Episode 37
Brand Story Podcast

Marketing Your Company Values

featuring Kelsey Dean

Assistant Vice President & Marketing Director at Pendleton Community Bank

Kelsey Dean, Assistant Vice President & Marketing Director at Pendleton Community Bank, discusses authentic marketing strategies with our president, Steve Gilman.

If you aren’t being authentic with your marketing, you’re playing the losing game. While this is true for any size business, it’s especially important for local, community businesses, where your customer can also be your neighbor. Being part of a community requires trust, and when there’s a disconnect between your actions and your messaging, your audience will know, and your credibility may be lost because of it.

Helping others and supporting the local community is at the core of what Kelsey and the team at Pendleton Community Bank does. It resonates throughout the company’s actions and into their marketing, leading to a more personal yet cohesive brand experience. In this episode, you’ll hear from Kelsey about how to connect with customers on a personal level, the importance of staying true to your brand through actions as well as words, and the different marketing strategies you can embrace to stay ahead of the competition.

About the Guest

Kelsey Dean

Assistant Vice President & Marketing Director at Pendleton Community Bank

Born and raised in the Shenandoah Valley, Kelsey has shaped her career around community banking. As the current Assistant Vice President & Marketing Director at Pendleton Community Bank, she leads the marketing efforts in the company’s three regions across Virginia and West Virginia, ensuring consistency while also tailoring messaging to the different markets.

Quickfire Q&A

What's something that you've learned in your career that you think other people could learn something from?

Kelsey: Early on in my career I had this concept that in order to speak as a brand, I had to sound super intelligent. I would write these super long sentences and wordsmith paragraphs, and people don’t talk like that. So I learned [to] just keep it simple and make it super easy for your audience to connect with and understand, and just be human.

What do you think has had the most impact on you as a leader?

Kelsey: I think leadership’s something that you never master. It’s something you’re always learning as you go through your career. At my core, I’m like an empath. I definitely try and put myself in other people’s shoes. So I think that’s really shaped who I am as a leader.

If you could give your younger self any advice, what would it be?

Kelsey: Stand up for yourself and stand behind what you believe in. Because if you don’t stand for anything, you fall for everything.

Related Links

Kelsey on LinkedIn

About The Host

Steve Gilman

As the President of Gravity Group, Steve is passionate about helping brands reach their goals through honest, creative marketing and powerful brand stories.

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