A bank to release its first music album?

Yes, you read right.

According to the article in the NY times by Rob Walker, Branching Out, Umpqua Bank, based in Portland Oregon, is diversifying into other ventures. Not only do they call their branches “stores”, but they are releasing an album, have Umpqua brand coffee, and offer their “stores” as settings for “sewing groups, yoga classes and movie nights.” They want to be the place to hang out. (Hey, if you run low on cash you don’t have to worry about having to run out to find an ATM).

This is what banking should be—not an overly, pompous, stuffy institution.

Even they realize that banking is part of your life--- part of your lifestyle. It is now coming to pass that fields all around us—health, financial, etc,-- are realizing that they CAN (and need to) integrate themselves into the consumer’s lifestyle. This is the goal of CareTALK. We aim to integrate caregiving and your caregiving responsibilities into your everyday lifestyle. We are all caregivers already--- but we do not identify as such. CareTALK will elevate the profile of the caregiver so that we all wear the title proudly.

We are all CAREGIVERS.

We applaud Umpqua Bank for thinking of the consumer!