“That’s My Bank” Marketing Campaign Wins Prestigious Award
Once upon a time, banking was about personal connections.
Customers walked into a branch, met with a friendly professional, and made small talk over coffee. Eventually, the conversation came around to the topic at hand – perhaps a mortgage, personal loan, or new account. Documents were signed, and there were handshakes and good feelings all around.
Then financial technology came along. ATMs. Online Banking. Mobile apps. Chatbots. Over time, there’s been a growing perception that banking has become cold and impersonal, with transactions made by machines and decisions made by algorithms.
At First Bank Texas, we’re proud to offer all the convenience that technology offers. But we’re also determined to persuade our customers and potential customers – people like you – that we’re a bank where personal connections still take place every day.
To that end, we launched a marketing campaign to show how these connections result in real-world financial benefits for real people. For our efforts, we recently received a prestigious Best in Community Banking Gold Eagle Award for Marketing from the Independent Bankers Association of Texas (IBAT).
Our goal, we wrote in our application to IBAT, was to “invoke a sense of nostalgia for the days when banking was more than just transactions - it was about genuine connections with the community.”
Real Voices
The best decision we made was to not toot our own horns. Instead, our campaign – which used social media, our website, other digital platforms, and traditional advertising outlets – put the spotlight on real customers who benefited from relationships forged with our banking team.
Among those featured was Jacob Schulman, owner of an independent movie theater company. “In my opinion, First Bank Texas is a true local bank,” Schulman said in one video. “They care about people more than they do ratios and other things that you would find with other larger banks.”
Another story featured Skyler Kiefer, owner of North Texas Cabinets. “From a personal level to a business level, [First Bank Texas) has been there every step of the way.” Kiefer said. “Our banker always believed in us and had advice for us to get past the slow times.”
Time and again, real people spoke of how First Bank Texas professionals assisted them with information, support, and guidance. They reported being so pleased with our efforts that, when asked about us, they would reply, “That’ my bank!,” just like they might exclaim, “That’s my team!” or “That’s my kid!”
Our marketing campaign had a second major element. In 2024, we rolled out Interactive Teller Machines, which are like ATMs except customers can speak directly to live video bankers via a video screen. To make this technology less intimidating, we created a friendly cowboy mascot named Ted to help customers learn how to use them.
OK, you say. This is all just advertising hype. Why should I care?
The truth is, it may not matter to you that the various elements of our marketing campaign have been seen or heard more than 4 million times. And you may shrug upon learning that the campaign generated hundreds of phone calls and drew hundreds of new customers through our doors.
But the reason that you should care is that, well, it’s all true. We are a locally focused bank. We do have a friendly team ready to make personal connections. And we really will pull out all the stops to help you or your business succeed.
Want to know more about our bank, our services. or even our “That’s My Bank!” campaign? We invite you to come in and chat for a bit. We’ll even put on a pot of coffee.
First Texas Bank Honored for Extra Effort During Covid Crisis
At First Texas Bank, we like to tout the fact that our services are available 24/7.
In most cases, we’re referring to Online and Mobile Banking tools that allow customers to link to their accounts any hour of the day or night. But on rare occasions, it’s our dedicated team members who burn the midnight oil on behalf of the people of North and West Texas.
That was the case at the beginning of the covid pandemic, when our crew went to extraordinary lengths to process Paycheck Protection Program loans that helped keep local businesses afloat during a time when the U.S. economy was largely locked down.
For our team’s tireless efforts in processing more than 2,000 PPP applications, First Bank Texas has been awarded the Best in Community Banking Silver Eagle Award for Community Service from the Independent Bankers Association of Texas.
“First Bank Texas is blessed to have been able to empower small businesses with PPP loans ranging from $1,000 to several million dollars,” said Zan Prince, Chairman of First Bank Texas. “And those who were awarded the $1,000 loans were every bit as important as the million-dollar loans.”
Hard Work and Prayers
It’s easy to forget how chaotic life was at the beginning of the pandemic. Medical facilities were overwhelmed with patients. Small businesses owners feared they would have to close their doors forever. The federal Paycheck Protection Program was offered as a lifeline for businesses. But given how little time officials had to pull the loan program together, the rollout was anything but smooth.
As much of the community slept on April 2, 2020, the First Bank Texas team started submitting applications at the first moment possible - 11 p.m. Central Time. Only four bank computers were directly connected to the Small Business Administration platform, which was handling applications. Because of the high volume of digital traffic on the SBA site, other computers were tediously slow, with each keystroke taking 15 to 20 seconds to process.
But our team members pressed on, working around the clock. When Prince finally went to bed, she prayed with all the applications submitted, that the team hadn’t missed something that might keep our customers from accessing much-needed funds.
‘Come Get Your Loan’
Dave Lewis, owner of Rita’s Ice -- a Bedford, Texas, business that sells frozen treats -- was using another bank at the time and having trouble with the PPP loan application. He heard about First Bank Texas through his church and from his wife, who worked at a preschool that banks with First Bank Texas. “My wife mentioned First Bank Texas,” Lewis said. “And two days later I got my application submitted. And I got the money right after that.”
Tru Form Optics of Bedford, Texas, had applied through the portal of a big nationwide bank, but weeks passed with no response. With PPP funds depleting rapidly, the owners were getting anxious.
Over time, word spread that First Bank Texas was willing to help any business – even those with accounts at other banks. Tru Form filed an application through First Bank Texas – and it was processed within two days. Prince said her message to the local business community was: “Come get your PPP loan. I don’t care if you are a customer or not. That is a conversation for another day.”
In all, First Bank Texas helped businesses get over $120 million in PPP loans. Nowadays, Zan Prince and others on the banking team look back fondly at those sleepless nights and take pride in their role in helping small businesses weather the economic storm and emerge stronger than ever.
