Reader's guide.

• Position: IDEA BANK

The "Idea Bank" showcases outstanding examples of advertising and other marketing campaigns from financial institutions of all sizes and locations. Included in each issue are some of the winners of the most recent ABA Financial Marketing Awards hosted by the ABA Marketing Network. The names of all financial institutions or advertising and communications agencies are included where appropriate.

Impact; Asset Size: $500 Million to $1 Billion

Changing the Identity of an S&L

Institution: First Federal Bank, Port Angeles, Wash.

Agency: Financial Marketing Solutions, Franklin, Tenn.

First Federal Savings & Loan, the only locally owned and managed "savings and loan" on Washington's North Olympic Peninsula, decided that it needed a new name after 85 years of service.

Focus groups showed that the most local people in everyday conversation had dropped the "savings and loan" aspect of the name long ago. Few people realized that the bank was a mutual organization. The term "savings and loan" had become meaningless, with many consumers assuming that it meant that the bank did not offer checking.

The S&L decided to shorten its name to simply, "First Federal Bank" creating and launching the bank's first-ever viral marketing campaign, which featured pseudo interviews with people throughout the market voicing their thoughts about what a mutual organization is. The viral spot educated the cotnmunity about the many benefits such an organization has to offer, summarized in the bank's new tagline: "Making a difference. Together"

In the months following the unveiling of the campaign, the new viral spot generated hundreds of hits. "We are in a nongrowth market, three hours from a major city," says Gina Lowman, director of marketing and sales with First Federal. "Core deposit growth had been declining for five years in a row." The bank's goal was core deposit growth of 10 percent the following year. However, it actually achieved 16 percent.

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Impact; Asset Size $500 Million to $1 Billion

Financial Soundness Campaign

Institution: FirstBank, Lakewood, Colo.

Agency: TDA, Boulder, Colo.

During the recent financial crisis, the bank wanted to promote the fact that it is a stable institution. While this may have been a bit of a touchy subject, FirstBank sought to maintain its personality by using humor to highlight the bank's security and stability in a series of magazine and newspaper ads.

FirstBank's...