Big Branding

It took a photographer almost 3,000 miles of travel around Florida to capture Sabal Trust Co.'s new look. The St. Petersburg-headquartered firm's President and CEO Ward Curtis Jr. cites this attention to detail as key in the firm's growth over the last five years.

A new website, business cards and even a coffee table book promoting the bank are adorned with scenes of Florida's outdoors. The firm is confident that the investment, which Curtis says was well into six-figures, will pay off in the long run.

Sabal Trust Co., which specializes in fiduciary services for first-generation wealth holders, has been considering a rebranding effort since 2009. But, Curtis says he was hesitant to move forward with it. “You have to be big enough to make this kind of investment,” he explains. The firm, which has grown from $350 million in assets in 2004 to $1.3 billion this year, is finally large enough to launch a full marketing campaign, he says.