First Community Corporation (FCCO): Marketing Mix Analysis [Dec-2025 Updated]

You're looking to see how First Community Corporation is positioning itself as of late 2025, and honestly, the numbers tell a clear story of regional strength and careful pricing. We're talking about a bank with $2.1 billion in total assets, a solid 3.21% Net Interest Margin in Q2, and a commitment to shareholders shown by their 95th consecutive dividend quarter. So, before diving into the specifics of their product suite-which includes over $1.1 billion in Assets Under Management-or their strategic move into the Atlanta MSA, let's break down the core of their market strategy: the Product, Place, Promotion, and Price that defines First Community Corporation right now.

First Community Corporation (FCCO) - Marketing Mix: Product

You're looking at what First Community Corporation (FCCO) actually puts in front of its clients. The product set is centered on full-service commercial and retail banking, which means they cover the core needs of businesses and individuals in the Midlands, Aiken, Upstate, and Piedmont Regions of South Carolina, plus Augusta, Georgia. This offering includes a wide array of deposit solutions and various lending products. For instance, their deposit products include checking, NOW, savings, and individual retirement accounts, alongside demand deposits, daily money market accounts, and longer-term certificates of deposit.

The Mortgage Banking segment shows concrete activity. For the second quarter of 2025, the total production for the mortgage line of business was reported at $62.9 million. Still, by the third quarter of 2025, total production was $51.6 million, though fee revenue was strong at $934 thousand for that quarter. The loan portfolio itself is diverse, spanning commercial loans-which cover working capital, business expansion, and equipment purchases-as well as consumer loans, residential mortgages, and real estate construction financing.

The Investment Advisory and Non-Deposit services are a growing part of the product suite, managed through First Community Financial Consultants. Assets Under Management (AUM) reached a record $1.103 billion as of September 30, 2025, which is the end of the third quarter. Investment advisory revenue for that same quarter was $1.862 million.

Here's a quick look at how the main product segments performed in Q3 2025:

Convenience is built into the product experience through digital banking capabilities. You can expect standard features that help clients manage their finances outside of branch hours. These capabilities are designed to support clients' needs beyond traditional branch hours.

The digital product features include:

• Online account access for checking, savings, and other deposit products.
• Bill payment functionality.
• Mobile deposit services.
• Online cash management services for business clients.

The bank also offers other services that enhance the core banking product, such as treasury management services and merchant card processing for businesses. If onboarding takes 14+ days, churn risk rises, so digital speed matters here. Finance: draft 13-week cash view by Friday.

First Community Corporation (FCCO) - Marketing Mix: Place

The Place strategy for First Community Corporation (FCCO) centers on its physical presence across key markets in South Carolina and Georgia, supplemented by its digital distribution channels.

The distribution network is anchored by a core geographic footprint that serves distinct economic areas within the Southeast.

• Core geographic footprint spans the Midlands, Aiken, Upstate, and Piedmont regions of South Carolina.
• Operates 21 banking offices as of September 30, 2025, primarily in SC and the Augusta, GA area.
• Strategic acquisition of Signature Bank of Georgia expands reach into the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA MSA.
• Total assets stood at $2.1 billion as of September 30, 2025, underscoring its regional scale.
• Distribution relies on a hybrid model: physical branches plus a strong digital/online banking platform.

The physical network, prior to the expected closing of the Signature Bank of Georgia merger in early first quarter 2026, comprised 22 full-service banking offices. The merger will expand this to a pro forma total of 23 offices.

The expansion into the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA MSA is a key component of the Place strategy, aiming to capture market share in a dynamic area. This physical expansion is supported by the digital channel, which provides accessibility beyond the brick-and-mortar locations.

The distribution channels include:

• Physical branches across South Carolina's Midlands, Aiken, Upstate, and Piedmont Regions, plus Augusta, GA.
• Digital/Online Banking platform for remote service delivery.
• The combined entity is projected to have $2.0 billion in total deposits upon closing of the merger.

First Community Corporation (FCCO) - Marketing Mix: Promotion

Promotion for First Community Corporation (FCCO) centers on reinforcing its established market position and signaling strategic forward momentum to its audience of local customers and investors. This is achieved through consistent messaging across various communication platforms.

The core brand positioning is communicated as the largest community bank in the South Carolina Midlands. This is supported by the operational footprint, which serves customers across the Midlands, Aiken, Upstate, and Piedmont Regions of South Carolina, as well as the Augusta, Georgia area, with 22 full-service banking offices as of late 2025. At September 30, 2025, the company reported total assets of $2.07 billion.

