Online video can be a ways to reach out in a rural market.

• Position: Iowa State Savings Bank

JAN KNOCK

Vice President Marketing

Iowa State Savings Bank

Creston, Iowa

Assets: $180 million; three locations

In a rural community, there traditionally have not been many media outlets to disseminate the bank's message. Thus today, the small-town bank's Web site has taken on importance--and the inclusion of online video has proved to be an effective new communications channel.

Since farmers live in remote areas, it is often more convenient to them to use online banking. "Rural Iowans have come to accept online banking as a vital part of their lives" says Knock. Iowa State Savings has offered the service for a number of years and the customer adaptation rate is above the national average.

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Although the institution cut back its marketing budget last year--reducing the number of print ads and eliminating outdoor advertising altogether--Iowa State continued to upgrade and add new features to its Web site. The institution added online video about 18 months ago. Having seen what some financial institutions had done in terms of teaching financial literacy to children, Knock decided to generate an online video on the topic. At the same time, she added a video clip of the bank president reassuring customers about the bank's financial condition--since at the time there were widespread fears among consumers about the safety of banks in general.

The institution lacked the budget to produce a slick, scripted video. Instead, it opted for the simplest format that could be created for a reasonable cost. The financial literacy video featured on-camera interviews with...