For 60 years, community and regional banks of all sizes have relied on CSI’s financial, regulatory and cybersecurity solutions to deliver customers a unified and seamless banking experience.
The fintech leader that started in 1965 with six employees and three customers has become one of the nation’s top four core banking providers.
In 2022, the public company took a pivotal step forward, completing a $1.6 billion private equity acquisition by Centerbridge Partners, L.P. and Bridgeport Partners. In the next 24 months, CSI received an additional investment from T.A. Associates and acquired two companies to expand its products and services portfolio. Hawthorn River was added to the company for its loan origination software, followed by overdraft management firm Velocity Solutions.
With the help of Red Fan, CSI navigated these exciting changes with one strategic vision and message for employees, customers and the media, achieving consistent month-on-month coverage in the banking and general business media, including the Wall Street Journal, American Banker, Bank Automation News, Tearsheet and many more.
CSI needed to leverage its investments and acquisitions to directly reflect its long-term vision while highlighting benefits to customers, employees and its ownership group.
New talent and technologies from the acquisitions enabled CSI to enhance its comprehensive financial services portfolio for its customers and strengthen the company’s position in the market. The latest funding from T.A. Associates provided access to new resources that could help grow the business and expand CSI’s software capabilities.
CSI sought to demonstrate how its new technologies and employees together would advance their customer experience and rise above its competition. The company tasked Red Fan to develop a communications plan that:
Red Fan responded with a communications plan that effectively and consistently conveyed CSI’s mission, vision and values. The resulting content served as a foundation for all talking points, FAQs, media materials and social media.
Content was broken down between internal and external communications, including emails from company executives and talking points for employee meetings.
External communications, crafted with the same key messages and themes, were developed for media, industry analysts, consultants and CSI’s community bank customers. These messages were central to a media strategy that strategically aligned with the announcements.
CSI executives were prepared to compare their newly acquired technologies against their largest competitors. Every spokesperson was trained to describe how the news would expand CSI’s market footprint and provide community bankers with new tools, services and expertise to help them achieve their growth goals.
By aligning the news with one comprehensive narrative, CSI was amply equipped to position the company as a leading partner in fintech innovation for the community and regional banking sector. In the process, CSI’s executives were positioned as thought leaders within the financial services industry.
CSI also communicated the benefits of its investments and acquisitions consistently across all audiences—employees, customers, investors and the media. Executive emails were carefully timed and delivered to inform employees of the latest news. All spokespeople were equipped with consistent messages and Q&As for employee meetings and media interviews.
Lastly, Red Fan collaborated with the acquired companies and their respective public relations teams to execute internal communications and conduct media relations that achieved broad coverage in leading banking and finance media, including placements in the Wall Street Journal. Between announcements, Red Fan kept CSI in the media with rapid responses, trend pitching and company news.
Throughout 2023 and 2024, Red Fan helped CSI achieve consistent monthly placements with nearly 200 stories in publications such as:
