Breaking into New Markets with Bold Strategies and Big Wins

The first step in launching an “impact” campaign in a new market is to identify your best prospects. When Associated Bank entered uncharted territories, it came to us to do just that — and a lot more.

Associated Bank had a bold goal: to expand into new markets and connect with fresh audiences who hadn’t yet experienced their banking expertise. But entering a new market is never easy. They needed to stand out from established competitors, find the right prospects and deliver messaging that would resonate with potential customers. The challenge? Ensuring their offerings made a strong, memorable impression on people who were unfamiliar with their brand.

Associated Bank partnered with Responsory to craft a winning strategy that would speak directly to their ideal customers. Together, we created a smart, data-driven campaign designed to attract attention and inspire action. Here’s what we did:

• Targeting the Right People: We analyzed the market and identified Associated Bank’s perfect customers using detailed profiles and research.
• Standing Out from the Competition: By studying what other banks were offering, the team crafted messaging that set Associated Bank apart in a meaningful way.
• Reaching Customers Where They Are: A creative direct mail campaign was paired with precise Smart Zones digital ads, ensuring potential customers were engaged both at home and online.
• Personalized Messaging: Compelling offers were tailored to meet the unique needs of two key demographics in these new markets.

The results were outstanding:

• More Clicks and Engagement: The digital ads performed strongly, achieving a clickthrough rate of 0.16%.
• High Conversion Rate: The campaign delivered a 15% conversion rate, meaning many prospects responded to the messaging and offers.

Thanks to this strategic campaign, Associated Bank made a memorable debut in new markets and successfully connected with their ideal customers. This was a big win—not just for Associated Bank, but for the people who now had access to their exceptional banking services.