Our Work

Fox Communities Credit Union "We're Listening" Campaign

Here’s the thing. A credit union is a credit union, right? There are only so many ways you can find to say, ‘Our rates are better.’ So the question is, how can one little credit union show the world how different they are from the financial masses?

Whether we always realize it or not, humans are emotional beings. We base our everyday decisions not so much on logical reasoning, but on how we feel. It's only after we've made an initial, emotionally-based decision that we call on our powers of reasoning for validation. When it comes to choosing where to do our banking, the same holds true. How do I feel about this company? Do they care about me as a person or am I just padding their wallets? Can I really trust them to tell it to me like it is? We're no longer just looking for low rates. We're looking to be treated like people.

With this in mind, we launched a different kind of campaign for Fox Communities Credit Union—one in which they no longer compete solely on the logic-based level of "better rates and terms", but by identifying those emotional connection points to their members. This campaign was built around the personal, intangible, member-centric attitude that has defined Fox from the very beginning—people helping people.

But it’s more than just warm fuzzies. “We’re Listening” is an extension of who Fox really is. It’s what you feel when you enter any one of their branches—people who sincerely care about their members and their community. It presents Fox as a haven where you can bare your financial soul without fear of judgment. A place where you won’t be pressured into uncomfortable territory, upsold or swindled. A place where you can speak freely, and Fox will listen.

When the time came to take that message to market, we knew that the execution would have to play on the same level as the messaging. So we deliberately shot the television ads to emulate the look and feel one associates with Hollywood film production. This type of visual quality not only backs up the words, but also reinforces Fox’s own competence and trustworthiness and differentiates the delivery of the message from the rest of local advertising.

The framing and shot selection is handheld and intimate—often reminiscent of home movies. We captured real people in real situations—a father playing with his children, the simple comfort of a cup of coffee in your very own home, a teenage girl grinning ear to ear as she starts up her first car. The visual style and the scenes that play out before us create that emotional connection by showing the viewer that Fox understands what's important in your life, why you go to the credit union in the first place. It shows that Fox doesn't see you as another product in the portfolio. It boldly declares that Fox is listening.

Appleton Coated LLC Mill Tour Movie

Over the length of a football field, Appleton Coated's Number 7 paper machine churns out ream after ream of quality coated paper, all day, every day—from pulp to paper in a whopping 13 seconds. If that's not a story worth telling, I'm not sure what is.

A paper mill is a fascinating beast, but it's also a tough place to conduct a walkthrough with 12 potential clients. Because of this, Appleton Coated had already produced a video that allowed them to tour the mill with clients without passing out safety specs. But that was over ten years ago. That's eons in business terms. When potential customers visit Appleton Coated's Combined Locks, Wisconsin paper mill, they'd better be impressed. These are big accounts—publishers, nationally-distributing printers—they're eagle-eyed proofers and press checkers, who know quality when they see it. So every day it was becoming more and more apparent to Appleton Coated that their existing video presentation was unable to consistently impress those scrutinizing eyes. It was time for an upgrade.

That's where Ark Media Group came into the picture. Working closely with Ferkó Goldinger and Appleton Coated's award-winning advertising and promotions team,

we helped to finalize the script, planned the shots and then spent a few days capturing "tasty shots and sweet jibs"—Ferkó's words, not ours—from every nook, cranny and vantage point we could find. If we could get a camera there, we shot it. Combined with skillful editing, dynamic motion graphics, immersive sound and a professional, distinguished, "movie-trailer-guy" voice performance, the new Appleton Coated Mill Tour video is such a big step up from its predecessor, you almost need to stretch before you watch it. The result is visually stunning—projected in full high definition at the mill or taken out on Blu-ray and DVD whenever the sales team hits the pavement. It's a comprehensive, educational video that not only shows Appleton Coated as the leader and innovator they've always been, but consistently helps to seal the deal with high-profile new business.

CitizensFirst Credit Union Consumer and Business Websites

CitizensFirst Credit Union is completing a major branding initiative, repositioning themselves within their regional market. We were chosen to partner with them to help bring their new brand presence to life on the web.

