Page 16 - BusinessWest May 11, 2026

Banks >>Continued from page 14
ing that other institutions “don’t have Lucy, Devon, or Carla,” or
some combination of the above, referring to three employees in the
Springfield office — Retail Banking Officer Devan Summers; Vice
President, Business Banking Loan Officer Carla Alves; and Mort-
gage and Community Development Officer Lucy Sanchez.
“Everyone loves Lucy, no pun intended,” said Regin, adding that
she is bilingual and has become popular in the Hispanic commu-
nity. The ads are designed to emphasize people and help the bank
make connections in what it considers a new market.
Country Bank operates in three types of markets — core markets
such as Ware and surrounding communities, growth markets such
as Worcester, and new markets such as Springfield, she said, add-
ing there is a different flavor to the marketing in each.
Similarly, Bannister said PeoplesBank has different strategies
for Connecticut and its home base of Western Mass. because the
goals are different in each case, and the banking landscapes are dif-
ferent as well.
“In Western Mass., it’s mostly mutual banks, regional banks,
local banks,” he explained. “You go down to Hartford and Northern
Connecticut, and it’s just the opposite — it’s dominated by the big,
national brands, Bank of America, Citizens, TD Bank. They have
about 80% of the market and the `rest of us fighting for the crumbs
off the table, and what we’re trying to say is that it makes a differ-
ence to be local and mutual, and we think that’s going to work in
Connecticut because it’s a breath of fresh air for people who are
tired of the big banks.
“In Western Mass., it’s a different message — it’s the community
giving; that’s how we try to differentiate ourselves,” Bannister went
on. “Everyone hands out money; everyone volunteers at events. Our
differentiator is that we punch above our weight class in terms of
the size of our bank and what we give and how we volunteer in the
community. Brand and brand awareness is the first step, and we
have that in Western Mass.; everyone knows who we are. In Con-
necticut, they don’t know who we are, and that’s what the arena is
intended to do.”
Making Impressions
Gaining naming rights to the arena is a unique branding strategy
locally, but there are countless others, including the traditional —
radio, TV, print, and billboards, for example — as well as the myriad
digital opportunities now available.
“We were looking to find a space where
consumers’ and businesses’ values inter-
sected with ours because the sweet spot
for a brand is when there’s an emotional
connection.”
AUDRA HAMEL
These digital platforms offer several advantages, said those we
spoke with, including precise audience targeting and real-time, data-
driven performance tracking.
Kara Herman, vice president of Retail Administration for Free-
dom Credit Union, told BusinessWest that digital is now the biggest
bucket among the many that Freedom uses to connect with various
demographics and get its message across.
“We have opportunities to tailor messages to specific audiences,”
she explained. “When we do that, whether it’s a product offering
or community engagement, volunteerism, or whatever message we
16
MAY 11, 2026
<< BANKING & FINANCE >>
Business W est