Truist Unveils its $100-m Kerfuffle

Coincidence or Kerfuffle?  Controversial branding for America's newest and sixth largest bank moves 10 million customers closer to achieving #ENVISION2030

By Stephanie and Eric Stradford 

AMWS, January 14, 2020 – Atlanta, GA -- The two T's inside the new Truist logo were meant to represent the personal touch of its employees and its technology offerings, as well as the coming together of BB&T and SunTrust Banks.  However, a branding “kerfuffle” may inadvertently title Tyler Perry’s next biggest hit or support his philanthropic vision.   

Youth Achievers USA Institute has been calling on the newest and 6th largest U.S. bank to engage in #ENVISION2030, 17 goals to transform the world.  Tyler Perry’s vision for his 330-acre Ft. McPherson complex, “culturally aligns” with this international vision and perhaps the Truist $60 billion Community Benefits Plan. 

The corporate vision formally known as “a merger of equals” rolled out its corporate logo which says Tyler Perry as much as it says Truist.  To “culturally align” itself with America’s future, the somewhat ambiguous brand must begin to transform rhetoric into reality on a promise to “do better.” 

Target marketing to a more youthful, digitally accessible client base may have estranged more intuitive community members seeking accountability for the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) of 1977.  In attempting the end run, Truist may have thrown itself into an infamous “Gulf of Mistrust” between the haves and have-nots needed to achieve #NoPoverty. 

In a CBS This Morning interview, Tyler Perry and Gayle King discussed his newest venture. According to Vibe Magazine, Perry said he's "most excited about" creating housing for women and girls who are victims of domestic violence, trafficking and LGBTQ youth that have been displaced.  

"Having a compound that's a beautiful place right here, somewhere on this 330-acres where they're trained in the business and they become self-sufficient," he said. "They can live in nice apartments, there's daycare, all of these wonderful things that allows them to re-enter society and then pay it forward again."   

Timely community reinvestment can engage some 10 million Truist customers in #ENVISION2030 for a shared goal of #NoPoverty.