Respect tradition or shoot for viral?

Editor’s Note: BankBeat reached out to 15 marketing professionals to ask how they manage today’s marketing challenges and learn how they make the most of today’s opportunities. This is the second in a three-part series capturing their responses. The first part of the series was published online May 1. Banking is a traditional space and the subject matter is serious, sometimes complicated. It can feel risky to bring the human side to the front, to deliver content with humor, or connect with an audience in an authentic way while still respecting the fact that, deep down, safety and soundness are paramount..The two-person marketing team at the $554 million First Security Bank & Trust, Charles City, Iowa, led by Katelyn Schwery, took a chance with a Facebook post that alluded to “Mean Girls,” a 2004 film starring Lindsay Lohan. The post was the idea of her colleague, Abbi Parcher, a member of Gen Z.On Mean Girls Day, the Hampton branch wears pink, and you can’t sit with them. Looking so fetch should be illegal, but the gals of the Hampton branch are far too pretty for jail. … A quote from First Security Bank & Trust President/CEO Brad Miller states, “One time, the girls from the Hampton branch punched me in the face. It was awesome.”.“We have a group of approvers that approve/decline everything we do,” Schwery said. The Mean Girls post made Schwery quite nervous, but “our CEO loved it and so did our followers.” [The post concluded with a disclaimer that said the bank did not condone violence.]Kelsey Dahl, CMO at $3.7 billion Bravera Bank, based in Dickinson, N.D., said her team of five uses “different platforms to portray certain personalities while remaining true to our brand tone.” As long as Bravera serves the needs of traditional customers, Dahl said, they are comfortable with campaigns that appeal to younger “Let’s Get to Next” is the foundation of marketing at Madison, Wis.-based Park Bank, said Helen Kosterman, who leads a team of three. “We focus less on promoting products and more on elevating our clients’ experiences,” Kosterman said. “When we tell their stories with heart and authenticity, our personality shines through naturally.”The question of staying true to tradition misses the mark, offered Grace Bruins, AVP and marketing officer at the $1.5 billion Horicon Bank, Horicon, Wis. “It’s not just tradition; it’s regulation, right? And making sure you’re staying compliant.”Bruins said her team of four talks intentionally about how the bank’s brand is represented, visually and in writing. Horicon is 130 years old, Bruins said. “We definitely want to honor where we’ve been and take that forward.”Most times, honoring tradition means a doubling down on relationship banking. That was the impetus for the launch of “Tim’s Treat,” a campaign at the $2.3 billion Bank Five Nine in Oconomowoc, Wis. At the center of the campaign is bank President and CEO Tim Schneider, explained Jeff McCarthy, SVP, marketing director. “Tim joined our bank about two-and-a-half years ago and he was not from the area. He really wanted to get out in the community and meet people,” McCarthy said. Schneider surprises local businesses, such as coffee or sandwich shops, and picks up the tab for patrons who happen to be visiting. The campaign, McCarthy said, was a way for the bank to live its mission.“Banking is a traditional space,” admitted Holly Christenson, vice president of Key Community Bank in Inver Grove Heights, Minn. “I think we’ve done a great job by maintaining that small, family-owned community bank feel.” She touted the fact that staff picks up the phone as a defining feature of Old Tyme Banking. And forget coffee and cookies in the lobby. “We have a cooler with ice cream in our lobby, and it’s the good stuff. I mean, we’ve got Dove bars!”.Respecting tradition is important. “Understanding compliance is crucial,” added Amy Radcliffe, marketing director for Bank Midwest in Spirit Lake, Iowa. “but it doesn’t mean that creativity and fun are off-limits.” Bank Midwest created a campaign to incorporate team member faces in a “fresh and unique way,” she said. The result, their “light-bulb moment,” led to the creation of their “bobblehead banker” concept.The threshold for unconventional versus traditional might be very different in a small market versus a highly-competitive market. Ownership goals factor into the equation too. “It comes down to who do you serve and what do they care about,” said Bridgewater Bank Senior Vice President of Marketing Jessica Stejskal. At Bridgewater, a core value is being unconventional, she said, which informs their desire to stand out in the “sea of sameness.”Across the board, a focus on “personality” can be an easily achieved goal. And Lakeview Bank added a unique twist by featuring not a customer, but a customer’s teacup Yorkie, a pup named Pippa. The video dubbed “Meet Pippa” streams locally, and “highlights what makes Lakeview Bank special,” said Communications Specialist Theresa Anderson. Pippa is not a mascot; Pippa is “a memorable customer who keeps coming back for the personal service and, of course, the dog treats.”