Means & Matters serves conscious consumers and business people interested in sustainability and social justice. We define the audience for our content on MeansAndMatters.com as “sustainability leaders” and “believers in sustainability.” Leaders on the forefront of sustainability in business, investing or lifestyle and seek sophisticated content that keeps them informed and gives them an edge in their day-to-day interactions with like-minded consumers and business executives. The Believers segment is broader but may not necessarily be taking actions around sustainability and is drawn to content that inspires and offers helpful insights to live a more sustainable life or run a more sustainable business.

Our objective is to continually find new and engaging ways to drive awareness of banking’s role in protecting the planet, and underscore the distinctiveness of Bank of the West’s environmental position among likeminded consumers and business people.

In a world that overlooks the connection between banking and sustainability, we are using insightful, engaging and visually stunning content to tell that story and attract an environmentally and socially conscious audience to Bank of the West, a fundamentally different kind of bank that is taking action to protect the planet and achieve a more sustainable world. In a crowded banking environment where three mega-banks control more than 30% of US bank deposits, Means & Matters is bringing a new and engaged audience to Bank of the West, a leader in sustainability.

The strategy behind Means & Matters is to attract and engage a sustainably-minded audience by creating a stunning online publication with insightful content about protecting the planet and building a more equitable society. MeansAndMatters.com tells stories about the intersection of money and sustainability through video, motion graphics, long-form articles, and infographics. Developed by Bank of the West, Means & Matters informs and inspires conscious consumers and business people about protecting the environment and creating a more equitable society, while showing the connection between sustainability and what banks do with the funds deposited by consumers and businesses.

Means & Matters was developed during the first half of 2020 and launched in August 2020 with more than 20 original articles, video, and infographics. Since then it has added new content on a weekly basis, promoting it on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn for a continually growing audience.