Market Research · Southeast Regional Footprint
Renasant Bank
Brand Awareness & Perception Study
A statistically representative look at how consumers across Renasant’s defined market footprint recognize, perceive, and choose their bank — and where Renasant stands against the competitive field.
Respondents were screened to Renasant’s footprint across Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Louisiana, eliminating geographic dilution as an explanation for awareness gaps. Margin of error widens for demographic and geographic subgroups shown in the Crosstab Explorer below. Bank size/asset figures throughout this report are sourced from the FDIC BankFind Suite (call-report data), not from this survey.
Brand Perception
What happens once someone actually knows Renasant exists. This section isolates respondents who indicated familiarity with the bank and asks what they believe to be true about it, plus how a broader, unfiltered audience reacts to Renasant’s logo cold.
General Banking Behavior
How people choose and evaluate a bank, independent of any single brand — what they weigh when deciding where to put their money, what would push them out the door, and where the market currently banks.
Business Banking
A smaller but distinct slice of the sample: respondents who own a business, and where they currently take their business banking relationship.
Crosstab Explorer
Recall
Brand Perception
General Banking Behavior
Business Banking
RNST Assessment · Regional & City Text Analysis
Where Renasant Stands, Market by Market
Every state in the footprint broken into its real sub-regions and major cities, with plain-language analysis and a scorecard against the overall study average (n=815).
Most figures in this document are shown as a “×avg” multiple — each region or city’s value divided by this study’s own overall average. 1.0× avg = exactly average, 2.6× avg = 2.6 times the overall average, 0.5× avg = half the overall average. For “Never Heard of It,” a lower multiple is the good outcome — coloring accounts for this. Unaided recall is graded differently: see the disclaimer at the bottom of this document.
Notecard: Region Scorecard
Every sub-state region. Click any column header to sort by that metric — the Overall Average row moves to wherever it falls in the active sort. Unaided recall is graded against a community-bank benchmark, not this study’s own average — see disclaimer at bottom.
| Region | Aware | Very Familiar | Unaided Recall |
|---|
Notecard: City Scorecard
Every major metro (n≥10). Click any column header to sort by that metric — the Overall Average row moves to wherever it falls in the active sort. Unaided recall is graded against a community-bank benchmark, not this study’s own average — see disclaimer at bottom.
| City | Aware | Very Familiar | Unaided Recall |
|---|
Mississippi
North Mississippi
North Mississippi is Renasant’s home turf, and it shows: people here already know and trust the bank. The nice part of the job here is protecting that goodwill and keeping loyal customers happy, since fees are the main thing people mention when they think about what might make them leave.
Counties in this region (9)
Top 20 Top of Mind Banks (top 20)
Top 20 Aided Recall Banks (top 20)
Central Mississippi
A strong, well-above-average market that Renasant shares nicely with good company. Regions tends to be the first name that comes to mind here, which points to a real opportunity to build even more top-of-mind presence over time. Jackson’s story closely mirrors the region’s.
Counties in this region (5)
Top 20 Top of Mind Banks (top 18)
Top 20 Aided Recall Banks (top 20)
Jackson, MS
Mirrors Central Mississippi closely — a friendly rivalry to stay top-of-mind against a well-established name, not a blank slate to build from scratch.
Top 20 Top of Mind Banks (top 16)
Top 20 Aided Recall Banks (top 20)
South Mississippi
A market with a bit more room to grow than the rest of Mississippi, and a good reminder that every community has its own relationship with its banks. Wells Fargo edges out Regions as the name that comes to mind first here, and branch access is a bit more top-of-mind for people than fees.
Counties in this region (5)
Top 20 Top of Mind Banks (top 19)
Top 20 Aided Recall Banks (top 20)
Georgia
North Georgia (Metro Atlanta)
The single most important market to keep an eye on in this whole study, simply because of its size — more than a quarter of everyone surveyed lives here. Awareness has a wonderful amount of room to grow, which given how many people call this home, makes it one of the most exciting opportunities anywhere in the footprint.
Counties in this region (13)
Top 20 Top of Mind Banks (top 20)
Top 20 Aided Recall Banks (top 20)
Atlanta, GA
Atlanta accounts for nearly all of North Georgia’s respondents, so city and region tell the same story: the largest market in the entire study, and one with a wonderful amount of room to grow in name recognition.
Top 20 Top of Mind Banks (top 20)
Top 20 Aided Recall Banks (top 20)
Gainesville, GA
A small but distinct pocket north of Atlanta proper, running nicely above the region’s average despite sitting inside it — worth thinking of as its own market rather than folding into the Atlanta story.
Top 20 Top of Mind Banks (top 12)
Top 20 Aided Recall Banks (top 20)
Central Georgia
A steady, middle-of-the-pack market without one dominant city large enough to break out on its own this wave (Macon and Columbus both came in just under the reporting threshold). Like the rest of Georgia, the national banks currently hold much of the mindshare here.
