Lightstream partners with community banks and credit unions across the U.S. Over the past several years, we’ve consistently managed at least 40 active financial clients at any given time. These institutions range in size from a few hundred million in assets to hundreds of billions, with most falling between $800 million and $10 billion. This breadth of experience gives us insight into the unique challenges and opportunities facing banks and credit unions of all sizes.

We’ve specialized in bank and credit union marketing since our founding in 2008, and our leadership team worked with major national institutions for more than a decade before that. Since launching Lightstream, we’ve partnered with over 100 financial institutions and currently support more than 50 active clients. This gives us unmatched insight into financial marketing best practices – helping clients save time, reduce costs, and achieve better results.

Yes. We work with banks and credit unions in every part of the country. Our clients find that we offer significant advantages over local agencies that lack an understanding of the industry. Because we work with such a variety of financial institutions, we bring a unique perspective on what works across different markets and institution sizes.

Our expertise extends across every major audience that banks and credit unions serve: everyday consumers, small business owners, middle-market companies, large corporations, and even public sector clients. This depth of knowledge about each audience is rare among agencies and allows us to create marketing strategies and sales tools that resonate with each group while strengthening your institution’s overall brand.

First, it saves time. Our clients don’t need to educate us about their products, services, or business goals. We already understand deposit growth campaigns, consumer and business loan products, treasury services, emerging payment products, engagement strategies, and much more. Second, our knowledge helps clients avoid costly missteps while making the most of new opportunities. Combined with our flat hourly rate and zero-markup business model, banks and credit unions benefit from proven expertise delivered with exceptional value.

Every day, we help financial institutions attract new account holders, grow deposits, expand loan portfolios, cross-sell to existing customers/members, and strengthen community engagement. We also support brand positioning and digital transformation initiatives. By combining our unique depth and breadth of industry expertise with cost-effective execution, we help banks and credit unions achieve business goals while building brand value over time.

Yes. We follow a structured onboarding process designed to make collaboration smooth from day one. During onboarding, we learn about your goals, challenges, communication preferences, and internal review procedures. We also share our experience and best practices. The process is flexible: Some clients move quickly, while others prefer a slower pace. In either case, our approach ensures a comfortable start, faster alignment, and better long-term results.

Our business model is built on transparency and client value. Key features include:

• Flat hourly rate: A flat hourly rate that is well below the industry average.
• No retainers or restrictive contracts: Clients can scale up or down as their needs change.
• No markups or commissions: Outside expenses such as printing, media, or distribution are passed through at cost.
• Transparent billing: Itemized monthly invoices provide full visibility into hours worked and outside costs.

No. We don’t require banks or credit unions to commit to a minimum number of hours. We work on a project-by-project basis, even when serving as a client’s agency of record. This flexibility allows clients to engage us when and how they need us, without being locked into restrictive agreements.

Our approach offers several advantages:

• Value: Deep industry expertise at a reasonable cost.
• Flexibility: Range of options for full-service support, ongoing programs, or individual projects.
• Results-focused: Recommendations that are always based on our clients’ needs, not the potential to make more commissions (because we don’t charge any).
• Transparency: Estimates and invoices that are clear, detailed, and easy to understand.

Clients engage with us in the way that provides the most value to them:

• Full-service partner: We handle nearly all marketing activities.
• Agency of record (AOR): We provide ongoing strategy, creative, and execution.
• Project-based resource: We step in for specific initiatives or overflow capacity.

Our client relationships often last for many years, sometimes decades. For example, we still work with several financial institutions we onboarded in 2008, our first year in business. Long-term partnerships like these demonstrate the value, trust, and results we deliver.

Yes. We collaborate seamlessly with in-house marketing teams at financial institutions. Our team frequently partners with internal staff to:

• Fill skill gaps: Providing specialized expertise in strategy, creative, web development, or media buying.
• Provide coverage: Supporting during vacations, leaves, or staffing transitions.
• Handle overflow: Taking on extra projects when workloads spike.

Yes. We will gladly work with your preferred vendors, whether they handle printing, distribution, or media placement. Because we don’t add markups or commissions, we have no profit motive in vendor selection. Our only priority is what’s best for your institution.

We typically issue monthly invoices covering the previous month’s work. Each invoice includes line-item detail showing how time was spent and any outside costs, with no markup. This level of transparency ensures banks and credit unions know exactly where their money is going and can easily reconcile marketing expenses.

Our clients consistently give us positive feedback for our responsiveness, expertise, and results. Many of our partnerships span more than a decade, and we’re proud to still work with several bank and credit union clients we began serving in our first year of business. If you’d like to hear directly from your peers, we’re happy to provide client references who can share their experience and the value Lightstream delivers.