Throughout the holiday season, the Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) has been encouraging consumers to shop at local organizations as part of their “Go Local” PR campaign. The campaign was started in early October to educate people about the benefits of shopping and banking locally.
“As a community banker, I’m thrilled to support the needs of my small business customers year round by lending to them and offering local business expertise to help their businesses thrive,” said Sal Marranca, ICBA chairman and president. “Small businesses bring tremendous value to communities across the nation. They create jobs and stimulate local economies.”
ICBA ran an hourly message on the CBS Spectacular jumbo screen in New York City’s Times Square throughout the holiday season until Jan. 1, 2012. The message outlined some reasons to bank locally, including the fact that community banks re-invest in the local community. Other aspects highlighted were superior customer service and relation-based banking experiences.
Community banks fund nearly 60 percent of small business loans under $1 million. Of the more than 7,000 community banks in the United States, close to 5,000 are ICBA members.
For more information, visit www.icba.org.
