Messaging, content, PR build New Resource brand

New Resource Bank is a pioneer in the financial sector with enthusiastic customers and a compelling mission: to advance sustainability with everything it does—the loans it makes, the way it operates and its commitment to putting deposits to work for good. But three years after opening, the bank faced classic startup issues: it lacked a strong brand identity, employees struggled to clearly describe the bank and its mission, and it needed to expand its market presence.

“Thinkshift has been a great partner as we have developed our brand, our messaging and our communication tactics,” says Vince Siciliano, New Resource Bank president and CEO. “The principals are both passionate and intellectual. They have a diverse portfolio of past experiences, enabling them to listen carefully and respond supportively.”

TOP RESULTS

Memorable tagline & brand
Staff & media use messaging verbatim
Stronger market presence
New business & business leads

WHAT WE DID

Thinkshift created a defining tagline, “planet-smart banking,” along with a messaging platform that clearly defined the bank’s mission, difference and value, with messaging that spoke to three main customer groups.
We then developed a full suite of branded communications, including content strategy and copy for the website (a 2011 Webby Awards honoree) and a quarterly newsletter.
We continued to build the brand through the creation of the bank’s first sustainability report (an editor’s pick on CSRwire), a promotional campaign and ongoing blog content.
We expanded thought leadership for the executive team with articles written for independent publications and a PR program targeting two key markets.

Thinkshift has been a great partner as we have developed our brand, our messaging and our communication tactics.”—Vince Siciliano, CEO, New Resource Bank

HOW IT WORKED

Staff embraced the messaging, and it remained effective over four years after development.
The tagline clearly conveys the bank’s focus and gets a strong positive response.
Trade PR efforts expanded the bank’s reach and brought in business leads.
A multifaceted “Move Your Money” campaign, pegged to the national movement away from big banks, contributed to record numbers of new accounts and a 130 percent rise in website traffic during the campaign period. (See the case study.)
Newsletter open rates regularly beat industry benchmarks.