Scaling Smart: Building a National Brand Through Digital Acquisition

In today’s competitive financial landscape, financial brands are always looking for ways to drive deposits and acquire new customers while maintaining strong relationships with their existing base.

In our recent webinar - Scaling Smart: Building a National Brand Through Digital Acquisition, we gathered a powerhouse panel of voices from across the acquisition ecosystem to unpack how top financial brands shifted from traditional marketing to digital acquisition channels like affiliates – and what it takes to become a digital-first institution while maintaining strong customer relationships.

Moderated by Danielle Lauzon, VP of Growth and Strategy at Fintel Connect, the session explored the challenges, strategies, and key insights that enabled FVCbank to achieve national growth through digital channels.

The Panel Included:

Kathleen Craig, Founder and CEO, Plinqit
Patricia Ferrick, President, FVCbank

What's in it for you? This exclusive fireside chat dives into:

How financial institutions can transition from legacy marketing to performance-driven digital acquisition
Why the affiliate channel is a proven path for deposit and revenue growth
How to align product economics with go-to-market strategy for profitable growth
Actionable insights for building a national footprint without losing your relationship base
Where the biggest opportunities in affiliate-driven acquisition lie for 2026

Who is this webinar session for?

Whether you’re a CMO or marketing leader at a financial institution, this conversation delivers a clear roadmap for financial brands looking to build a national brand through digital acquisition and turn affiliates into a true performance engine.

Presenting

Meet the Experts

Kathleen Craig

Kathleen Craig is the founder and CEO of Plinqit, a fintech company that helps banks and credit unions grow deposits and launch digital brands. Prior to launching Plinqit, Kathleen served as vice president for digital banking at a well-regarded community financial institution. Kathleen's experience in banking and technology and her passion for financial wellness education led her to the development of Plinqit. Plinqit now serves many bank and credit union clients across the U.S., including banks in the top 10 by asset size, and High Yield Savings by Plinqit has generated more than $3B for banks since its launch in January 2024.

Kathleen leverages her shared industry experience as both banker and fintech leader as an advisor to several fintech start-ups and has served on the boards of A2EF and the Association for Financial Technology. She also regularly contributes articles to publications such as Forbes, ABA Marketing Magazine, Bank Director, and The Financial Brand. She earned her Bachelor of Business Administration from Eastern Michigan University.

Patricia A. Ferrick

Patricia A. Ferrick, President of FVCbank, has built a distinguished 30+ year career in banking, serving the Washington, DC, metropolitan area. A founding executive of FVCbank in 2007, she became President in 2018 after serving as CFO. Patricia began her career as a licensed CPA with KPMG, specializing in bank auditing, before advancing to senior financial leadership roles at Southern Financial Bank and Potomac Bank of Virginia. A Washington Business Journal Women Who Mean Business alumna, Patricia continues to lead FVCbank forward with foresight, perseverance, and a commitment to strengthening its role as a trusted financial partner for businesses and individuals. She also dedicates her leadership to the community, serving as Board Chair of Volunteers for Honduran Communities and as a past director for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Washington, DC, and the Virginia Association of Community Banks.

Education
B.S. in Business, major in Accounting, Virginia Tech

Danielle Lauzon

Danielle Lauzon is VP of Growth and Strategy at Fintel Connect, the leading all-in-one partner marketing solution built exclusively for the financial services space. Having started her career in affiliate marketing, she has already earned her stripes as a seasoned veteran, particularly in fintech and banking where she currently oversees a fast-growing team and multi-million-dollar campaign budgets for enterprise financial brands across North America. Danielle is proud to be most recently recognized for her contributions to the space as one of Hello Partner’s 2024 30 Under 30 Future Leaders in Partnership Marketing.

Drop us a message

Have a Question About Affiliate Marketing, FAMF or Looking To Discuss a Potential Opportunity?

[Be the first in line to download a report over 26 pages of never released insights, trends, and tactics from the top affiliates in North America.]