Banks’ secret marketing weapon is ‘kid stuff’

One of the most enduring lessons of my banking career came from my first job, long before I understood how powerful small, kid-focused gestures could be within a community.

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That first banking job was as branch manager of an in-store location. I went into it mentally prepared to be a “real” branch manager, just like the traditional branch managers who had trained me.

I was ready to closely follow their examples. Then, during the final week of preparation for opening my branch, an interesting delivery arrived. Someone rolled a helium tank into the vault room.

I called the main office and was told by the marketing director that the tank was for helium balloons I would be inflating and handing out to customers.

Now, if I am being honest, I probably knew that was something I might be doing, but when the reality hit, I was a bit put off. How was I supposed to be a “real” branch manager and loan officer if I was out there handing out balloons like a clown?

I tried to hide my hesitation, but I asked how long we would have the tank.

She told me, “Oh, you’re only budgeted for one tank, so when it’s empty, that’s it.”

Knowing it was not exactly safe to just leak helium until the tank ran dry, I set out to blow up and hand out as many balloons as possible.

Now, whenever I tell this story, I always make a point of noting that when I walked out onto the floor, I am pretty sure I wore the facial expression and body language of a depressed clown.

But lo and behold, I soon learned that the guy with a fistful of free balloons for kids was suddenly the most popular guy in the store.

Whenever I or one of my staff walked out onto the floor with them, we were like pied pipers. Parents and grandparents alike would bring their kids to us to get a balloon that would keep them happy and occupied for a while.

As a side benefit, those logoed balloons spread throughout the store were pretty effective at boosting our name recognition. And, in many instances, the goodwill generated by making kids happy lasted far beyond those initial interactions.

Oh, and I requested another helium tank a month later once the first one was used up.

We quickly learned something I would end up preaching to thousands of bankers across the country.

If you want someone to like you, be nice to them. If you want them to love and remember you, be nice to their kids or grandkids.

Over the years, I have had hundreds of bankers share stories of the clear and immediate goodwill they see when they hand out things like lollipops in their drive-thru windows.

These thoughts were running through my mind recently when we attended a performance by a local choral society. As we pulled into the parking lot, I assumed there must be other events happening. I had never seen a crowd this size for this choir.

Once inside and looking at the program, I realized why. A local elementary school choir joined the adult choir for a few songs.

After a quick headcount, and mentally subtracting the usual audience for this event, it became clear that there was more than a one-to-one ratio of children on stage to additional paying adults in the seats.

I’m not sure of the mix, but there were lots of parents and other friends and family members there supporting the kids. I leaned over and joked with my wife that no form of marketing could generate that kind of crowd, create those kinds of lasting memories or build that kind of name awareness.

For many years, I have suggested to bankers in both rural and metropolitan communities that many of the most influential people in their markets can be found at local fields, ballparks, gymnasiums and music recitals throughout the week, especially on weekends.

But they are not in the stands.

They are on the fields, the courts, and the performance halls, and in most cases, they did not drive themselves there. In most cases, an adult in their life made it a priority to get them there.

Organizations that invest visibly and sincerely in the youth of their communities earn trust, goodwill, and a lasting positive reputation.

Communities are unique, and the type of support needed can vary. It may be as simple as helping fund the maintenance of a local park or sponsoring uniforms and equipment for youth leagues.

It might also include supporting music, dance, or theater lessons for young people with interest and ambition.

And yes, the name recognition that grows with those young people into adulthood has real value. However, the impact begins much sooner, taking hold within the community itself.

National ad campaigns are impressive. But few things create more goodwill or lasting impact than visible, hands-on support of a community’s youth, no matter the size of the bank. If you want to be remembered, show up where the kids are.