FNBM Needs:

FNBM needs to develop a branding campaign that can be utilized across all markets for the next year with a Community Banking focus. This campaign will create a framework that can be used to strengthen the Bank brand and be consistent with all marketing pieces from the website to in-branch materials.

Agency Overview:

Milly Hudgins and David Landis partnered together several years ago and created a freelance partnership. That partnership specializes in Community Bank marketing. Public relations and marketing are both challenging and rewarding to this duo. Milly was a community bank marketing lead in the Richmond, Virginia area and while there, was selected chairperson of the Virginia Bankers Association marketing committee. Milly currently works at Hope College as the Director of Brand Experience in the Public Affairs and Marketing department. Milly and her business partner, David Landis of Landis Productions, have had success helping community banks tell their story. Along with the assistance of their digital marketing specialist, they can help potential customers know the value of a true local community bank by fine-tuning the message and zeroing in on the potential client base.

David Landis, and Milly work together to help community banks tell their unique story. To most of the public, a bank is a bank—offering checking and savings accounts, loans, online services and mobile banking. While that is a challenge, it’s also a plus as it provides the opportunity to tell our unique story. It’s the story of the trusted relationships that sets First National Bank of Michigan apart from the big banks.

David and Milly have a proven track record of producing community bank marketing campaigns that garner attention. They have helped growing banks expand to new areas and recently helped a bank celebrate a century milestone. They believe in consistency in advertising, signage, and online.

The Process. Weekly meetings would be scheduled. David and Milly work on retainer. David’s charge for creative services would be $4,000/month and Milly’s would be $1,000/month. This is based on how many hours are required to move the needle. This budget includes design ideas for all creative including print ads, customer collateral and signage as it is important to present a unified brand across all medias. They are flexible and nimble and make the necessary changes quickly.

Advertising budget. They recommend $2500 a month for digital placements in the Lansing area for October/November/December to open the new branch. It’s the amount required to make any kind of impact in a new market. Since FNBM is locked into print contracts through 2020, they suggest moving to a digital and social media plan for advertising beginning in January 2021 which would benefit from a minimum of $5,000 monthly. The Lansing digital placements will be a great way to achieve measurable analytics to see what works best in the marketplace.

References:

To come. Deb has reached out to two different banks for a recommendation.

Recommendation:

Partnering with a small agency allows FNBM to control cost and get expert guidance and a superior product. Developing an entire branding campaign is beyond the ability of the FNBM Marketing Department. The Bank would not be locked into a long-term commitment. Recommend Q4 of 2020 and Q1 & Q2 2021.