Client:
TierOne Bank

Background:
First Federal Lincoln Bank, located in Lincoln, Neb., contacted Ayres in Fall 2001 about partnering on a multimedia PR and advertising campaign for the bank's upcoming name and logo change. Monigle, a branding company in Denver, already developed the new TierOne Bank name, logo and color scheme, but the bank needed a local firm to plan and execute the public relations. TierOne, with assets of more than $1.5 billion, operates a branch network of 58 offices in 41 communities located in Nebraska, southwest Iowa and northeast Kansas. The bank was changing its name to reflect its solid growth in its primary tri-state market area.

The Objective:
TierOne needed Ayres Kahler to help develop and execute PR strategy to educate both internal (employees and board members) and external (media, customers and general public) audiences. The PR plan was to work in concert with a teaser advertising campaign for TV, print and radio, also developed by Ayres Kahler.

The Strategy:
Ayres Kahler's strategy was to develop TierOne Bank's key messages for both its internal and external audiences. Internal strategy: Educate TierOne employees about the name change process and how the change will help the bank -- and them -- in the long run; Give TierOne employees the tools they need to answer customer questions about the pending name change; Create buzz and excitement among the employees about the name change. External strategy: Position TierOne as a growing, dynamic bank that continues to serve its local, regional and national customers well; Use the name change as a platform to communicate new and existing services, such as the bank's redesigned web site; Use this opportunity to improve relationships between bank officials and regional media.

Campaign Execution:
Ayres Kahler and TierOne developed a teaser advertising campaign (newspaper, billboards and TV/radio) promising current and potential customers a big announcement on Feb. 10. Since TierOne wanted the name a secret until it was unveiled to employees on Feb. 9, Ayres organized a media caravan of bank officials to distribute an embargoed press kit to the media on Feb. 6.

The embargo ensured the media would get the information in advance if they agreed not to publish or broadcast the new name until Sunday, Feb. 10, the day after the employee announcement. Ayres Kahler escorted TierOne officials to more than 15 media outlets in the region over a two-day period, organizing interviews, supplying the media with background information, photos and graphics. The embargo proved successful for both the bank and the media, who needed the extra time to prepare the stories. Meanwhile, several newsletters were developed to help employees understand the name change process and prepare them to answer potential customer questions. On Feb. 10, billboards, display and TV/radio ads announced the bank's new name in concert with the stories that the media published.

The Results:
The Lincoln Journal Star placed the TierOne piece as the lead story in its Sunday, Feb. 10 Business section. The package quoted the press kit at length and included a bio on the bank's CEO, a chronology of the bank name's history, a sample of the logo and a sidebar about how Monigle developed the name and logo. The Omaha World-Herald had a page one refer (including the TierOne logo) and a story on page 1 of the Business section.

The Council Bluffs (Iowa) Nonpareil ran a bylined story in its banking special section, and the Grand Island Independent gave the story extensive coverage. Several TV and radio stations in Nebraska and southwest Iowa ran taped interviews from the media caravan on Sunday and Monday. On Tuesday, Feb. 12, the Omaha World-Herald and Midlands Business Journal covered the raising of the signage in downtown Lincoln with photos and cutlines. The World-Herald ran the photo on its Business cover. The Midlands Business Journal conducted an in-depth interview Feb. 11 with TierOne Bank officials for a story that ran Feb. 18. The June 2002 issue of Bank News and the July 2002 issue of the American Banking Association's BankMarketing magazine featured a cover stories on how TierOne implemented its name change, citing it as a model of how to do it successfully.

More about the TierOne Bank campaign:
Client Work
Client Testimonial
TV Commercials