Positioning Vertice AI as a trusted voice in AI-powered member growth while increasing market visibility and credibility.
Overview
In 2024, Vertice AI engaged William Mills Agency to elevate its visibility within the financial services industry as it entered its next stage of growth. Having established a strong customer base and proven technology, the company sought to build broader market awareness, strengthen executive thought leadership and demonstrate measurable customer success through earned media.
William Mills Agency developed and executed the agency's proprietary process, Intelligent Information Integration™, which resulted in a comprehensive public relations program focused on media relations, executive positioning, thought leadership, awards, speaking opportunities and customer success stories.
Challenge
As an emerging fintech, Vertice AI faced a common challenge, elevating an innovative platform into a known and trusted market-leading company.
Vertice AI needed to:
- Continue building brand awareness in a market filled with larger, more established competitors.
- Differentiate its AI platform amid increasing industry interest in artificial intelligence.
- Educate financial institutions on practical, responsible applications of AI rather than relying on technology hype.
- Generate third-party validation through media coverage, customer case studies and industry recognition.
- Maximize visibility and credibility with a lean internal team while supporting continued business growth.
Objectives
William Mills Agency developed a communications strategy designed to:
- Increase Vertice AI's visibility and brand recognition among community FIs, fintechs, and industry analysts.
- Position Vertice AI's team as thought leaders on AI-powered member growth, engagement, and personalization.
- Secure regular media interviews, podcast appearances, and bylined articles in top-tier credit union, banking, and fintech publications.
- Showcase customers and company innovations through news releases and thought leadership to reinforce Vertice AI's market leadership.
- Pursue strategic speaking opportunities and industry awards to further strengthen Vertice AI's credibility and influence.
Strategy and Execution
William Mills Agency implemented a proactive communications program focused on communicating business value and industry expertise rather than product promotion.
Key initiatives include:
- Refining Vertice AI’s messaging to clearly communicate its differentiated value proposition and market positioning.
- Executing an earned media strategy that secures interviews, feature stories and contributed articles across leading financial services publications.
- Positioning executive leadership as expert sources on AI, member growth, personalization and emerging industry trends.
- Leveraging customer testimonials to demonstrate measurable business outcomes and provide authentic third-party validation.
- Promoting strategic partnerships and major company milestones to reinforce Vertice AI’s expanding market presence.
- Developing thought leadership content that educates financial institutions while strengthening the company’s credibility and influence.
Results
Earned Media Impact
The strategic communications program has significantly expanded Vertice AI’s visibility across the community financial services industry, resulting in 210 earned media placements with an advertising value equivalent (AVE) of more than $890k. WMA has generated a steady cadence of company news, executive interviews and thought leadership, including 33 published interviews. These efforts have also helped position Mitch Rutledge as an increasingly recognized industry expert, with several reputable trade podcasts requesting him as a return guest following introductions and relationships originally facilitated by WMA. Vertice AI and its executives were featured in key industry publications including Tearsheet, AI Tech News, BankNews, Bank Business, Credit Union Times, Finopotamus, Fintech Buzz, Fintech Futures, Independent Banker, ProSight Banking Strategies, Bankadelic and the Finovate Podcast to name a few.
Industry Recognition
As Vertice AI’s visibility increased, so did its recognition across the financial services industry. WMA helped elevate the company's profile through strategic speaking opportunities, including presentations at FinovateFall 2025 and the ICBA ThinkTECH Accelerator. Vertice AI won eight industry awards, including Finopotamus’ 2026 Tekkies Game Changer Award, 2025 Finovate Fall Best of Show Demo, and the ICBA ThinkTECH Banker’s Choice Award. Vertice also received three finalist recognitions, including one from the Banking Tech USA Awards.
Business Impact
Beyond media coverage, the communications program strengthened Vertice AI’s overall market position. By consistently highlighting customer outcomes, executive expertise and real-world applications of AI, WMA helped establish Vertice AI as one of the industry’s leading voices on AI-powered member growth. The program transformed customer success stories into credible third-party validation, increasing executive visibility among prospective customers and industry influencers. It reinforced the company’s competitive differentiation, supporting its continued business development efforts.
About Vertice AI
Vertice AI is a leading provider of AI-powered member growth solutions leveraging predictive analytics to help credit unions employ data to drive smarter business decisions. By harnessing artificial intelligence and member data, Vertice AI delivers actionable, member-centric insights that enable credit unions to optimize marketing investments, foster deeper relationships, and achieve measurable growth. Vertice AI has been recognized as a Finovate Fall Best in Show 2025, ICBA ThinkTech Bankers Choice Award Winner, Top 25 Startup to Watch by the Atlanta Business Chronicle, honored as a Finalist at VentureTech 2023, and named the 2023 Innovation Challenge Winner by the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG).
Connect with Mitch Rutledge
Mitch’s LinkedIn
mitch.rutledge@verticeanalytics.ai
About William Mills Agency
William Mills Agency is a strategic public relations and marketing partner for companies across the financial industry, helping fintechs and other technology companies become known, trusted and chosen. With decades of financial services specialization and deep fintech relationships, the agency helps clients turn complex stories into credible market narratives through thought leadership, content strategy, earned media, speaking opportunities and AI-informed visibility. To learn more, visit www.williammills.com.
