The enduring adage ‘your reputation precedes you’ has often been used to imply just how important consistency and character are to someone’s standing. In the case of Frost Bank, the bank known for building banking relationships is consistently a reputation frontrunner, not only in the areas they serve, but also nationwide. How has this Texas-born and bred bank come to earn such esteem? Sure, it’s in the way they serve their customers; after all the “Frost Way” is well known to everyone who banks there. But their renown extends well beyond their customer base. So, what’s their recipe for success?
First, the rankings. In a recent survey of retail banks in the U.S., American Banker partnered with RepTrak to gauge the most reputable banks in the country. While there were no small number of big banks topping the list, regional banks like Frost were far and away the principal winners. “Regional and nontraditional banks enjoyed higher reputation scores than large banks,” according to American Banker. “People want innovation to encompass more than digital banking, and while diversity in the workplace matters more to people now than in 2021, big banks’ scores are slipping…”
Topping the list for “comprehensive innovation,” Frost Bank credits both technology and talent for their success. Interviewed by American Banker, Linda Albornoz, Frost’s chief information officer, says they host online talent fairs to match prospective applicants with current employees to “spark enthusiasm” for the bank. “I tend to think even if we don’t bring on more than one in 50 of those individuals who show up, they leave excited about the work we are doing.” That’s one way Frost Bank builds on community. Another is the local events the bank hosts for each new branch opening, where local schools, nonprofits and small businesses are invited in.
On the DEI front, serving and staffing with diversity has been a huge focus for Frost Bank, which named their first chief diversity, inclusion, equity and belonging officer, Karen White, in 2021. White, who reports directly to Frost CEO Phillip Green, says “I have his ear every day.” The bank doesn’t only look for diverse candidates that come from the neighborhoods the bank has branches in, but they cultivate relationships with DEI offices at colleges and form regional councils to identify underrepresented and underbanked communities to serve. With solid strategies like these, Frost Bank has earned the coveted #2 spot among non-customers, and it’s easy to see why.
For more information on inspirational brands like Frost and what other banks can learn from them, stay tuned to Believe in Banking as it looks at influencers in related industries and tracks the big trends in banking. For more banking best practices, see Adrenaline’s Insights channel for brand-to-branch approaches for financial institutions. To learn more about growing your financial brand or to speak with one of our banking and credit union experts, contact us at info@adrenalinex.com.