With a digital-first approach at the beginning of the year, reinforced during COVID, the bank was in a good position to promote more online activity. Messaging shifts that maximize community connections were balanced with more evergreen promotional messaging to stay relevant and to meet customers and prospects where they were.
In reality, marketing did shift – and in some unexpected ways. In fact, investment in marketing actually increased rather than decreased, as advertising and communications became one of the few ways to stay present and continue to acquire customers who were ready to shift their brand preferences. And those brands that were able to adapt their campaigns to respond to changing customer needs and channel preferences were able to drive real results.
Case in point: North Dakota’s American Bank Center – a community bank with roots dating back over 100 years – began 2020 with its Banking without the Noise campaign and a full-funnel media strategy that included a healthy mix of both traditional (TV, OOH) and digital channels (online video, display, paid social, and search).
Once COVID lockdowns began, however, the bank shifted investments toward digital channels, especially search, in an agile move that promoted more online activity. Messaging shifts that reinforced community connections were balanced with more evergreen promotional messaging to stay relevant and to meet customers and prospects where they were.
This smart digital pivot paid off. Over just two quarters in 2020, the campaign delivered 1,100 new leads; drove increases in website traffic by nearly 10 percent; and saw new users rise by a whopping 48 percent. A smart marketing campaign that stands out with charm and wit.
To learn more about how your brand can deploy advertising and digital media strategies that move the needle during COVID and beyond, email info@adrenalinex.com.