State Exchange Bank advertising awards 1984

Culver bank receives advertising awards State Exchange Bank ads

THE MAXI WINNERS - Martha Wagoner, marketing representative at the State Exchange Bank of Culver, stands by the series of newspaper advertisements that won a MAXI advertising award from the Indiana chapter of the Bank Marketing Association Tuesday night in Indianapolis. The fourth annual awards presentation came during a two-day conference of the bank marketers and the Indiana Bankers Association.

INDIANAPOLIS - With the financial troubles of its former Sister institution in the background, the State Exchange Bank of Culver was placed in an unenviable position for marketing.

The bank then called upon its customers for help a move that paid off Tuesday night

A campaign that brought together familiar faces In Marshall County to tell why they banked at State Exchange was recognized with a MAXI Advertising Award Tuesday by the Indiana chapter of the Bank Marketing Association during a conference here.

MAXIs were created in 1981 by the state chapter to promote expertise in advertising

State Exchange Bank, represented by marketing representative Martha Wagoner, received the MAXI for a newspaper campaign for banks with assets between $100 and $200 million, and earned a certificate for radio advertising

The winning newspaper ads appeared from September to November 1983, beginning nine months after the State Exchange Finance Co. which shared the same building and management with the bank filed for federal Chapter 11 protection from creditors.

Around the same time, the Moving Forward logo that, adorns billboards and other bank ads was born, according to Wagoner.

Wagoner, who became marketing representative in September, downplayed toe connection between the campaign and SEFCOs bankruptcy, but said it was some thing you had to consider when devising strategies.

She worked with Heptagon Inc., a public relations firm in South Bend, in arranging promotional interviews with people such as Plymouth furniture store owner James Munday, Holiday Inn manager Dave Bacon and Clarence Spuller, who has long been active in various community affairs.

Photographs taken of them during a leisurely interview, along with a large-type honored quote about the bank, appeared in the ads. It was a testimonial campaign, said Wagoner.

We looked for people who had been banking with us for a long time. Then, we went out and asked them if they would do (the interviews), she explained, adding, "We really didn't have to search too far".

In addition to the awards collected by State Exchange Bank, several other area institutions were presented MAXIs and certificates. , A big winner was First Source Bank of South Bend, which took four MAXIs for banks with assets higher than $200 million. One was for its television campaign featuring the animated character who finds has sales in seeking loans with the big city banks, and almost has to offer his dog, "Binky", as collateral .

Other area banks to win awards were Citizens Bank of Michigan City, Lake City Bank of Warsaw, Midwest Commerce Banking Co. of Elkhart and State Bank of Syracuse.

The South Bend Tribune
South Bend, Indiana
Wed, Apr 25, 1984
By MATT GALBRAITH Tribune Plymouth Bureau

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