Mills Marketing

Derek Baker, EVP of Growth and Innovation, will attend the Marketing, PR & Development Council Conference in Austin, March 23-26. This event brings together credit union marketing professionals to explore the latest strategies in member engagement, business development, and marketing innovation. We look forward to sharing Derek’s key takeaways from the event! To see a full list of where we'll be next, visit our Events page.

“I needed someone who was practical and talented. Cindy’s the quintessential balance of creative and procedure skills. I realized within weeks that she was an absolute treasure.” – Becki Drahota, Mills CEO (1975-1982) With experience under her belt and a strong reputation the industry, Becki landed Mills’ third client, a credit union in Colorado Springs. As business demands increased, the need for a skilled artist (and one with a strong work ethic) became clear. In January of 1982, Becki hired Cindy Suhr. Today, Cindy serves as our Brand Director. #MillsAt50 #MillsRetro

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