Obviously these are not the greatest of economic times, but believe
it or not, there is good news to be found in the midst of the financial
crisis — particularly if you are the Chief Marketing Officer of a
smaller community or regional bank.

First, the public sentiment is mainly against Wall Street.
That’s big banking and big brokerage we’re talking about.
That’s the CEO of Lehman Brothers testifying in front of
Congress, not the CEO of Smallville Bank. For many of these ultra-large
bank and brokerage brands, the best thing they can do is spend less
money on advertising and more money on research and planning for how
they can emerge with potential new messages, new visual identities, new
choices of media, possibly even a new name once the market begins to
recover and the negative press subsides over time.

Smaller yet established banks and brokerages focused on the
community or local region have less of an issue here when it comes to
their brand. Times like these present an incredible window of
opportunity for smaller financial institutions to seize the moment and
increase their advertising more than they typically do. Why? Because by
putting themselves out there as a voice of strength in a climate of
turmoil, it reminds and reinforces the stability and consistency that
these banks have. THEY still have the public’s trust by and large
whereas their bigger counterparts are in full spin mode trying to put
lipstick on a pig of a situation.

So if you’re the CMO or VP of Marketing at a community bank or
smaller brokerage house, do not make the mistake of laying low and
waiting for the economic storm to blow over. Get out your brand
umbrella and get out there. Now. And I’m not just referring to
traditional media choices but it’s time to also start exploring
social media if you haven’t already so that you begin to build a
presence in those online communities your target may be frequenting.
Your prospects are surrounded by uncertainty and questions, not to
mention your existing customers. It’s time to show how
you’re the voice of reason among the financial madness.