Don’t all banks focus on sound fundamentals and solid financial principles? Not exactly. However, these important qualities have always been at the center of how First Community Bank does business. Using the tagline “Strength. Balance. Backbone.” the bank’s new campaign drives home the value of these traits. The brandMIND-created campaign is currently running in FCB markets in North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia and Tennessee.

The floor to ceiling windows facing Fourth Street at brandMIND’s new offices posed a curious challenge: what to do to give us a little privacy while not blocking our view of the daily parallel parking entertainment happening out front. Associate creative director Woodie Anderson’s solution was to provide pedestrians with something more interesting to look at. She painted a semi-opaque mural directly on the glass running the entire length of the windows. It also caught the attention of the Winston-Salem Journal, which featured a large photo of the work on the front page of its Saturday edition.

Everybody says they’re doing it, but how do you know they are doing it right? BrandMIND knows that social media is not a fad and that there is a systematic process to approaching it. On September 24 brandMIND will present an engaging and informative seminar about the strategic role of social media in a company’s marketing mix, and how to integrate this rapidly growing channel into a communication plan. This is an invitation only event, and space is limited. For more information or to obtain your invitation, click here.

There are still many WWII veterans who have never seen the National WWII Memorial that opened in Washington D.C. in 2004. The Triad Flight of Honor is a service project that will fly one hundred veterans from the Piedmont Triad Airport on October 3, 2009, to visit the WWII Memorial and the Vietnam, Korean and FDR Memorials. It takes $500 to sponsor a veteran for the flight and Lowes Foods is honored to partner with Rotary District 7690, WXII-TV, 107.5 WKZL and Rock 92 to help raise donations.

As an active sponsor of many local events, First Community Bank has a busy schedule for the fall. FCB will be lending its support to the Winston-Salem Downtown Arts District Association (DADA) Gallery Hop on 10/2, 10/30, 11/6 and 12/4. They will be at the March of Dimes 27th Annual Chili Championship and Rubber Regatta at Tanglewood Park on 9/19. They also will be sponsoring the Cycle for Life Bike Tour on 10/3 at Hanover Park Vineyard in Yadkinville. Our client will have a team booth at the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation “Walk for the Cure” on 10/24 as well.

When New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) ) needed help with special communications challenges, they tapped brandMIND. The 125 year old institution is looking to brandMIND to help increase awareness among potential student employers. Specifically, brandMIND is developing a targeted direct email program designed to introduce and connect new student programs to potential employers.

BrandMIND’s recent national webinar on social media content development was a huge success and the event’s host, Loyalty 360, said it was the best attended webinar they have ever offered. Soon to follow, brandMIND will present Integrating Social Media Into Your Marketing Mix – a new webinar that focuses on best practices in social media integration.

The webinar is tentatively scheduled for September 24, 2009. Space is limited. Reserve your seminar seat now: Click here to learn more.

The historic Loewy Building at 500 W. Fourth Street in downtown Winston-Salem is brandMind’s new headquarters. The July move from the suburbs went smoothly and now the brandMIND team is settled into its new digs in Suite 101. Named for renowned industrial and graphic designer Raymond Loewy, the building is an example of industrial design that is streamlined and distinctive. The brandMIND team intends on taking full advantage of downtown offerings and events as well as hosting some of their own.

Winston-Salem based Banks Channel – a leading importer, exporter and distributor of premium wine, beer and spirits – will soon introduce a new beverage in the southeast. BrandMIND is supplying all the marketing support for the new product roll-out including strategy, creative, POS, online, packaging and public relations. Banks Channel will be the exclusive importer in the U.S. for the beverage and while the product and name is still confidential, we can say that brandMIND is “brewing up” a spectacular launch campaign.

BrandMIND client First Community Bank just recently completed its acquisition of Winston-Salem based TriStone Community Bank. This brings the total number of area FCB branches to five.

“Rock the Block” will be coming to downtown Winston-Salem’s Fourth Street for one night, Friday, September 18, from 6 p.m. to midnight. This annual street festival features a wide variety of food, live music on four stages (rock, beach, country/bluegrass, R&B), a live BMX show and a “Craft Row” offering work from local artisans.

Winston-Salem has been named one of the Top 10 places in the country to “start over” by BusinessWeek magazine. The publication cites the areas “high quality of life and the fact that companies are hiring” as among the city’s attributes.