Breaking the Calm – How a "Countryside Bank" Found Its Voice

SCOPE

Brand Strategy Alignment
PR & Communications Strategy
Internal Change Management & Employee Engagement
Media Relations
Social Media & Influencer Marketing
Executive Coaching & Media Training

Säästöpankki, Finland's fifth-largest banking group, set bold new growth targets and a comprehensive brand work to match. We aligned the core of the brand renewal with a new communications strategy and rolled the whole thing out across a vast, decentralized organization.

Before the brand could be launched nation-wide, the change had to happen from the inside first.

BACKGROUND

When we first got to know the Finnish banking landscape, it felt like a still glass of water nobody dared to shake. In branding especially, every bank looked and sounded the same. The competition wasn't only external. Säästöpankki's own employees weren't proud to work there – the brand felt outdated.

Yet behind the "countryside bank" reputation was real strength: strong customer retention, high local recognition, and backed by research the best customer service in the market. Säästöpankki's purpose also set it apart: profits are returned to the community, not funneled to a handful of shareholders.

OBJECTIVES

Grow the business by 30 % over the strategy period, with particular focus on younger customers and companies.

Reshape the brand image and messaging to clearly differentiate Säästöpankki from every other bank in the market.

Unify a large, decentralized organization, rebuild employer brand, and restore employee pride as part of the brand renewal.

CREATIVE IDEA

To hit ambitious growth targets, the brand needed a bolder way of communicating, and the people across the group needed to row in the same direction, rediscover pride in where they worked, and be equipped with the skills to make it real.

We built and drove a convention-breaking communications strategy internally, alongside a complete shift in how the bank approached marketing communications across every audience, channel and touchpoint. Their social channels came alive, and their experts started showing up in the media.

As Säästöpankki's strategic partner, we led the full brand rollout – internal and external – from strategy through execution. That meant challenging existing ways of working just as often as supporting them. We ran market analysis and a media-visibility audit, then built a PR and communications strategy in lockstep with the new brand, approved organization-wide through a multi-stage process before becoming a full PR plan and concrete actions.

We coached leadership through the internal and external launch, with a strong focus on change management across a huge organization – making sure the shift was genuinely understood, not just announced. We spoke at numerous internal company events, inspiring and embedding the brand's new tone of voice from the ground up.

Through an ongoing retainer, we made sure the new brand's courage and character came through in social media, influencer work and media communications alike, planning a steady stream of activations around the launch.

The work also included a comprehensive training program spanning the entire organization, from top leadership to branch-level customer service teams. We personally coached the CEO on media encounters, thought leadership and message clarity, including a live TV-interview simulation. We ran thought-leadership training for group leadership and regional bank directors, a communications webinar series for marketing teams, and social media coaching for the entire staff – helping Säästöpankki's people find their own voice.

The brand renewal was rolled out successfully across the organization. Employees at every level embraced the new way of working and were eager for concrete ways to get involved.

The training program earned strong praise: visible in practice as Säästöpankki employees transformed their presence on LinkedIn, now radiating expertise, pride and enthusiasm for their workplace. Säästöpankki's people also began appearing in national and regional media alike.

Results

"This collaboration has been exceptionally valuable, above all because it pushed us to look at our own work from a new perspective. The agency didn't just execute briefs – they challenged our thinking, our ways of working and our communications practices. That sparring, goal-driven approach helped us spot new opportunities and build our capabilities for the long term.

The staff training in particular stood out. It combined strategic thinking with hands-on practice in a way that got our people genuinely engaged and taking a more active role in communications. The impact was clear at launch, when employees activated on social media with exceptional strength and reach, boosting both our brand visibility and organizational commitment.

– Spellman Laine, Marketing & Communications Director, Säästöpankkiliitto