Byline Bank “Banking Chicago Style” Small Business Campaign

Byline Bank, a Chicago-based bank, was facing a perception problem. Even though they’ve been in the community (in some form) for more than 100 years, many people were not familiar with them — or thought of them as a bank with a focus on personal finances. Byline wanted to be seen as the Chicago business bank and was looking for a way to increase their awareness in the local business community with a B2B awareness campaign. An additional challenge arose during the creative process as Byline was refreshing its master brand at the same time. In the end, the B2B campaign had to be written and designed to brand guidelines that were evolving in real-time.
Through in-depth interviews and market analysis, it was revealed that Chicago business owners craved a financial partner who understood their local challenges and offered personalized service, yet had access to the resources of a larger institution. When looking at the competitive landscape, interviews revealed that business owners felt that “big banks” were often too large to care or “small banks” didn’t have the services they needed to grow. But then there was Byline with its unique blend of community values and highly-experienced Chicago bankers—perfectly positioned to fill this gap. This unique positioning offered small business owners the best of both worlds: personalized attention from a community bank and the comprehensive financial tools of a larger institution.
An implementation of a multi-channel approach directly addressed this perception challenge. The campaign included targeted social media ads featuring engaging carousels that highlighted Byline's understanding of the Chicago business landscape, strategically placed display advertising, a print ad in a local newspaper, and high-impact digital out-of-home placements in key locations. The goal of the campaign was to enhance Byline’s profile as a premier business bank that was the ideal partner for Chicago business owners. The campaign highlighted Byline’s deep understanding of the local business landscape and its commitment to supporting the growth and success of small businesses.