Southern Bank
Aligning brand to boost marketing & sales
CLIENT OVERVIEW
As a bank, It’s easy to swim into a sea of sameness. Like talking big game about security and safety. Been there. Or how convenient and mobile they are. Done that. Maybe how personal they are. Seen it. But what about setting sail in a different direction?
Southern Bank knew they wanted to, but needed a consistent brand that was unique to them. Recent rapid growth led to a fractured and under-developed brand. Branches had a tough time creating branded materials — because there wasn’t a brand.
CHALLENGE
Create a compelling and flexible brand that reflected their stakeholders and customer base.
SOLUTION
We helped create a cohesive, modernized brand that spoke directly to Southern Bank’s customers by truly owning the “local” in local bank. Not as a platitude, but as a reality. The unique tactics employed were intentionally made so no giant conglomerate could replicate it.
NO COAST IS THE BEST COAST
When doing initial research, we discovered that the communities Southern Bank serve felt like they had to move to larger cities on the coast to do anything substantial. We all know that’s not true.
Which led us to a key insight: these are our communities. This is our home. We’re exactly what people need here. Southern Bank is from around here, too.
MODERN BRAND. LOCAL CHAMPIONS.
Our friends at Southern Bank recently had their logo rebranded. So all we had to do is create a cohesive visual identity that fit them and their stakeholders.
We started by modernizing the color palette with some blue and orange that just POP on a screen. We then equipped each branch with a brand tool kit so they could build work specifically for the community they served. The boots on the ground approach made it unique and personal to not only the branches but the place they call home.
HEY, THAT’S ME
We weren’t kidding when we said Southern Bank champions the communities they serve. Which is why we helped update their photo and video library with local talent (Poplar Bluff in the house) to create ownable content from close to home.
We then created brand awareness videos focused on home loans, small businesses, and retirement. Our objective was to raise regional awareness and introduce products through the lens of local customers.
THE RESULTS
- 678k+ minutes watched
- 51% increase in branded search
- 42% increase in new account openings
Let us know what you’re pushing towards. Get in touch for more information on our case studies or marketing framework resources.
Justin Watkins
CEO — Founder jwatkins@nativedigital.com