Opening a new branch is a huge investment — a new build can run into the millions. Most banks do the demographic research, study the traffic patterns, and pick the right spot. But then when it comes to actually marketing the thing? They show up with a grill in the parking lot and call it a grand opening.

In this episode, Dan and Chris break down what a real new-market launch strategy looks like — from competitive analysis before you open the doors, to turning your grand opening into a community event people actually want to attend, to the longer game of establishing your brand in a market where nobody knows you yet.

In this episode, we cover:

• - Why your marketing research should go beyond demographics — and what a competitive messaging analysis reveals that HHI data won't –
• - The difference between opening a second branch in your market vs. entering a brand new one
• - How to turn a grand opening from a bank celebration into a real community event
• - What the grand opening marketing timeline should look like

Resources:

- The Bank Marketing Show: www.bankmarketingshow.com

- The Bank Marketing Minute (Newsletter): www.bankmarketingminute.com

- Contact: contact@bankmarketingshow.com

Every bank says they want to stand out. But most don't go beyond tweaking a logo, or updating colors, and continue to rely on the number of years in business to build trust. That's important – but no longer enough to differentiate your bank against the thousands of others with a similar history. It's time to be bold.

In this episode, Rich Jones, President & CEO of BankIn Minnesota, talks about what it actually looks like to be bold with a purpose — starting with culture, not a color palette. Rich talks about the association's approach to rebranding, and the lessons banks can learn from it. We discuss how the association's rebrand wasn't a marketing exercise — it was the result of a deeper conversation about who they are, who they serve, and what they actually stand for. And that's the lesson for every community bank thinking about brand: the boldness has to come from something real, or it doesn't land.

In this episode, we cover:

· Why being bold for the sake of being bold doesn't work, and what "bold with a purpose" actually means

· How BankIn Minnesota's rebrand grew out of culture, not a creative brief

· The difference between authority-first and relatability-first messaging

· Why your people are your real brand differentiator, and how to show it

· What associations and banks can learn from each other about growth mindset

Resources mentioned:

· Rich Jones: rich@minnesota.bank

· BankIn Minnesota: minnesota.bank

· The Bank Marketing Show: www.bankmarketingshow.com

· The Bank Marketing Minute (Newsletter): www.bankmarketingminute.com

· Contact: contact@bankmarketingshow.com

The "We Tried That" Problem

Real quotes:

"We tried Google Ads and they didn't work."

"We did SEO for a couple months and nothing happened."

"Direct mail was way too expensive for what we got out of it."

If you've heard, or said, any of these – this episode is for you!

We break down the real reasons bank marketing tactics fail, from our experience seeing these things play out at banks across the country. Spoiler: it's almost never the channel itself. Google Ads, SEO, and even direct mail DO work – but not if you only focus on the ad itself.

In this episode:

• · Why banks often blame the channel
• · The "underdosing" trap – what happens when you run a digital ad with too little budget
• · How the platforms themselves are incentivized to get you to spend, not to strategize
• · How to match tactics to your audience instead of just copying what bigger banks do
• · A framework for evaluating the root cause of success or failure of a campaign

Resources mentioned:

· The Bank Marketing Show Website: bankmarketingshow.com

· The Bank Marketing Minute Newsletter: bankmarketingminute.com

· Get in touch: contact@bankmarketingshow.com