Counties in this region (5)
Top 20 Top of Mind Banks (top 19)
Top 20 Aided Recall Banks (top 20)
South Georgia
An average-awareness market with a genuinely interesting personality — Chime shows up heavily as people’s current bank, pointing to a younger, more digital-first customer base. A conversation built around technology and convenience is likely to land better here than one built around branches and rates.
Counties in this region (9)
Top 20 Top of Mind Banks (top 20)
Top 20 Aided Recall Banks (top 20)
Alabama
North Alabama
The strongest of the three Alabama regions, and a genuine bright spot. Interest rates edge out fees as the top thing on people’s minds here, fitting a rate-conscious market — and the standout finding is a friendly one: Redstone Federal Credit Union, a well-loved local institution, is the name people mention most often as their current bank.
Counties in this region (3)
Top 20 Top of Mind Banks (top 17)
Top 20 Aided Recall Banks (top 20)
Huntsville, AL
The region’s recent growth actually came from outside Huntsville, so it’s a smaller share of North Alabama’s story than before — Huntsville itself remains a genuine credit-union town, with Redstone Federal and Chase tied at the top of the current-bank list.
Top 20 Top of Mind Banks (top 13)
Top 20 Aided Recall Banks (top 20)
Central Alabama
Still a strong, healthy market anchored by Birmingham, even though North Alabama has recently edged just ahead of it. Wells Fargo and Regions remain the names people know best here, and fees are the top thing people would love to see improved.
Counties in this region (6)
Top 20 Top of Mind Banks (top 20)
Top 20 Aided Recall Banks (top 20)
Birmingham, AL
Tracks the Central Alabama region closely. Wells Fargo is the name people mention most as their current bank, with Regions and a growing Chime presence close behind.
Top 20 Top of Mind Banks (top 20)
Top 20 Aided Recall Banks (top 20)
Auburn, AL
A charming, small university-town market on the region’s eastern edge, running above both the region and overall average — with a notably high “very familiar” rate for its size.
Top 20 Top of Mind Banks (top 13)
Top 20 Aided Recall Banks (top 20)
South Alabama
A comfortably steady, middle-of-the-pack market split between two cities with slightly different personalities — nothing here needs urgent attention, which is its own kind of good news.
Counties in this region (4)
Top 20 Top of Mind Banks (top 20)
Top 20 Aided Recall Banks (top 20)
Mobile, AL
Tracks closely with the regional average — a steady, dependable market.
Top 20 Top of Mind Banks (top 18)
Top 20 Aided Recall Banks (top 20)
Montgomery, AL
Runs a bit below both the region and overall average, with a little more room to grow than its neighbor.
Top 20 Top of Mind Banks (top 11)
Top 20 Aided Recall Banks (top 20)
Tennessee
West Tennessee
One of the true bright spots outside Mississippi — the strongest secondary market in the study, and the only region besides North MS with meaningful unaided recall. It behaves like an extension of home turf rather than a new market to win over.
Counties in this region (2)
Top 20 Top of Mind Banks (top 20)
Top 20 Aided Recall Banks (top 20)
Memphis, TN-MS
Pulls in DeSoto County, MS by definition — a lovely proof point that awareness travels naturally with proximity to home turf.
Top 20 Top of Mind Banks (top 20)
Top 20 Aided Recall Banks (top 20)
Middle Tennessee
A genuinely encouraging story: this Nashville-area market has grown a lot with this wave’s data and now sits comfortably in the middle of the pack. Fees are the top thing people mention wanting to see improved, and Regions is the name that comes to mind first — the same pattern seen across most of the footprint outside Louisiana.
Counties in this region (3)
Top 20 Top of Mind Banks (top 20)
Top 20 Aided Recall Banks (top 20)
Nashville, TN
Still a bit below the overall average, but no longer the floor of the study. A market with real, exciting room to grow rather than one that’s been written off.
Top 20 Top of Mind Banks (top 20)
Top 20 Aided Recall Banks (top 20)
East Tennessee
An above-average market overall, with an interesting nuance worth knowing: Knoxville itself runs a bit below the region’s average, while the surrounding counties (Washington and Sullivan) help lift the regional number. Customer service, more than fees, is top of mind for people here — a nice opening for a relationship-focused conversation.
Counties in this region (4)
Top 20 Top of Mind Banks (top 20)
Top 20 Aided Recall Banks (top 20)
Knoxville, TN
Runs a bit below the East Tennessee region’s average these days. Still very much a service-and-relationship market rather than a rate-and-fee one, which points to the kind of conversation likely to resonate here.
Top 20 Top of Mind Banks (top 18)
Top 20 Aided Recall Banks (top 20)
Louisiana
Greater Baton Rouge
A market with room to grow, and an interesting one competitively: Chase and Capital One are the names people think of first here, rather than Wells Fargo or Regions like elsewhere in the footprint.