Stability is a key promotional theme, directly tied to shareholder returns. First Community Corporation has consistently paid a cash dividend, achieving the 95th consecutive quarter of cash dividends paid to common shareholders with the declaration for Q3 2025. The specific amount declared for Q3 2025 was $0.16 per common share, payable on November 18, 2025. This commitment to shareholder return is a tangible measure of stability used in communications.

The relationship-driven growth strategy is evidenced by the focus on core deposit franchise strength. The promotion highlights the quality and growth of customer deposits, which is the foundation of the relationship model. For instance, year-to-date through September 30, 2025, total deposits increased $95.3 million, representing an annualized growth rate of 7.6%. Furthermore, non-interest bearing accounts, a key component of core deposits, stood at $475.9 million as of June 30, 2025, making up 27.1% of total deposits.

Public relations efforts are strategically deployed to signal growth and market access, most notably through the announced acquisition of Signature Bank of Georgia. This strategic M&A activity is promoted to show expansion beyond the existing footprint into the dynamic Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA MSA. The all-stock transaction had an approximate total current value of $41.6 million based on the July 11, 2025, stock price. This expansion is projected to create a combined company with approximately $2.0 billion in total deposits and is expected to be accretive to earnings per share by approximately 4.4% in 2026. Shareholder support for this move was strong, with 5,278,086 votes in favor of the merger agreement.

The digital component of promotion utilizes widely accessible channels to connect with a broader audience of customers and investors. This digital outreach supports the narrative of growth and stability with timely financial data releases.

The consistent communication strategy aims to reinforce the company's standing, as demonstrated by the $0.16 per share dividend for the 95th consecutive quarter, while simultaneously using the Atlanta expansion to signal future scale, targeting a pro forma deposit base of $2.0 billion.

The company actively uses digital channels, including LinkedIn and Facebook, to disseminate this information. For example, the Q3 2025 results announcement was distributed on October 22, 2025. The stock price as of December 3, 2025, was $29.31.

• Brand Positioning: Largest community bank in the South Carolina Midlands.
• Stability Signal: Cash dividend paid for 95th consecutive quarter.
• Growth Signal: Acquisition of Signature Bank of Georgia, valued at approx. $41.6 million.
• Core Franchise Emphasis: Customer deposits grew at a 6.3% annualized rate in Q3 2025.
• Digital Engagement: Use of channels like LinkedIn and Facebook to share financial updates, such as the $0.16 Q3 2025 dividend.

First Community Corporation (FCCO) - Marketing Mix: Price

Price for First Community Corporation centers on the yield generated from its asset base and the cost managed on its liabilities, reflecting competitive positioning in the banking sector.

The firm achieved significant Net Interest Margin (NIM) expansion, reaching 3.21% on a tax equivalent basis in Q2 2025. This expansion was supported by effective asset pricing strategies in the prevailing rate environment.

The loan portfolio yield increased to 5.77% in Q2 2025, demonstrating success in pricing assets competitively. This is part of a broader strategy where the loan yield in Q1 2025 was already at 5.71%. You see the pricing power in action.

Managing the deposit mix is crucial to keeping funding costs low. The focus resulted in the Cost of Funds dropping to 1.91% in Q2 2025. For context, the cost of deposits in Q2 2025 was reported at 1.82%.

Fee income generation remains a key component supporting overall revenue, with non-interest income reported at $4.206 million in Q2 2025, per the strategic targets. This income stream is supported by robust activity in advisory services and mortgage banking.

Competitive pricing on core deposit products helps maintain a strong, low-cost funding base. The non-interest-bearing deposit mix was a key metric, standing at 27.2% in Q1 2025, which is very close to the 27.1% reported at the end of Q2 2025, showing consistency in attracting core funding.

Here's a quick look at the key pricing and funding metrics for the mid-2025 period:

The pricing strategy is clearly focused on maximizing the spread between what First Community Corporation earns on its assets and what it pays for its liabilities. This is reflected in the following operational highlights:

• Net interest income rose to $15.32 million quarter-over-quarter in Q2 2025.
• The interest-rate swap agreement added approximately 6 basis points to the Q2 2025 NIM.
• Mortgage production in Q2 2025 hit a record of $62.9 million in production.
• Investment Advisory Assets Under Management (AUM) crossed $1.01 billion in Q2 2025.
• The Board approved a dividend increase to $0.16 per common share for the 94th consecutive quarter.

To be fair, while the NIM is expanding, the focus on maintaining a high non-interest-bearing mix shows a commitment to keeping the cost of deposits low, which is a direct pricing lever against competitors for core customer relationships. Finance: draft next quarter's NIM sensitivity analysis by next Tuesday.