Mills Marketing

That's a wrap on ICBA LIVE 2025 in Nashville! We had a blast connecting with community bankers, sharing big ideas, and soaking up all the energy of Music City. Huge thanks to everyone who stopped by our booth to chat or attended our sessions. We loved the conversations and can’t wait to keep them going! #ICBALive #CommunityBanking

Senior Account Manager Maggie Dennis and Account Coordinator Nicole Doser represented Mills last night at Drake University’s “speed networking” event. They connected with soon-to-be business and marketing grads, offering valuable advice on interviewing and networking skills. We are proud to empower the next generation of professionals! #Networking #CareerDevelopment #EmpoweringTomorrow

“Every 30 days, we’d create and print 10,000 newsletters in Storm Lake. I’d load them into my car, put them on Ozark Air Lines, and they’d fly with me to Denver.” – Becki Drahota, Mills CEO (1975) Mass production of printed newsletters and regular air travel was the way of business in the early years. Each month, Mills produced and printed 10,000 newsletters for its credit union client. After printing, Becki would load them into her car and drive to the Sioux City airport for a flight to Denver. The newsletters traveled with her to Denver, where they were then mailed to members. Her travel was for more than delivery – Becki would spend the day strategizing the upcoming month’s marketing plan before flying home the same evening. The strength of this relationship, coupled with securing a second client, allowed Mills to turn a profit in its first year. #MillsAt50 #MillsRetro

Please join us in welcoming Alex to Mills! Get to know him by visiting: https://bit.ly/3QLCPJB.

Join Mills at ICBA LIVE in Nashville next week, March 10-13. Meet Crystal Steinbach, Derek Baker, and Kris Mattoon at booth 123, and catch their Learning Lab to hear the latest on Reverse Engineering the Customer Journey. See you there! Learn more or register: https://bit.ly/4ktEDEy.

Director of Digital Services, Crystal Steinbach, was recently interviewed by Independent Banker on the topic of personalization. The piece dives into how community banks can use data to create more meaningful customer experiences as well as discusses further hyper-personalization and the impact of using customer data effectively. Take a read! https://bit.ly/4btyLHl

“I was living in Denver, loving my job, then we decided we’re moving back to Iowa … That’s when my largest client said, ‘If you have to go back to Iowa, start your own company, and you’ll be our agency.’” – Becki Drahota, Mills CEO (1972-1975) A fresh college graduate and newlywed, Becki Drahota’s professional journey began in 1972. Becki had leveraged her Drake University education and skills she’d attained while interning with the Iowa Credit Union League into a full-time marketing role at a Denver-based ad agency. After several years of serving as the account exec for a large credit union, she decided to relocate back to Iowa to start a family. When she attempted to transition that client to another manager, they respectfully declined – and suggested she start a firm in Iowa and that they’d be her first client. So she did … and Mills Marketing was born in Storm Lake, Iowa, on June 1, 1975. #MillsAt50 #MillsRetro

In June, Mills Marketing officially turns 50! Starting next week, we’ll begin posting a series of short stories detailing our 50-year history, featuring insights from Mills founder and CEO Becki Drahota. We hope you’ll follow along as we take you through our journey! And be sure to pay attention – there may be a quiz at the end. ?? #MillsAt50

Join us in celebrating Brooke Von Ehwegen’s recent 10-year anniversary at Mills! Brooke, your creativity, attention to detail, fun-loving nature, and passion for innovative thinking inspire us all every day. We’re thankful to have you at Mills. Here’s to a decade of achievements and an even brighter future ahead. Cheers to you, Brooke! #Happy10Years ?? ??

Senior Account Manager Devin Kono recently presented "Don't Let Your Bank Die of Old Age!" at the Nebraska Bankers Association 2025 Operations Conference in Lincoln. "It was an honor to present to such an engaged and energetic group. Attendees left empowered with actionable strategies to rejuvenate their banks." - Devin Kono #NebraskaBankers #BankingInnovation