Ep 73 - The Great Brand Refresh Tale of A Community Bank with Dave Peters and Marty Heger
Release Date: 11/25/2024
Ep 94 - Sharveen Kumar - How Banks Can Adopt AI While Adding To Their Personal Touch
Bank Marketing Show
There’s lots of hype in the marketplace about how AI is taking over – and while the promise is that AI can help personalize customer experiences at scale, community banks are worried that it will actually make customer service feel more generic and less personal. This week, Chris and Dan talk with Sharveen Kumar, former NVIDIA-backed founder and ex-marketing leader at Amex, about the opportunity for banks to use AI to gain more personal touch with AI. By using AI in the right ways, it takes the mundane, repeatable tasks off your plate and actually creates more opportunities for you to do...
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Ep 93 - Use AI to Build a 90-Day Content Calendar (in Real Time!)
Bank Marketing Show
EP 93: Use AI to Build a 90-Day Content Calendar (in Real Time) In this second hands-on demo (see Ep 89: AI Starter Kit for the first one), Dan shares his screen to walk through a real example: how a custom GPT can take just three real customer questions and instantly generate 90 days of social posts, blog topics, and image suggestions—all formatted and ready to use. If you've been using ChatGPT or another LLM, but haven't started building repeatable processes yet, this episode will get you started. Here, we talk about content creation - but there's so much more you can do with...
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Ep 92 - Justin Stayrook – The Opportunities of AI Beyond LLMs
Bank Marketing Show
AI isn’t just for the big players—it might be your small bank’s biggest advantage. In this episode, Chris and Dan interview Justin Stayrook, Chief Growth Officer at EYEMAGINE, about how AI is transforming operations for lean marketing teams in community banks and credit unions. From cutting project timelines to boosting output without increasing staff, Justin shares why now is the time to act. What we cover: · Why AI adoption is moving faster than any technology shift before it · How...
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Ep 91 - Autumn Jose – Creating Social Stars for Marketing Success
Bank Marketing Show
Can your employees become your most powerful marketing tool? In this episode, we sit down with Autumn Jose, AVP and Brand Marketing Coordinator of Civista Bank to talk about how she turned a simple idea into a thriving employee advocacy program—and what it takes to grow a brand from the inside out. Autumn shares how she created Civista’s “Social Stars” initiative to drive social media engagement for the brand, what worked (and didn’t), and how banks of any size can replicate it. What we cover in this episode: · Why traditional marketing no longer...
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Ep 90 - The Power of Connection with Neil Stevens (RERUN Ep 38)
Bank Marketing Show
The Power of Connection with Neil Stevens Connection – with your team, your bank, your customers, and your own self - is the key to great leadership and to creating a truly engaged team. It starts at the top. Your bank’s leadership needs to feel confident in and connected with the values, vision, and mission of your institution. When this happens, and you hire people whose personal visions are already aligned with yours, you start building a great company culture, too. In this episode, Dan Novalis, Chris Bates, and Neil Stevens discuss what goes into connected teams. Neil shares his LEAD...
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Ep 89 - AI Starter Kit for Community Bank Marketers
Bank Marketing Show
Feeling stuck when it comes to using AI in your bank’s marketing? You’re not alone. In this episode, Dan and Chris walk through five simple and safe ways to start using Gen AI—without tripping compliance alarms or sacrificing your brand voice. In this episode, we don’t just talk about it—we do it. You’ll see real prompts, live demos, and practical tips you can implement today. - Drafting Blog Posts - without the blank-page anxiety - Creating Social Media Posts – from...
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Ep 88 - Skill Building In The Age of AI
Bank Marketing Show
In this episode, Dan and Chris explore how AI is reshaping the bank marketing world— and what marketing professionals need to do to stay ahead. From prompting effectively in ChatGPT to building efficient workflows and bringing human insight to the table, this episode outlines the skills that will define the next generation of marketing leaders. You’ll hear how to shift from tactical task execution to strategic input, and how banks can stand out in a sea of generic AI content by focusing on what makes them truly different. Key Topics Covered: Why AI won't...
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Ep 87 - Essential Website Strategy Insights with Brent Feldman
Bank Marketing Show
Ep 87 – Essential Website Strategy Insights with Brent Feldman Many community banks don’t hesitate to invest hundreds of thousands, or even millions, in a new brick and mortar branch—but balk at the cost of a new website. In this episode, we dive into why that mindset needs to change—and what a modern bank website should actually do. Brent Feldman, CEO of Matchbox Design Group, joins us to unpack what makes a website work for banks, how to shift your team's mindset, and the most common traps banks fall into when building or rebuilding their sites. Topics we cover: ...
