Looking Ahead: Celebrating 25 Years by Focusing on the Future
NebraskaLand Bank, a community-focused bank – serving North Platte and Kearney in Nebraska, as well as Rock Springs, Wyo. – was celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2023. They wanted a forward-looking campaign that would drive awareness and engagement while showcasing their commitment to personalized service for both individual consumers and small businesses.
Insights
As NebraskaLand Bank approached this milestone, they sought to position themselves as a strong and community-focused institution prepared for the future. With an audience that ranged from individual consumers to small business owners, the bank’s primary goal was to increase brand awareness while deepening customer relationships. Larger banks were beginning to expand into NebraskaLand Bank’s markets, intensifying the need for a distinct, ownable campaign that would stand out and resonate emotionally with their audience.
Research showed that while these competitors could outspend them, NebraskaLand Bank’s strength lay in its deep community ties and personal relationships with customers. Bozell worked with NebraskaLand Bank to capture this unique value proposition in a campaign that not only celebrated their past but focused on where they were going next.
Execution
To bring this vision to life, Bozell pitched the “Next” campaign, emphasizing NebraskaLand Bank’s role in supporting the future goals of their customers, whether that be their next adventure, their next business goal, or their next community project. The campaign integrated hand-drawn elements to give a sense of personalization and warmth to all visual materials, making each ad feel distinctly unique to the bank.
Bozell employed a multi-channel strategy to meet audiences where they were, which included:
- Display ads on websites and social media platforms, designed with custom animations to make the campaign more engaging
- Local newspaper ads that reinforced the community-first messaging
- Radio & TV ad spots that highlighted key campaign themes and provided broad reach, especially in North Platte and Kearney
- Search ads that focused on driving conversions for specific products like consumer and business checking accounts
Each piece of media was carefully designed to showcase NebraskaLand Bank’s dedication to helping customers achieve what’s next for them, while maintaining a distinct, ownable look and feel.
Results
The “Next” campaign was a massive success, significantly elevating NebraskaLand Bank’s profile in the regions they serve and reinforcing its position as a go-to community bank. Their customers now see them not just as a financial institution, but as a partner for whatever comes next.
Key metrics included:
- Over 2 million impressions in North Platte alone.
- Video completion rates of 98%-99%, indicating strong engagement.
- Radio ads achieved a 44% reach in Kearney, with a frequency of 14—meaning the average person heard the ad 14 times, solidifying the message.
- Click-through rates were above industry average across digital platforms.
The campaign’s creative assets resonated deeply, leading to expanded product-focused campaigns for mortgage and business banking products later in the year.
