Case Study: Top-10 Regional Bank achieves 60% increase in new checking accounts with Merkle's digital optimization platform

Top-10 Regional Bank - Customer Case Study

Merkle partnered with a top-10 regional bank that was losing potential customers as consumers shifted research and account opening online. The bank needed an approach to apply its offline, data-driven marketing assets to online channels and to identify high-value households at lower cost per acquisition; Merkle proposed an online checking acquisition program using a digital optimization platform and a multi-channel digital data acquisition (DDA) campaign (display, SEM/DSP, landing pages, email lead capture and coupons).

Merkle implemented a real-time platform that fused offline CRM data with online behavioral signals and an online-to-offline conversion path so consumers could open accounts via their preferred channel. The pilot outperformed checking volume projections and drove measurable gains: a 60% increase in new checking accounts, an 18% rise in money market accounts and a 22% lift in savings accounts, with improved media CPA week over week and higher online banking usage and deposit balances.