Overview
William Mills Agency (WMA), a leading public relations and marketing firm specializing in financial technology, was selected by White Clay in November 2020 to support its aggressive growth goals. WMA provided a comprehensive communications strategy focused on elevating brand awareness, positioning company leaders as industry thought leaders and generating a consistent stream of earned and owned media to support business development. WMA helped White Clay break through the noise and become a recognized, trusted brand in banking and fintech industries.
Challenge
In late 2020, White Clay set an ambitious goal: to grow the company by 75% annually. However, the company was still relatively unknown in the industry, and most of its business was driven by personal relationships rather than broad visibility. The company needed stronger external positioning to elevate brand awareness and credibility, particularly among C-level executives and business unit leaders at regional and community banks and credit unions. Additionally, White Clay lacked a steady stream of company news and references willing to speak publicly about the organization’s value proposition.
Objectives
William Mills Agency designed a comprehensive communications strategy to address White Clay’s challenges and support its growth objectives. The engagement centered on three core areas:
- Establishing strategic partnerships with industry leaders and core providers to develop a more scalable solution.
- Gaining recognition and awareness among regional and community banks and credit unions, particularly key decision makers such as CEOs, CFOs, CTOs and business unit leaders, as well as technology analysts.
- Positioning Mac Thompson, CEO and founder, as a key thought leader on relevant, timely industry topics and trends.
Strategy and Execution
In the first year, WMA concentrated on building White Clay’s foundational media relationships. This included securing introductory interviews and bylined article opportunities, as well as issuing early press releases that announced additions to the executive team and new customer announcements. This messaging was intentionally focused on the benefits of clean data environments from both an institutional and banker perspective, reinforcing the company’s value proposition to a wider audience.
By the end of the second year, White Clay’s media momentum and industry awareness had grown significantly. WMA distributed seven press releases and media advisories, resulting in more than $264,700 in earned media value. With 55 strategic placements, including 24 bylines and interviews, and a consistent social media and event presence, White Clay became a recognized name in the industry. Messaging efforts evolved to illustrating real-world use cases and leading discussions on key industry trends.
In year three, WMA shifted focus to deepening industry positioning by highlighting the specific ways White Clay addressed core challenges facing both community and regional financial institutions. Messaging was further tailored by positioning Scott Earwood as a subject matter expert for community banks and credit union audiences, while Mac Thompson remained White Clay’s voice for regional institutions. This segmentation enabled more targeted thought leadership content, bolstered by client metrics and relevant examples to illustrate tangible value.
During the fourth year of engagement, WMA addressed common industry misconceptions about White Clay’s offerings by repositioning the company to reflect the full breadth of its capabilities. With financial institutions increasingly concerned about profitability, pricing, and relationship management, White Clay’s relevance rose across the board. The agency secured media opportunities that positioned White Clay executives as trusted voices on these pressing topics and consistently tied those conversations back to the solutions the company provides.
Throughout the engagement, WMA continuously refined messaging to ensure it resonates with White Clay’s goals and audiences. The team has maintained a strategic mix of press releases, bylines, interviews and awards – content that supports sales conversions, LinkedIn engagement and website visibility for prospects and clients. WMA also focused on increasing White Clay’s presence at financial events to foster deeper industry relationships.
Results
Since the start of the engagement, WMA has secured 120 media placements, totaling nearly $700,000 in earned media value. This includes $314,200 from interviews and $188,100 from bylined articles. These placements have appeared in top-tier banking, credit union and fintech publications, reinforcing White Clay’s growing credibility as a trusted business partner.
In collaboration with White Clay’s marketing team, WMA has helped increase the company’s LinkedIn page by more than 100 new followers, bringing the total to 683. Over the past year (March 2024–2025), the page received 2,561 views, attracted 1,178 unique visitors, garnered 12,193 impressions, and generated 422 reactions and 56 reposts. Executive visibility also expanded through LinkedIn, with WMA managing the personal pages of Mac Thompson and Scott Earwood. Mac’s content generated 21,184 impressions and reached 5,879 members, with his most successful post—a Bank Director Acquire or Be Acquired Conference recap blog—garnering 4,289 impressions, 83 likes, 9 comments, and 8 reposts. Scott’s page generated 9,728 impressions and reached 2,472 members.
WMA also opened new avenues for executive engagement, securing speaking opportunities for Scott Earwood at Best Innovation Group’s Innovation Club and facilitating a webinar featuring Mac Thompson for the National Fintech Organization alongside Finov8r and Quanalytix. The agency also supported award submissions that led to White Clay being recognized with the TAG Fintech ADVANCE Award and inclusion in American Banker’s Best Places to Work in Fintech list.
Conclusion
Through a deliberate, multi-year PR program focused on earned media, thought leadership and social amplification, William Mills Agency helped transform White Clay from an emerging company to a recognized name in financial services. Despite the challenges of limited client participation and minimal news announcements, WMA successfully built a strong market presence for White Clay using creative content strategies, executive visibility and consistent, high-quality media placements. This result is a more visible, trusted and influential brand that is well-positioned to support its long-term growth objectives.
About White Clay
White Clay is a fintech that guides banks and credit unions to enhance customer relationships and profitability. For nearly 20 years, its software has offered financial institutions a comprehensive view of customer interactions and insights to boost daily business decisions. By aligning goals with shareholder value, White Clay improves banker performance and pricing strategies. Trusted by leading financial institutions, the company’s innovative approach continues to transform relationship and profitability optimization. For more info, visit whiteclay.com or follow us on LinkedIn.
Connect with Mac Thompson
Mac’s LinkedIn
About William Mills Agency
William Mills Agency is North America’s leading fintech public relations and marketing firm. The agency has established its reputation through the successful execution of media relations, marketing services and crisis communications programs. The company serves clients ranging in size from small start-ups to large, publicly traded companies. For more information, please visit williammills.com/financial-public-relations.
