Financial Industry Marketing Trend: Keep it Virtual

Forecasting financial industry marketing and public relations trends is an important component of any communications and marketing plan. By staying ahead of the curve, your credit union or community bank will find emerging opportunities to raise brand awareness, shape perceptions and grow your field of membership/customer base. To assist in your efforts, consider incorporating a successful public relations strategy into your overall financial marketing plan – one that includes virtual earned media opportunities. A trend that’s not going anywhere, anytime soon

Little did we know that being digitally agile would become the number one focus for nearly every single business on the planet. Leading up to the start of the pandemic, we had been seeing digital marketing and advertising growing exponentially for quite some time. We forecasted that it would continue to gain momentum – and it did. And with special recognition (insert sarcasm) to the global pandemic, digital connections rose to an all-time high. Fast forward and today the world continues to heavily rely on technology and digital connections – a trend that’s becoming a way of life.  

Earned media is a great way to help elevate your credit union or community bank brand, build credibility and recruit more happy members and customers. And with the help of digital, you can be much more efficient in your efforts. The following trends involve low-cost visibility and are some of the top ways to enhance your online presence. A win-win!

Virtual Media Tours

Traditionally, a media tour takes place over 1-2 days as a series of in-person interviews with a brand spokesperson and a journalist/public figure. The goal is to share a specific message with key audiences over a short time frame. For example, when a blockbuster movie is about to hit theatres or HBO Max, you’ll see the A-list star interviewed on national morning shows, late-night television and other outlets to build awareness and help increase ticket sales.

Media tours are great to plan on the heels of a company announcement, product, event, or initiative and are simply a great opportunity for your brand to connect with key audiences and build credibility.

A virtual media tour is essentially the same but is much more efficient and doesn’t only have to be for A-list movies stars. Thanks to Zoom, Teams, Google Meet and well-planned execution, a virtual media tour consists of a series of back-to-back interviews with your brand spokesperson and local TV news anchors, radio personalities and more. This allows you to get your message out faster and more efficiently – generating big buzz and brand awareness.

Virtual Press Conference

Traditionally, a news conference is an in-person event in which the media is invited to hear you speak on a specific topic or announcement and then allows time for journalists to ask questions. A virtual press conference allows for the same, but provides more flexibility in production, opens the door for more media to attend to gain visibility and traction, and helps shape positive perceptions throughout the communities you serve.

A successful virtual news conference will create awareness and can generate news stories about your credit union or bank.

With thoughtful planning, a virtual press conference can be pre-recorded or live and can be shared afterward with those that were unable to attend. It also can be leveraged on your social channels to generate more buzz and excitement around the announcement. Virtual media tours and virtual press conferences require a lot of pre-planning and coordination to be successful and provide ROI. Consider both options when planning your next big announcement, initiative or event. If you need assistance, contact Chartwell Agency. We have a team of public relations professionals to help you successfully share your message.