Client: Eastern Federal Bank
Industry: Financial Services

A Brand To Bank On

To establish a more prominent presence in the southeastern Connecticut marketplace, we developed a new brand image for Eastern Federal Bank to establish the profile of the bank’s customer base. We conducted a market survey of the bank’s current customers to identify who they were, what banking products they were most interested in, and which marketing avenues they respond to. Once we understood the bank’s needs and their customer’s wants, we developed a marketing plan, including a new image to reach a younger, broader customer base and an advertising campaign that would excite customers and distinguish the bank’s brand.

The new image campaign reflected the bank’s customer-friendly banking approach. It included updating the bank’s logo color, creating a new tagline, and developing a family of print ads, billboard ads, brochures, bill stuffers, in-branch POPs and rack cards. These featured services such as business banking, savings, checking, overdraft privileges, home equity lending and online banking. Akins also designed the bank’s 2004 annual report.

The print ads and billboards utilize young professional and family images and playful copy and accentuate information such as rates and the call-to-action. We placed the billboards throughout downtown Norwich, CT (the bank’s headquarters) and the print ads in publications such as the Hartford Courant, The Day, Norwich Bulletin, Rivereast, Montville Times, Thames River Times and Turnpike Buyer.

We also wrote and placed press releases on the latest news for Eastern Federal Bank on new loan officers and the bank’s community giving. One press release was featured as the Norwich Bulletin’s top story of the business section. Other press releases were featured in The Day and with Connecticut Bankers Association.