Five Star Bancorp of Rancho Cordova, Calif., operates through its wholly owned banking subsidiary, Five Star Bank. With branches across Northern California, the company was preparing to open its first location in Walnut Creek — a thriving community in the East Bay.
To attract media coverage, Bospar knew we had to make this more than another ribbon cutting.
The banking industry sees frequent openings and expansions. To make a media splash, our PR experts knew we would have to elevate this story as more than just another branch opening.
Our strategic public relations campaign reframed the conversation entirely. Instead of pitching the bank’s expansion as a corporate milestone, we positioned the bank’s arrival as evidence of Walnut Creek’s strong economic trajectory.
Understanding that media like data-driven narratives, the public relations team at Bospar leveraged data to back up this story. For example, in our media outreach, we highlighted that Walnut Creek was experiencing a 21% increase in business licenses. This statistic transformed our pitch into one about economic confidence — a story that local journalists wanted to tell.
This PR approach also served to convince major Bay Area outlets that this wasn’t a “bank story” at all, but a community story — one that reflected the city’s surging economic growth, attractiveness to leading financial institutions and emergence as a hub of business vitality.
Here are more specifics on what the public relations plan did and why it worked:
This strategic orchestration of our PR campaign — built on relationships, timing and insight — turned a routine press moment into a major Bay Area news feature.
This outcome was no accident — it was the result of teamwork, smart narrative framing and an understanding of what drives newsroom decisions. KTVU’s Gonzales played a pivotal role in championing the story internally, emphasizing that Walnut Creek’s growth was the kind of uplifting, community-focused news Bay Area audiences appreciate.
The results of our PR strategy and media relationships were outstanding:
The broadcast and digital media coverage impact positioned the client as a trusted, community-oriented partner invested in local prosperity. What began as a local branch opening became a regional business success story – proof that with strategic storytelling, data-driven framing and the right media relationships, even the most expected events can make a lasting impact.
The client and the community leaders were thrilled with the media results of our PR efforts.
“This was the fantastic ‘splash’ we wanted to make. Thank you all for your efforts!”
— Shelley Wetton, SVP & Chief Marketing Officer, Five Star Bank
