Commentary

Bank Serves Up Biscuits To Cement Customer Bond

by Amy Corr , Staff Writer, March 16, 2009

There once was a time when a handshake or verbal agreement was all that was needed to forge a business arrangement.

Nowadays, trust is harder to earn, especially for companies in the banking and financial industries.

Countybank, located in Greenville, South Carolina, was looking for a way to promote BizKit, a new business banking package customized for individual business needs.

But how does a bank convey trust, security and understanding at a time when people's mattresses resemble a more practical banking option?

The answer lies in the product name: BizKits. Biscuits.

Before the biscuits came a clever outdoor teaser campaign created by the Zlotnick Group. Media Man Worldwide handled the media buy.

Week one billboards said "How do you like yours?" There was no company logo or URL for curious passersby to visit.

The following week, residents saw the question posed on the previous week's billboard turned into a Web address. HowDoYouLikeYours.com read the ad.

The third week, Countybank revealed itself as the company behind the teaser campaign. "The BizKit," says the final ad, along with the URL, Countrybank logo and the tag line, "business banking the way you like."

But "how do I like my what?" A visit to the Web site finally answers the question initially asked in the teaser ads. Biscuits. How do I like my biscuits.

The site is very plain (also a biscuit option) containing only a few lines of copy. And a clickable biscuit.

"If you're a business owner or manager, just tell us how you like it and we'll get cookin'. Enjoy a fresh biscuit breakfast or lunch for you and your employees, just the way you like. Why? We'd thought it'd be a nicer way to say hi and introduce the BizKit, business banking custom-made to your business. That's it, no purchase required, no strings. Just mouth-watering biscuits, the way you like," reads the site.

Once the biscuit is clicked, it opens up to reveal the types to choose from (plain; sausage; sausage, egg and cheese; and bacon, egg and cheese) and the time of day to have them delivered. A phone call is placed to confirm biscuit delivery, and before you know it, you're breaking biscuits with your local bank. I was curious to know how many Greenville residents took Countybank up on its offer, but sadly, I was stonewalled. Maybe if I offered them a biscuit...

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4 comments about "Bank Serves Up Biscuits To Cement Customer Bond".

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David Reich from Reich Communications, Inc., March 16, 2009 at 1:14 p.m.
Amy, here in New York, several banks serve biscuits too. But they're the bone-shaped ones for dogs. I see them at some Chase branches and many Commerce (now TD Bank) branches.
My dog loves them.
Reply

Dave Kohl from First In Promotions, March 16, 2009 at 1:43 p.m.

What gets me about your story is that you tried to follow up on this and you were "stonewalled". So what we have is a bank spending money to build their brand, but a reporter who could provide them with additional favorable publicity at no additional cost can't get a question answered!

Thanks for publishing that part of it. The lack of the courtesy of a response is what I will remember about that bank long after a biscuit would be.

They might have been better off to invest in a customer service workshop for their employees.

Paula Lynn from Who Else Unlimited, March 16, 2009 at 6:10 p.m.

Desperate measures for desperate times. Many banks hand out biscuits to drive- uppers with dogs. Little image problem here.

George Tsafonias from ReachLocal, March 17, 2009 at 8:32 a.m.

A great out of the box idea, but I agree they should have played in the media's request. Great article....www.FloridaWebOuts.com