In 2006, a small group of experienced and knowledgable bankers came together to create a different kind of bank. All had been senior executives at big banks where customers were treated the same. Their vision? Create a bank that served individual clients with customized financial products and a single point of contact or Banker Team that got to know their clients and handled all of their financial needs. The result was a unique banking experience that called for unique messaging.
We knew we needed to break the bank advertising mold. Give it a brand personality that clients won’t soon forget. Demonstrate how CapitalMark is different by crafting a different kind of message—something that is unexpected versus predictable. The idea was to get clients to view the banking experience in a whole new way making CapitalMark a whole new way to bank.
In March of 2007, CapitalMark opened its doors in Chattanooga, Tennessee with $35M in assets. In November of that year, the bank announced the opening of its Knoxville office. In 2010, the bank surpassed $400M in assets and by February of 2012, assets jumped to $700M. In late fall of 2012, CapitalMark opened offices in Oak Ridge and Cleveland, Tennessee. As of July of 2015, assets exceeded $1B as CapitalMark announced a successful merger with Pinnacle Financial Partners, a $7.5B bank headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee.
This was a distinct opportunity. Here was a chance to introduce a new concept in banking to a category viewed as conservative and somewhat expected. We wanted to write a story that branded a new kind of bank with a business model that offered a truly new banking experience that was matched by no other.
Collateral consisted of statement stuffers, outdoor backlit displays, in-bank posters and other printed materials. Each carried the same hard-hitting message: CapitalMark is the smart, no-nonsense place to bank with people who understand your unique financial needs and answer them with products and services not found at other banks.
