A Banner Start to 2014 for CMD

PORTLAND, OR--(Marketwired - Apr 1, 2014) - CMD, a leading creative marketing solutions agency, has won the Banner Bank account, becoming agency of record for one of the largest community banks in the Northwest. Banner Bank is a wholly owned subsidiary of Banner Corporation (NASDAQ: BANR), headquartered in Walla Walla, Wash.

With 85 locations in Washington, Oregon and Idaho, and a wide offering of retail, commercial and real estate banking services, Banner Bank recently selected CMD as its marketing agency partner for all of its branding, creative, advertising, social media and other integrated marketing efforts.

CMD rose to the top in a three month-long competitive agency search that included a top-notch field, ranging from boutique shops to global agency subsidiaries from across the region.

"In the end, CMD won the business because they have the flexible, nimble spirit of an independent shop, yet the ability to deliver the strength and sophistication of a global strategic marketing agency," said Dianne Larsen, senior vice president, director of marketing for Banner Bank. "That balance of great creative, a robust service offering and a business-driven approach along with personalized service tipped the scales for us."

Known as a "super community" bank with deep connections in the locations where it operates, Banner combines a personal, localized approach with a complete offering of banking services for both consumer and business clients alike. As a first step, CMD will hone the Banner Bank brand, develop the brand's social media presence and focus on advertising and demand-generation efforts to help grow the bank's customer base.

"This is an exciting opportunity for the agency. This is a partnership that gives us the ability to deliver creative solutions on a number of fronts," said Phil Reilly, president of CMD. "It's also a strong fit: From our values all the way down to the personalized service approach we also take, Banner Bank and CMD are very much aligned in how we drive our respective businesses."

About CMD
With an arsenal of specialized disciplines, CMD takes a synergistic approach to tackling the toughest marketing challenges in a new era of communications by using the right blend of powerful solutions -- including digital, advertising, social media, PR, promotions, film and video, and more. Headquartered in Portland, Ore., and ranked among the nation's top 20 independent agencies, CMD works with some of the world's leading global technology brands, such as Microsoft and HP, in addition to Expedia, Columbia Sportswear, NW Natural, JELD-WEN and Timber Products. CMD also has offices in Seattle, San Francisco and Charlotte, and can be found online through the www.cmdagency.com, www.twitter.com/cmdcreates or http://blog.cmdagency.com/.

About Banner Bank
Banner Bank is a Washington-chartered commercial bank that conducts business from 85 locations in Washington, Oregon and Idaho. Banner Bank is a community bank which offers a wide variety of commercial banking services and financial products to individuals and small and medium-sized businesses and their employees in its primary market area. Visit Banner Bank at www.bannerbank.com.

About Banner Corporation
Banner Corporation is a $4.39 billion bank holding company operating two commercial banks in Washington, Oregon and Idaho. Banner serves the Pacific Northwest region with a full range of deposit services, and business, commercial real estate, construction, residential, agricultural and consumer loans.