In that Golden Age known as the 1980s, the American public had to endure not only a Cold War with the Soviet Union but also a Cola War pitting Coca-Cola against PepsiCo. The Cold War employed multiple marketing and advertising campaigns to win the attention of consumers.

As part of the Cola Wars, Pepsi started showing consumers conducting blind taste tests (yes, actually blindfolded, taking sips of both Pepsi and Coke and then describing which one they enjoyed more) dubbed the “Pepsi Challenge.” Could your bank or credit union brands survive a similar blind taste test when it comes to your brand?

Here are some key indicators of brand strength and what your brand must accomplish in order to win in the saturated financial products and services marketplace (note: these are sometimes referred to as the “Three R’s of Branding”).

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