Case Study: Regional Financial Institution – “Let’s Get Started” Awareness Campaign

Case Study: Regional Financial Institution – “Let’s Get Started” Awareness Campaign

by | Aug 27, 2026

Industry: Banking / Financial Services
Objective: Drive awareness, engagement, and conversions across multiple regions using geo-targeted programmatic display, in-app video, Connected TV (CTV), and YouTube.

Overview

A regional financial institution partnered with 535 Media to promote its retail banking services—including checking, savings, and digital banking—across multiple states. The campaign leveraged geo-fencing, cross-channel targeting, and audience retargeting to build strong brand recall and engagement among local consumers and business decision-makers.

The strategy combined Display, In-App Video, CTV, and YouTube to capture awareness at the top of the funnel and reinforce messaging across devices through sequential retargeting.

Performance Summary

Running from August through November 2025, the campaign delivered strong engagement across all digital channels:

  • Display & In-App Display:
     • Over 7 million impressions and 8,300 clicks, averaging a 0.11% CTR across formats.
     • 300×250 and 300×600 units drove the most consistent performance.
     • Mobile-first delivery accounted for over 75% of impressions.

  • In-App Video:
     • 4.4 million impressions with a 0.90% completion rate at a $13.37 CPM, demonstrating cost-efficient video engagement.
     • 15-second videos achieved over 91% average completion, outperforming 30-second creatives.

  • Connected TV (CTV):
     • 9 million total impressions across standard, premium, and Prime video placements.
     • Premium CTV achieved an outstanding 99% completion rate, ensuring near-total ad viewability.

  • YouTube:
     • 22.2 million impressions with 10,000+ clicks and an average CPM of $11.00.
     • Skippable TrueView ads generated average view rates above 34%, with strong engagement from 35-54 audiences.

  • Retargeting:
     • Delivered 543,000+ impressions to re-engage high-intent visitors, achieving a 61% engagement rate on site interactions.

Results

The campaign generated over 48 million total impressions, improving site engagement metrics and significantly increasing awareness in both key markets. Cross-channel consistency led to higher message retention, while retargeting ads helped move audiences further down the funnel toward account sign-ups and inquiries.

The combined use of CTV, In-App Video, and Display Retargeting proved highly effective for brand reinforcement and measurable digital engagement.

Key Takeaways

  • Omnichannel targeting built consistent visibility across display, mobile, CTV, and YouTube.
  • Geo-targeted delivery ensured media spend stayed localized for maximum relevance.
  • Retargeting played a critical role in keeping the message top-of-mind, converting awareness into measurable engagement.
  • Premium video formats—including CTV and YouTube—produced near-100% view completion, reinforcing trust and recall.