Transform Your Bank’s Marketing

Stillwater National Bank was a 100+ year old bank when a new CEO took the helm. The publicly traded bank’s reputation had been tarnished due to their outdated technology, shrinking asset base and inconsistent public image across all of its markets. However, the $2 billion bank also had deep expertise in multiple industries, significant market share in some smaller communities and a competitive board of directors.

We knew that with significant growth goals, a commercially focused bank needed to garner the confidence of the business market.
To accomplish this, we took a deep dive into the culture of the bank by:

• Interviewing employees with varied tenure, at every level and in every market 
• Surveying the general public in their primary markets to better understand perceptions of the brand 
• Talking to existing and former commercial clients, as well as some prospects 

We wanted to know the good, the bad and the ugly — and we found out all of it, including some very distinct brand attributes worth capitalizing on! 

Our recommendation was to change the name while retaining equity. Bank SNB was born and a full rebrand breathed new life into a bank that was positioned for an exciting period of growth. Bank SNB then hired VI as its out-of-house director of marketing to expand the capabilities of its in‑house marketing team. Our primary focus was to highlight the expertise for commercial bankers and showcase the deep knowledge of oil and gas and healthcare banking.

We got to work quickly with a redesign of the company website, launch of social media channels, negotiation of unique sponsorships like the Oklahoma Oil Index and a monthly commercial newsletter to support this strategy. When Bank SNB renewed its emphasis on retail banking, we helped advertise promotional rates for home equity lines of credit, certificates of deposit and support the bank’s mortgage services. Our advertising campaigns blended traditional and digital channels to reach target customers where they consume media.

When VI began working with Bank SNB, the bank’s stock was approximately $12. Just one year later, it had risen 80 percent — and it didn’t stop there! Through the hard work, dedication and strategic focus of Bank SNB employees, and proper positioning and support of the new brand, the stock price had risen to roughly $28 four years later. An old institution was transformed into a vibrant banking partner.

The mission of WatersEdge (formerly the Baptist Foundation of Oklahoma) is to inspire generosity and goodwill has resonated with many families, churches and ministries over the years, motivating them to support a variety of charitable causes. Together, WatersEdge and VI discovered there was an opportunity to broaden their mission across an even larger audience — one that included millennials. 

Since most millennials aren’t in a financial situation to donate in large lump sums, we knew we needed to find a way to break down this barrier. We strove to make charitable giving feel effortless by meeting them in a familiar, seamless environment: their phones. 

We created a mobile app, which we named and branded “MustardSeed,” with a simple premise: Each time you use the debit or credit card that’s linked to your MustardSeed account, the app rounds the amount to the nearest dollar — and donates those few extra cents to the church or charity of your choice. 

After branding and developing the app, VI executed a campaign that focused primarily on video and search marketing tactics, prompting millennials to download MustardSeed in places where they were already spending time online. The video increased awareness and educated the audience about how the app’s giving mechanism ultimately impacted charities through everyday purchases, and an educational website supported the paid digital efforts. 

This bank marketing campaign was a huge success, and we surpassed their fundraising goals for both millennials and overall donors.