of Empire Financial Group and Empire
  Insurance require further investigation (both are
  trademarked)
• Does empire have a negative connotation today?

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Expert Financial

• Reversal of common parlance FINANCIAL EXPERT,
  connects to boutique benefit of being experts in
  certain specific areas

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Focus Capital

• Connects to boutique benefit of being focused on
  certain areas, not all things to all people
• Existence of Focus Financial Network
  (Minneapolis) and Focus Capital (Israel) require
  further investigation

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Precision Capital

• Similar to FOCUS, with added sense of being a
  well-oiled machine

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Prophet Capital

• Connotes vision, perhaps as in, we have the
  ability to determine (and work with) the
  companies that will be the leaders of tomorrow
• Prophet is homonym for PROFIT
• Existence of PROPHET CAPITAL MANAGEMENT FUND
  requires further investigation

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Capitalyst The Growth Engine

• Melding of capital and catalyst reinforces
  positioning as key partner for companies seeking
  access to capital markets for purpose of igniting
  growth
• Seems to have been name of now-defunct VC in
  Boston and Washington requires further
  investigation (no trademarks exist)

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• This construct show how graphic treatment helps
  link First Albany to FA

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• In this construct, tagline reinforces move to FA,
  imbuing it with additional purpose

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Wrap-up and Next Steps

• Narrow down candidates
• Preview name candidates with select audience
  within company
• Obtain trademark and URL (if necessary)

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Thank you!