Strategic Growth and Brand Evolution
A look at my tenure managing marketing for First Farmers Bank & Trust, where I scaled brand identity and assets by over $2 Billion.
The Challenge: Modernize a regional banking brand and expand into new high-growth markets while navigating complex federal compliance requirements and multiple stakeholders.
The Approach: I spearheaded a comprehensive brand and digital transformation, shifting the bank from traditional outreach to a modern, multi-channel strategy, including the launch of video advertising and two major website redesigns.
The Result:
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Scale: Contributed to a growth in bank assets of over $2 Billion during my tenure.
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Expansion: Led the end-to-end marketing strategy for opening denovo branches in key Indiana markets.
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Execution: Partnered with compliance teams to develop high-impact, regulation-ready campaigns in collaboration with large-scale vendors like Mastercard and Fiserv.
We moved the bank brand off the balance sheet and onto Main Street. By launching an annual high-energy race in partnership with local non-profits and businesses, I created an experiential touchpoint that turned brand awareness into active community participation. After three years, the event has become a local staple, proving that professional banking goals and community fun are not mutually exclusive.
To humanize our brand and build awareness in one of newer markets in Lafayette, I orchestrated a multi-channel partnership with collegiate athlete Mason Gillis. We moved beyond traditional product advertising, creating a serialized content series that championed 'inner drive', a narrative framework that resonated with our community while driving measurable engagement. This project demonstrated that when you lead with a compelling story, high-stakes brand awareness and authentic community trust follow.
What’s the most effective way to humanize the high-stress world of mortgage lending? You tell the story through the eyes of a dog. I architected Furever Home, a serialized narrative campaign told from the perspective of a shelter dog, which paired emotional storytelling with a commitment to donate to local animal shelters for every new mortgage. By leveraging a narrative voice that resonated deeply with our dog-friendly audience, we turned a financial transaction into a community mission."
When we launched our new brand—Banking Built on Heart and Grit—I needed to prove it wasn't just a tagline. I spearheaded a video series that turned our corporate mission into personal storytelling, featuring our employees, customers, and community partners. This campaign didn't just market our midwestern values of resilience and heart; it ignited them internally, with our team adopting the 'Heart and Grit' ethos almost immediately. This is the blueprint for how brand identity drives both external perception and internal culture.