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Ep 86 - Banking on Knowledge: How Teaching Builds Trust
Bank Marketing Show
Financial education isn't just about blogging — it’s one of the most powerful tools a community bank can use to connect with its audience, build trust, and drive long-term growth. And, it’s one that many customers are requesting – information and education from an institution they already trust. In this episode, Dan and Chris unpack the real “why” behind financial education and dive deep into practical ways banks can use it to boost engagement and loyalty. We discuss: *Why financial education works better than promotional fluff *Real-world delivery formats: blogs, workshops,...
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Ep 85 - Turning Stories Into Strategy - Humanize Your Brand
Bank Marketing Show
Turning Stories Into Strategy: Humanizing Your Brand Think you need a massive ad budget to stand out? Think again. This episode is all about how community banks can turn everyday staff and customer stories into powerful, memorable marketing—while keeping spend to a minimum. If your team’s struggling with content ideas, this is your playbook. In this episode, Chris and Dan cover: Why stories beat stock photos every time How to encourage employees to share small, real moments Turning everyday experiences into community trust Mixing personal + professional for maximum impact ...
info_outlineIt’s time to rebrand your community bank. Where do you start? Rebranding a community bank involves a simple four-step process: identifying the problem, taking time to plan, checking your resources, and then acting on your plan. First, it’s about recognizing that something isn’t working. Many banks face issues like dropping deposits and having a smaller credit pipeline. While these banks are trusted locally, they might struggle to reach younger audiences or keep up digitally. This isn’t just about offering competitive rates but making real improvements to stay valuable and relevant to the community.
In this episode, Chris Bates, Dan Novalis, Dave Peters, and Marty Heger discuss the four steps to rebranding. The next step is to pause and plan, often with a consultant who understands the industry and can offer a fresh view. This planning stage is all about defining the bank’s brand message, creating a guide for brand voice, and deciding on important and doable changes.
Some actions, like updating signage and the website, may take more effort but have a big impact. Smaller updates, like changing email signatures, require less work but still boost brand consistency. Successful rebranding needs everyone involved, from leadership to every staff member, and careful progress tracking. By following these steps, banks can align internally and make a stronger connection with their communities.
Topics Include:
- The four-step narrative to a rebrand
- Who do you serve uniquely well
- Why a community bank’s rebrand needs to be an entire staff effort, not just the CEO
- How to deliver a brand refresh
- Why you have to schedule/block out time to work on your rebrand
About Marty Heger
Martin “Marty” Heger, Jr., is the President and CEO of Dearborn Federal Savings Bank, a true community bank that has served Dearborn, Dearborn Heights, and the surrounding communities since 1936. Marty joined the Bank in 2002 as its Chief Lending Officer, where he was responsible for all aspects of residential and commercial lending. In 2022, Marty assumed the role of President and CEO. He is responsible for all Bank operations and reports directly to the Office of the Chairman.
Marty graduated from The University of Michigan with an A.B. degree in Economics and earned an M.B.A. with a Finance concentration from Wayne State University.
Before joining Dearborn Federal Savings Bank, Marty began his banking career with the National Bank of Detroit (now J.P. Morgan Chase). With NBD, he progressed quickly from Branch Management Trainee to Corporate Cash Management Officer, Vice President, and Commercial Credit Officer in the Middle Market Division.
Marty has held several leadership positions with various professional, civic, and social organizations, including the Michigan Bankers Service Corporation, the Dearborn Area Chamber of Commerce, the Exchange Club of Dearborn, the Dearborn Centurions, and the Dearborn Symphony Orchestra. He has also volunteered his time and effort at the Festival of Trees organization, which supports pediatric research at Children’s Hospital of Michigan.
When not involved in his professional and civic duties, Marty and his wife, Vicky, enjoy following the active lives of their two adult children, Trey and Zachary. In addition, Marty is an accomplished musician who dedicates his musical talents to various charitable organizations.
About Dave Peters
Dave Peters majored in Accounting at Hillsdale College and began working for a regional Accounting firm in the Metro Detroit area a few months later. After licensing as a CPA just over a year later, Dave continued to grow in his responsibilities with the firm by leading client meetings, preparing complex analyses and returns, conducting CPE training sessions, leading various technology initiatives, and even sporting a tux as an emcee for the firm’s first “work-from-homies” paper plate award show in the midst of 2020’s tax season.
After several years, Dave moved to Dearborn Federal Savings Bank as its Chief Financial Officer, trading tax optimization strategies for interest rate risk analysis, call reports, and reconciliations. Throughout his almost three years at the Bank, Dave continued to modernize its efficiencies and processes while strategizing and leading ways for future asset growth and revenue development.
Resources Mentioned:
- Email Martin Heger: [email protected]
- LinkedIn: David Peters
- Website: https://bankmarketingshow.com/