Mainstay Company was contracted by Texas Bank to develop customer personas to enhance their marketing efforts. The personas would identify key influencers in industries like financial services and banking, and understand their needs, preferences and buying decisions related to Texas Bank's solutions and services. Mainstay conducted research including interviews with Texas Bank staff and customers to develop composite personas representing important user groups. The personas would provide a focus on end users to improve communication, innovation and marketing strategies at Texas Bank.

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Persona Development Workshop

2. 2 Mainstay Company, LLC™ 11/11/2015
Persona – Program Overview
Develop a set of customer personas to enhance Texas Bank marketing efforts.
– The Personas will be the basis for optimized marketing, demand generation and customer
management at Texas Bank
Personas identify “triggers” that impact buying decisions for key influencers:
– Technical, Financial, and Executive/LOB buying influencers
– Additional Manager personas
Industries covered within program include:
– Financial Services – Banking
– Financial Services – Investment & Securities
Program pursued and delivered insights around
– Texas Bank solutions: and other services.
– Technology and business workflow and trends
– Media outlets, likes and dislikes, including social media
– Messaging opportunities, with an eye toward value propositions likely to resonate (or not) with
customer sets
2

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A representative character that provides an
understanding of the
critical attributes of a specific set of end-users.
– Composite based on data
– Collection of Key Attributes – Values, Needs, Goals, Behaviors,
Frustrations
– Not a market segment or “average” user
– Not just a role or job description
– Narrative – memorable, empathetic focus
Persona Definition

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Benefits of Using Personas
FOCUS ON
END USERS
PREVENT
SELF-
REFERENTIAL
THINKING
BUILD
CONSENSUS IMPROVE
INTERNAL &
EXTERNAL
COMMUNICATION
REDUCE
SUPPORT
COSTS
SATISFY
CUSTOMER
FUEL
INNOVATION
IMPROVE
SALES
EDUCATION
UNDERSTAND
END USERS

5. 5 Mainstay Company, LLC™ 11/11/2015
Persona Development Methodology
Preliminary
Research
Review existing
research, marketing
material
Internal stakeholder
interviews (frame up
key questions for
customers)
Internal read-back
(confirmation of initial
framing, adding
detail)
Customer
Research
Customer interviews
(test framing vs
customer
perceptions, get
firsthand buyer
journey)
Build findings based
on all research to
date
Internal read-back
(further confirm/refute
internal & customer
interview findings)
Analysis
Bring all research
points together in
final analysis
Apply insights from
experience with
technology buyers
(from both marketing
and editorial context)
Build deliverable,
iterate revisions

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Bring together internal experts to identify roles and tasks of
users in a series of workshops:
The Workshops
For each solution area
1. Gathering the Data
2. Creating the Write Up
3. Validated Personas
Key Stakeholders and Participants
ABC

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1. Gathering the Data

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2. Creating the Write Up

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3. Validating the Persona

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3. Validated Personas
SVP Operations
Oscar
Branch Manager
Brenna
Loan Processor
Leslie
RETAIL BANKING

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Examples
– Brochure
– Specific to Sales
– Leading to Solutions
– For each solution
– Process AND Pain
Points for Personas
– Future – Need full set
of personas