A Marketing Compass for Elevating Customer Experience
State Bank is a financial institution with locations in Ohio, Indiana and southeast Michigan. In 2017, their leaders came to us with a common challenge: their marketing was happening, but without the structure and processes to tie it together.
CLIENT
State Bank
Problem
State Bank wanted to grow market share, strengthen its digital presence and find better ways to support the community. The pieces were there, but without a documented plan behind them, marketing decisions were being made case by case rather than guided by a clear strategy.
Solution
We started where every lasting result starts: with a plan. The MadAve Marketing Management team built State Bank a documented marketing plan with detailed strategies and tactics, giving real structure to both their marketing initiatives and their internal processes. The plan included a budget and a calendar to keep the work focused and measurable against their goals.
The heart of the plan was how we structured it. Rather than one broad approach, we split it into two connected parts: a bank-wide plan to build the State Bank brand and communicate the full breadth of products and services, plus individual plans for each business line with their own strategies, audiences and calls to action. To make that work, we developed personas for each target audience, so the message always fit the person receiving it. A first-time homebuyer and an established business owner have very different needs, and the plan made sure each one heard what mattered to them rather than a single generic message.
From that foundation, we helped State Bank put the plan into action across several areas.
We launched a video program with quarterly shoots, building an owned library of content that showcases real customer stories, educates audiences on different products and service lines, and highlights the bank’s deep community involvement. The program has become a consistent engine for engagement across their website and YouTube channel.
We introduced a targeted digital advertising program. Rather than chasing raw traffic, we focused on bringing the highest-quality prospects to the website, shifting the measure of success toward engaged visitors who are genuinely a fit for State Bank.
To build a high-performance culture, we recommended regular staff training, incentive programs, performance-based compensation and employee surveys, along with sharing key performance information across the team so everyone could see how their work connects to company goals.
To strengthen the in-branch experience, we recommended thoughtful touches like visual displays, a signature scent, cleaner office layouts and a welcoming signature item such as a branded piece of chocolate. We encouraged the bank to actively gather testimonials and reviews, both to win new business and to surface opportunities to improve.
We identified the phone experience as another chance to reinforce the bank’s brand promise, using professionally produced on-hold and automated messaging.
To acquire new customers and cross-sell to existing ones, we recommended a direct mail campaign focused on their ideal audience.
State Bank knew its digital presence had room to grow. We proposed refreshing the website and its SEO, improving the mobile app, defining a clear social media strategy and pursuing public relations opportunities to earn attention and new business.
We also recommended adding radio and out-of-home advertising to the mix and deepening the channels already in place, all while delivering on the bank’s promise of sound advice. Suggested tactics included short-form video and informational seminars.
Community involvement matters deeply to State Bank. We built a dedicated budget and recommended ways to expand their support of local organizations, including a presence at large-scale events, a community-partner level of advertising in every market and a steady stream of speaking opportunities.
A Lasting Partnership
Years later, we’re still State Bank’s marketing partner. The plan we built together continues to guide the work, adapting as the bank grows. That’s the real value of a documented marketing plan. It isn’t a one-time project, it’s a foundation that keeps giving direction long after it’s built.
Services Provided
- Marketing Management
- Marketing Plan
- Caller Experience Marketing
- Video Production
- Digital Advertising (PPC)
- Content Creation and Design
