Communications Strategy Group (CSG®)

The CSG team leveraged over two decades of industry experience and deep relationships with top-tier national business and financial advisor trade reporters to implement a content-driven thought leadership platform. 

CSG generated a consistent stream of stories in prominent media outlets, including CNBC, FT, Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg, secured coveted fund profile feature stories and bylined articles, and managed the announcement of one of the highest profile talent moves in the history of the industry, helping to establish Janus Henderson Investors as one of the best known and most respected asset managers in the world. 

The CSG team developed an integrated launch across owned, shared, earned and paid channels of communications. The BCI index was widely covered across national and trade media outlets and was cited in a major congressional hearing on bank regulations. Continuity was also featured in major media outlets including the Wall Street Journal, American Banker, Independent Banker, Bank News and Bank Systems & Technology. Coverage of the BCI also led to a number of successful interviews with key finance media including Bloomberg, Financial Times, Bank Director, Independent Banker, Credit Union Journal and American Banker.

As a direct result of Continuity’s media exposure, CSG was also able to secure features in the Credit Union Times and Bank News. The BCI now serves as the key to thought leadership and increased visibility for Continuity to their most important stakeholders. As each quarter index is released, the BCI continues to gain momentum and exposure for Continuity in the media as well with potential clients.

Tour de Fat 

Supported communications and managed influencer and community outreach for the brewery’s traveling celebration of beer, bikes and philanthropy, ultimately growing the Tour from a handful of events near the brewery’s backyard to 30+ markets. 

Product launches 

Served as an instrumental partner in developing and streamlining New Belgium’s strategy and messaging. CSG also was instrumental in securing visibility for beer launches, including some of the brewery’s hallmark beers such as Fat Tire Belgian White (the first-ever extension of the Fat Tire brand). 

Sustainability initiatives 

Helped New Belgium advance sustainability in the craft beer industry through content creation and thought leadership, including speaking opportunities, influencer outreach and crisis communications. 

Bright Health burst onto the scene with a vision for health insurance that defied the commoditized nature of the industry. Not willing to duke it out in a battle to provide the cheapest premiums on the individual insurance market, Bright Health called on CSG to position the company as a lifestyle brand with the resonance to win the hearts and minds of Americans seeking a new healthcare experience.

This opportunity was particularly impactful given Bright Health’s partnership with a single health system in each of its markets. Bright Life was placed in the offices of in-network providers and select additional medical locations. Through this targeted placement, consumers were provided the opportunity to encounter a modern and compelling alternative to their own health insurance, attractively captured in the pages of a lifestyle magazine. Likewise, Bright Life gave Bright Health credibility among brokers who extended the reach and reputation of the brand by sharing the publication with their clients.

CSG created a new content platform for The Bancorp to share industry-specific expertise and engage an audience of relevant executives and influencers. The team developed the Finetics Studio misrosite to host various forms of thought leadership content, introducing Finetics Studio content via traditional media distribution and coordinated social media campaigns on LinkedIn and Twitter. 

CSG transformed The Bancorp’s traditional Money 20/20 exhibition space into a live, interactive Finetics Studio to interview industry leaders and capture their insights. The team facilitated a content partnership with Contentive, publisher of respected industry trade publications PyamentEye, Pivotl and Bobsguide. Together, The Bancorp and CSG collaborated on the development of an industry-elite invitation list and recruited top industry partners, with CSG providing editorial direction and coordination of the live interview series. 

The Bancorp, Contentive and CSG teams edited and packaged content following the conference, and CSG organized and oversaw the distribution of eight thematic Finetics Studio content releases. 

Finetics Studio Drives Business Results 

An internal survey of The Bancorp executives confirmed that Finetics Studio experiences expanded corporate exposure, elevated corporate credibility, strengthened industry relations, added customer service value, and enhanced business development prospects. 

Finetics Studio Delivers Brand Awareness with a New Audience of Industry Influencers and Decision Makers 

Nearly 4,000 unique visitors accessed content on the Finetics Studio microsite and The Bancorp’s YouTube channel recorded nearly 3,000 views of the 34 Finetics Studio videos uploaded during the same time period. Contentive publications recorded over 5,000 page views of Finetics Studio content and almost 550 views of Finetics Studio content on their YouTube channels. Additional Finetics Studio blog content helped cultivate a qualified lead for The Bancorp’s Institutional Banking SVP. 

Finetics Studio Accelerates Social Engagement and Lead Generation 

CSG’s social media support of The Bancorp’s LinkedIn company page resulted in more than 550 new followers, including executives from key organizations like Experian, Morgan Stanley, Samsung Pay and PayPal, and several new business opportunities over a six-month period. Industry colleagues and influencers mentioned @thebancorp nearly 400 times between October and March on Twitter, with the account attracting almost 200 new followers, including industry executives and publication editors.