Most credit union websites are sorely antiquated, poorly templated or—in some really unfortunate situations—both. We felt we had a real opportunity to raise the bar for credit union websites in both design and function, but creating a web presence as ambitious as the rest of CitizensFirst’s vision was no small task—it was a major overhaul that involved critical thinking and planning from square one.

The site design effectively merges their corporate branding with the member-friendly aesthetic of their new flagship branch and corporate headquarters. The new interior creates a feeling of warmth unlike most other financial institutions, without compromising the perception of their financial strength—the website needed to do the same. But it was not just a facelift. The overall aesthetic was an important facet, but we wanted to discover ways to improve their member’s online experience.

We addressed functionality from day one. Agonized over user-experience details like “How many clicks should it take to get this rate?”, “What’s the best place for the link to a savings calculator?”, “What’s the threshold between ‘thorough’ and ‘overwhelming’ when it comes to navigation?” and on and on. By restructuring and reorganizing the content into more logical sections, streamlining the navigation paths, the new layout puts the right information in front of the viewer at the right time.

While information about various member services were fragmented throughout the old site, the new site collects all of these services onto a single page, giving members a broader overview of the benefits of being a member.

In a further effort to ease access, we implemented a prominently- and consistently-located module throughout the website that connects visitors to an actual CitizensFirst representative to assist by answering questions through either live internet chat or via telephone.

And while previously rates were reported across in large chunks by sub-category, divorced from context, the new structure pins the relevant rates and other services directly to the related description. Reading about a Health Savings Account? The HSA-specific product rates and frequently-asked questions link are located immediately next to the description.

As a credit union focusing on providing “Wow! Service” to their members, they now offer potential and existing members a website redesigned and rebuilt from the ground up to meet their needs, not the other way around. As such, CitizensFirst now looks the part of the largest credit union in their local market.

CitizensFirst Credit Union Digital Signage System

How do you create a wow factor in your physical space when the brand you've established is begging to be brought to life but you're nearing the end of your building remodel? …You call in Ark Media Group.

Building a new corporate headquarters and flagship branch is a big deal for any credit union—especially one that has been a pillar in the community for more than 70 years, with more than 30,000 members. The building and interior spaces have to reflect a commitment to the brand repositioning and have to stand out as a prototypical model for years to come.

Thanks to Steve Tyink, Vice President of Business Innovation, and the rest of the team at Miron Construction, and the CitizensFirst team, they created a new personalized banking model and a unique lobby configuration. But Cheryl Kaczmarek, Vice President of Marketing and Business Development, wanted to capitalize on this rare opportunity to infuse the interior space with a strong marketing presence—but it had to be cost-effective, make sense strategically, and create a substantial visual impact. A Digital Signage solution from Ark Media Group fit the bill perfectly.

We were brought in during the late stages of construction, but because our proposal and prototyping process is fast and efficient, we were able to help all of the stakeholders at both CitizensFirst and Miron Construction visualize the impact that Digital Signage installation can create through 3D renderings of potential configurations.

In its final installed state, CitizensFirst’s Digital Signage system consists of a single, Quad-screen installation driven by a single CPU with 4 Samsung Pro 46-inch displays acting as one large display matrix, while 2 Samsung Pro 40-inch screens for promotions and community events are each driven by individual CPUs, respectively. Each CPU resides in their secure data closet, and 6 streams of perfectly-synchronized high-definition video are pushed over more than 200 feet of economical CAT5e cabling.

But the hardware—while sophisticated—is just one part of the puzzle. Without quality, engaging content, the screens are just black boxes hung on the walls. Unlike other signage systems, we are able to make these screens earn their keep. By controlling the content and curating it to remain confined to brand tone communication and exclusive events, it never becomes a source of visual or aural noise. We created initial on-screen content that incorporated still photographs and motion graphics into a full-motion video composition running in an endless loop on the quad-screen display matrix.