Counties in this region (3)
Top 20 Top of Mind Banks (top 15)
Top 20 Aided Recall Banks (top 20)
Baton Rouge, LA
Shares the same geography as the region by construction — the Chase/Capital One competitive picture is the headline story here.
Top 20 Top of Mind Banks (top 15)
Top 20 Aided Recall Banks (top 20)
Greater New Orleans / Northshore
Tells a very similar story to Baton Rouge — room to grow, with Chase and Capital One as the names people know best rather than the regional-bank rivalry seen elsewhere. Louisiana is very much its own market, and worth its own tailored approach.
Counties in this region (4)
Top 20 Top of Mind Banks (top 20)
Top 20 Aided Recall Banks (top 20)
New Orleans, LA
Shares the same geography as the region by construction. Respondents here cluster in Jefferson Parish and the Northshore (Metairie, Covington, Hammond) rather than Orleans Parish itself.
Top 20 Top of Mind Banks (top 20)
Top 20 Aided Recall Banks (top 20)
Florida
Florida Panhandle
With a larger, more representative sample this wave, this market shows the most room to grow of anywhere in the footprint. The competitive picture here is led by the national players (Bank of America, Regions), and there’s a lovely military-and-veteran-community story that’s specifically concentrated in Pensacola, worth leaning into there.
Counties in this region (5)
Top 20 Top of Mind Banks (top 20)
Top 20 Aided Recall Banks (top 20)
Pensacola, FL
Still carries a lovely Navy Federal Credit Union presence — tied for the most commonly named current bank here, even though it’s no longer the top name for the Panhandle region as a whole. The military-community connection is very much a Pensacola story specifically.
Top 20 Top of Mind Banks (top 20)
Top 20 Aided Recall Banks (top 20)
Fort Walton Beach, FL
The city with the most room to grow anywhere in this study. Home to Eglin Air Force Base, so there’s likely a military-community angle worth exploring here too, even though the sample doesn’t yet show the same Navy Federal concentration Pensacola has.
Top 20 Top of Mind Banks (top 14)
Top 20 Aided Recall Banks (top 20)
North Florida
A wonderfully varied part of the footprint. Tallahassee and Gainesville are running above average, and Ocala has moved up nicely with this wave’s additional data. Jacksonville, the region’s largest city, has the most room to grow of the four.
Counties in this region (4)
Top 20 Top of Mind Banks (top 20)
Top 20 Aided Recall Banks (top 20)
Jacksonville, FL
The largest city in this region, with a good amount of room to grow in awareness despite its size — a pattern it shares with Atlanta and Tampa.
Top 20 Top of Mind Banks (top 20)
Top 20 Aided Recall Banks (top 20)
Tallahassee, FL
Quietly the strongest of the four cities here, running just above average.
Top 20 Top of Mind Banks (top 16)
Top 20 Aided Recall Banks (top 20)
Gainesville, FL
The strongest Florida city outside Tampa and Jacksonville — a real bright spot in a state with a lot of room to grow overall.
Top 20 Top of Mind Banks (top 17)
Top 20 Aided Recall Banks (top 20)
Ocala, FL
Moved up nicely with this wave’s additional data — no longer among the cities with the most room to grow in Florida, though still a touch below the overall average.
Top 20 Top of Mind Banks (top 20)
Top 20 Aided Recall Banks (top 20)
Tampa Bay / West-Central Florida
The largest Florida market in the sample, and the one with the most room to grow — right alongside the Panhandle. It’s also the one Florida market where interest rates are a bit more top-of-mind for people than fees.
Counties in this region (1)
Top 20 Top of Mind Banks (top 20)
Top 20 Aided Recall Banks (top 20)
Tampa, FL
Shares the same geography as the region by construction. Like Atlanta, this is a case of a large population paired with a wonderful amount of room to grow in awareness.
Top 20 Top of Mind Banks (top 20)
Top 20 Aided Recall Banks (top 20)
Methodology Disclaimer
Unaided recall grading (Weak / Moderate / Strong / Dominant) is not a published industry or academic statistic. It reflects a practical rule-of-thumb for the community/regional bank category, calibrated more generously than general-consumer-brand norms because the banking category is fragmented and people commonly struggle to name multiple banks without prompting: under 8% is graded Weak, 8–14% Moderate, 15%+ Strong, and 25%+ Dominant. This framework does not distinguish first-mention recall from total unaided recall (naming a bank first among several is a stronger signal than naming it as one of several) — this study’s underlying data supports that distinction if a first-mention cut is wanted later. Treat these bands as a directional read, not a precise external population benchmark.
All other ×avg figures (Aware, Very Familiar, Never Heard of It) compare each region or city only to this study’s own overall average (n=815) — there is no external national or industry benchmark for these three metrics in this document.
Sample sizes vary widely by region and city, from n=815 (overall) down to n=10 for the smallest reportable cities. Smaller cuts should be read directionally rather than precisely.