A Bank Taps Into Critical Datasets to Drive Its Strategic Growth Plan

The last several years with disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic provided community banks an opportunity to cement their status as trusted partners in their specific regions. While many stand on strong footing, there are revenue headwinds ahead and a changing competitive landscape.¹ Community banks need to find ways to become more efficient, build scale, expand their product offerings and keep pace with digital adoption. This has increased the focus on effective organic and inorganic growth strategies.

The data and analytics team at this community bank wanted to enhance the ability of different groups within the organization to work more efficiently and be better prepared to capitalize on revenue-generating opportunities. The team felt it was essential for the bank to leverage external datasets and technology tools if it was to meet the long-term expansion goals. 

Pain Points

The bank’s growth strategy had several components: (1) enhance the business development skills of front line bankers, (2) target the loan books of other banks in the area that are being acquired, (3) consider potential M&A activities, (4) review the profitability and growth prospects of each branch and identify attractive locations for future expansion, and (5) pursue a path to digital transformation. To support this, the data and analytics team wanted to identify a third-party provider that could offer:

• Information on businesses in the region, including their size and revenue potential.
• Details that show which firms have relationships with a particular competitor.
• Insights for bankers to get prepared for sales calls.
• Analytical tools to evaluate potential mergers and acquisitions and determine feasible pricing options.
• Advanced technology tools to streamline workflows. The team had been using RateWatch® for competitive rate analysis, now an offering of S&P Global Market Intelligence (“Market Intelligence”), and contacted the firm to discuss its broader capabilities.

Key Benefits

Key Benefits The head of data and analytics and the executive team at the bank were very impressed with the Market Intelligence offering, deciding to subscribe to the solution set after seeing an online demonstration. They saw many benefits for different groups throughout the bank, including having the ability to:

• Build internal capabilities to reduce the dependency on outside consultants.
• Work more efficiently with access to a powerful desktop platform.
• Automate reporting and peer group benchmarking that was being done manually.
• Assess market dynamics and revenue opportunities of the current branch network and the feasibility of expanding into other locations.
• Quickly evaluate and price potential acquisitions when presented with M&A opportunities.
• Be ready to target lending opportunities when another bank is being acquired.
• Help bankers be more effective in their new business outreach efforts and engage in knowledgeable conversations with prospects to gain credibility and trust.
• Rely on top-notch support for training and ongoing questions.