1st Bank of Sea Isle City

OVERVIEW:

1st Bank of Sea Isle City, established in 1888, is now a multi-location community bank and a staple in Sea Isle City, NJ. The bank staff strives to maintain a hometown atmosphere while providing superior products and services to its customers. At 1st Bank of Sea Isle City, the banking experience is warm and friendly, not cold and impersonal. 1st Bank of Sea Isle City has been advertising with Comcast for 20+ years and continues to incorporate multiscreen strategies into its annual marketing plans.

STRATEGY:

Advertising a community bank takes a unique approach because financial and wealth management decisions take a bit longer for consumers. 1st Bank of Sea Isle City’s marketing strategy is largely a brand play with intermittent account, loan, and mortgage specials. Image is very important to the bank, so its creative messages authentically feature employees and residents of the community it serves. In a highly competitive market, the bank employees differentiate themselves by promoting customer service over size. Message and brand continuity are critical in building and maintaining the bank’s image in Cape May County.

The bank ran ads during high-profile TV and streaming content and used Comcast data insights to target both demographically and geographically. “We target household decision-makers, who are primarily women, but when initiatives change, we use [Comcast data insights] to home in on different audiences grouped by lifestyle,” the client explained. “We like that campaign flexibility and the ability to reach a demographic like ‘in-market for a loan.’ Comcast gives us scale at the local level, helping us reach thousands of viewers in the county we serve.”

SUCCESS:

1st Bank of Sea Isle City largely credits its success to a continual investment in branding strategies, stating, “We attribute a lot of our long-term success to what we’ve done with Comcast.” The bank has seen a steady increase in new customers as well as mortgage loans. While branding takes time, 1st Bank of Sea Isle City acquires new business through “word of mouth” and as a result of people seeing its commercials during high-profile TV shows and live sports.

The client added, “I trust Comcast and the relationships I’ve built with the team of media experts at Effectv. My account executive listens and truly understands the needs of my business. With every advertising innovation and new targeting technology, they educate and inform, suggesting new and affordable marketing strategies tied directly to my business goals.”