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Inbound Lead Success Prompts Community Bank to Boost Digital Initiatives

Baltimore, Md. – Vitamin®, a leading digital-first integrated marketing agency, recently expanded its partnership with client Old Line Bank, the third-largest community bank in Maryland with assets in excess of $3 billion, and celebrating 30 years in business. Utilizing a new, fully-integrated, multi-channel ad campaign, the goal is to raise awareness of Old Line Bank’s brand in Greater Baltimore, following the 2018 acquisition of Bay Bank, and tailor Old Line’s product promotions to target lending and deposits as the goals for each fluctuate throughout the year. The campaign will continue through the end of 2019.

The campaign is integrated with Old Line Bank’s in-branch product promotions, email marketing, Google Ads paid search, website, and SEO programs, and emphasizes inbound lead generation. The site now realizes hundreds of leads per month across consumer and business sales channels. The bank’s marketing team can directly attribute dollars spent on the campaign to new business and revenue generation, specifically, what a lead costs and what they can expect to receive for the effort from a revenue generation standpoint.

The strategic campaign also incorporates digital, outdoor, print and radio ads, all of which Vitamin created, planned, and managed on behalf of the client. Vitamin oversaw campaign conceptualization and execution, as well as the media plan and ad buys. The agency devised ads to raise the bank’s exposure in the Baltimore region and showcase what makes the Maryland lender so different, targeting potential business and personal banking customers and promoting Old Line Bank’s range of services. Working closely with the institution’s marketing team, Vitamin crafted focused messaging inspired by impactful testimonials from existing customers, with the goal of effectively communicating who Old Line Bank is and enticing new clients.

Two key messages were created to convey the most significant traits that separate Old Line Bank from larger, national lending institutions: The message of “We’re Not Just Your Bank… We’re Your Neighbor.” communicates Old Line’s deep connection to Maryland and is aimed at personal banking customers; while the message of “We Don’t Just See Numbers… We See Your Future.” enforces the bank’s commitment to the local business community, and assures both current and potential customers that the bank considers each new account as more than a transaction, but as a person with unique goals, challenges and needs.

“When I think of Old Line Bank’s partnership with Vitamin, the word ‘trust’ comes to mind. The bank’s leadership recognized that they needed to invest in their marketing program and they trusted Vitamin as a partner to support them down the path to success through a highly-strategic, digital-first campaign,” said Vitamin President and CEO, Amanda Karfakis. “Their integrated marketing campaigns and digital presence signify a savvy in-house marketing team who understands the potential and power a strong, digitally-integrated partnership brings.”

Vitamin’s heavy focus on digital was strategic and aimed at reaching potential Old Line Bank customers on the platforms that consumers use the most. According to Salesforce Senior Manager of Product Marketing Marta Lawrence, new customer acquisition through digital channels is a top priority for financial services institutions in 2019. She adds “The importance of acquiring customers increased from 30% in 2018 to 44% in 2019. Fueling this growth is an ever-increasing emphasis on digital channels, which was up from 32% to 35%. The report also found that without significant prioritization of digital channel engagement, the ability to acquire and retain an increasingly digital consumer base will be more and more difficult.”

Vitamin’s partnership with Old Line Bank began in November 2017, with a complete website redesign and messaging overhaul. Vitamin crafted a strategic marketing plan that harnessed the potential of the website as a new business development tool, incorporating multiple tactics including Google Ads, a targeted SEO program, landing page development, and content strategy aimed at increasing deposits and commercial lending.

About Vitamin®
Vitamin® is the “Cure for the Common Brand®,” a full-service, digital-first integrated marketing agency, providing clients with high-quality, process-driven deliverables within the disciplines of branding, website design and development, SEO/SEM, media & advertising, print, public relations, and social media. Founded in 2002, the Baltimore-based agency specializes in holistic, deeply-branded experiences that define clients and bring their unique differences to life with a focus on inbound lead generation and lead nurturing. Vertical expertise includes banking, built environment, commercial real estate, financial services, healthcare & human services, manufacturing and non-profit market sectors. Vitamin is a certified MBE/DBE/SBE by the Maryland DOT.