Sean Tracey
Sean Tracey Associates

Small Budget / Big Impact: Bank Marketing That Works When the Money Doesn’t”

The marketing budget isn’t what it used to be—and at many banks, it's not even what it was last quarter. Yet the pressure to deliver growth, generate leads, and maintain brand relevance has never been higher. So the question becomes: how do you do more with less—without sacrificing creativity or results? In this sharp, honest, and highly practical session, Sean Tracey, founder and creative strategist of Sean Tracey Associates, tackles the marketing budget crisis head-on. Based on real-world agency experience and feedback from top financial marketers across the Northeast, Sean shares insights from dozens of rebrands, multichannel campaigns, and strategy pivots that prove you don’t need more budget—you need better thinking. Using his signature “Street Smart Marketing” approach, Sean will guide attendees through a proven process for cutting waste, reallocating resources, and creating campaigns that punch well above their weight class. Drawing from his recent conversations at the New England Financial Marketing Association (NEFMA) conference, Sean addresses the most common concerns he heard from bank marketers: wasted spend, copycat campaigns, irrelevant channels, and underwhelming creative. You'll learn how to audit your current efforts, avoid “me too” marketing, and break the cycle of overspending on underperforming tactics. From overlooked traditional media tactics that still work to digital best practices that save money and drive results, this session is about smarter, not smaller. Best of all? It’s actionable. This isn’t a theory-based lecture. It’s a hands-on roadmap to create high-impact campaigns, lasting brand recall, and measurable ROI—even with limited funds. If you’ve ever been handed a reduced budget and asked to deliver better results (again), this session is your playbook.

Allyson Twiggs
The Twiggs Group

Social Media is a Dumpster Fire: Transforming Social Media Stress into Strategic Success

In the ever-evolving world of social media, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and burnt out. This session offers a refreshing perspective and practical solutions for banking professionals grappling with the chaos of managing multiple social media channels. This interactive “therapy” session will address the common frustrations and challenges faced in today’s social media landscape.

Dan Marks
Infusion

High ROI Data-Driven Strategies to Boost Small Business Growth

Learn about advanced analytics techniques to assess and prioritize small business growth opportunities based on value and time to market. Using the right analysis approach, you can uncover hidden opportunities to expand current relationships and attract new business relationships. By leveraging practical
analysis and proven data-driven business development strategies, your institution can identify businesses with the best capacity and propensity to respond to existing deposit, payments, and loan offers based on a multi-channel outreach approach—without requiring new product development or hiring new staff.

Ally Akins
Capital Performance Group

How to Grow Deposits Without Chasing Rates: Winning Strategies for a Competitive Market

In just two years, the deposit landscape has flipped—surplus is gone, and competition is fierce. Banks can no longer rely on offering the best rate in town to drive growth. This fast-paced, insight-packed session will show marketers how to win the customer acquisition game with smarter strategies, stronger products, and sharper value propositions.

You’ll learn how leading banks across the country are designing deposit products that resonate with today’s customers—especially Gen Z and Millennials—while keeping acquisition costs in check. We’ll explore what consumers actually want (and what they’ll switch for), uncover the features that drive loyalty, and look at how fintechs are reshaping expectations. If you're ready to stop competing on price and start growing low-cost deposits with purpose and precision, this session is for you.

Alex Smith
TriAd CTV

Unpacking CTV: A Modern Guide to the Connected TV Ecosystem

In an era where digital media is at the forefront, understanding Connected TV (CTV) has become essential for navigating the world of modern advertising. This in-depth session covers the essentials of CTV and over-the-top (OTT) platforms, distinguishing CTV from traditional cable and broadcast TV. Led by Alex Smith, Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of TriAD CTV, a leading innovator in the connected TV advertising space, this session will explore the evolving reach of CTV households, provide insight into the ecosystem of independent CTV ad platforms, and highlight the growing impact of CTV on national and local viewership across generations.

Brian Bushlach
Feedback Media

The Power of Podcasting

The spoken word, and storytelling, is at the heart of successful financial services marketing. As more banks and credit unions consider communicating with consumers, businesses and strategic partners, this timely and informative presentation promises to resonate with the NEFMA audience. Media industry and podcasting expert Brian Bushlach promises to enlighten and entertain marketing professionals about the cost-effective and measurable medium of podcasting.

Casey Boggs
ReputationUs

Reputation Management for F.I.s: Be Authentic And Humanize Your Financial Institution

Last year’s Merriam-Webster’s “Word of the Year” was “AUTHENTIC.” Now more than ever, people and consumers crave authenticity. It is now time to show your unique qualities and key differentiators from other financial institutions, while “humanizing” your leadership and staff. Casey Boggs of ReputationUs will share the “Top 10 Actions to Take To Be More Authentic” for your financial institution. Your bank's/credit union's reputation is at stake. WARNING: No A.I. will be used for this presentation!

Mark Gibson
Capital Performance Group

The Great Channel Divide: How to Optimize Spend, Align Agencies, and Drive Results

Traditional and digital marketing teams often operate in silos—with separate strategies, inconsistent metrics, and agencies that don’t always play well together. The result? Wasted spend, unclear ROI, and missed opportunities. This session tackles the messy middle of multi-channel marketing and shows bank marketers how to take control of the optimization process.
You’ll learn how to bridge the gap between attribution and action—building a shared approach across branch, banker, and digital channels. We’ll walk through what effective sales attribution really looks like, how to structure agency relationships for accountability, and the kind of sales lift you can expect when optimization becomes a discipline, not an afterthought. If you're ready to make every dollar work harder—and prove it to management—this session is your blueprint.

Kelsie Downs
Stevie Social

LinkedIn with Intention: Personal Branding for Financial Leaders That Builds Trust and Drives Influence

In a trust-based industry like banking, your greatest asset isn't just your financial products—it's your people. And in today's digital-first world, if your leadership team isn’t active on LinkedIn, you’re leaving brand equity, credibility, and client connections on the table.

This session is a strategic dive into the why and how of personal branding for executive leaders in finance. We'll walk through the foundational steps to get your team confidently showing up online in a way that honors your institution’s values—while still being authentic, professional, and impactful.

You’ll learn:

Why personal branding matters more than ever in a regulated industry
What strong executive presence on LinkedIn can do for business development, recruiting, and community trust
How to create a content strategy that’s aligned with your bank’s mission, tone, and compliance needs
Clear brand guidelines that give your team freedom to show up—without going rogue
Practical frameworks, post prompts, and profile tips to help even the most skeptical leaders get started

This isn’t about going viral. It’s about showing up with intention, candor, and quality—and turning your leadership into your most powerful brand ambassadors.

Whether you’re a marketing director, executive assistant, or on the C-suite team yourself, you’ll leave this talk with the tools to elevate your leaders online in a way that feels real, aligned, and ready for the future.