2026 Marketing RAP - Session 2

Smart Marketing for Community Banks: AI, Strategy & Peer Ideas

Join fellow community bank marketers in Atlanta on May 7 for CBA’s Marketing RAP—a day  all about sharing ideas, learning from peers, and exploring the strategies shaping modern banking. Hear how banks are using AI and digital tools to reach the right customers, sharpen messaging, and build smarter marketing plans. Hear directly from bank CEOs in a session designed to help marketers better align their efforts with executive priorities.  Plus, you’ll have plenty of time to swap ideas with fellow marketers and walk away with practical takeaways you can put into action immediately.

INSTRUCTOR: 
 
Chris Bates, CEO
Agora Eversole

PRESENTATIONS:

The New Bank Marketing Playbook: How Modern Banks are Adapting to AI and Customer Expectations 

Traditional bank marketing no longer cuts through in today’s AI-driven world. In this energizing session, Chris Bates shares a modern framework to help banks stand out by identifying their best-fit customer segments, crafting focused, problem-driven messaging, and building efficient marketing plans that integrate AI and digital marketing tools. Attendees will leave ready to boost visibility, sharpen differentiation, and build a more resilient, future-ready marketing engine.

Chris Bates, CEO, Agora Eversole Marketing Agency

What CEOs Really Want from Marketing

Hear directly from the top. As part of CBA’s Marketing RAP, a panel of community bank CEOs will share candid insights into what effective marketing looks like from the executive level. From measuring ROI to strengthening your bank’s brand and earning leadership buy-in, this session will give marketers a clearer understanding of how to align their strategies with what matters most in the C-suite.

WHY SHOULD YOU ATTEND? 

• Gain practical marketing strategies tailored for community banks
• Connect with fellow community bank marketers and share ideas with peers who understand your challenges
• Learn how AI and digital tools are shaping modern bank marketing
• Explore new approaches to positioning and customer engagement
• Exchange ideas with fellow bank marketers during peer roundtable discussions

 Secure your spot and get ready to level up your marketing game!

INSTRUCTOR BIO: 
Chris Bates is the CEO of Agora Eversole Marketing Agency in Jackson, MS. His agency team works with the banking industry and other clients across 17 states. He is the co-host of The Bank Marketing Show podcast which is followed nationally and is entering its fourth season.