Allan Lunkenhemier Joins Props as Head of Performance Media

Allan is the Second Props Advisor to Join the Team

Allan Lunkenhemier Joins Props as Head of Performance Media

Allan is the Second Props Advisor to Join the Team
SYNOPSIS

We are proud to announce that Allan Lunkenheimer has joined Props as our new Head of Performance Media.

Allan is an accomplished marketing leader with over a decade of experience driving revenue growth and delivering innovative solutions for leading brands, including Anheuser-Busch, Peloton, DoorDash, and Warby Parker. He has successfully executed campaigns across all digital channels, driving tangible results for brands. Beyond his work in performance marketing, Allan has also led initiatives that have raised millions for critical causes, such as St. Jude Children’s Hospital.

This is not Allan’s first engagement with Props. Since our launch in 2019, Allan has served as a trusted advisor, playing an integral role in shaping our unique approach to combining creator-driven storytelling with data-driven performance media. His deep understanding of our mission and his unmatched expertise in scaling marketing strategies make him uniquely qualified to take on this leadership role.

As Head of Performance Media, Allan will work closely with our team and clients to optimize campaigns, expand results, and uncover new opportunities for growth. His appointment reaffirms Props’ commitment to delivering measurable business outcomes, such as driving leads, increasing conversions, and lowering customer acquisition costs for our clients.

We are excited for the impact Allan will make in this new capacity, and I look forward to seeing his vision drive even greater success for Props and our partners.

A former All-American D1 track and field athlete at Wake Forest University, Allan embodies the spirit of competitiveness and teamwork. Outside of work, he can be found spending time with his wife, son, daughter, and dog. Allan loves sports/the outdoors, and enjoys anything fast-paced, especially snowboarding, mountain biking, and running.

About Props

Props is a performance-based creator marketing platform. We combine the attraction of creator content with the performance of paid media. Props takes responsibility to deliver our clients actual business outcomes - like new leads and customers - and not vanity metrics. Since its formal launch in 2019, Props has pioneered the use of creator content combined with paid media to deliver tangible business results. The company collaborates with leading brands such as AAA, College Ave Student Loans, Hertz, Shell, Bread Financial, AAA Life Insurance and others to attract and convert audiences into customers. Learn more at www.props.co.

About
The Props Newsroom

The Regulatory Maze Facing Financial Advertisers

For regional banks, advertising is fraught with some of the most stringent rules in marketing. Laws such as the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) and Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) require specific disclosures in promotions for loans, credit cards, and other financial products. Adding to these legal mandates, platforms like Facebook and Google impose “Special Ad Categories” for financial services, restricting the use of advanced targeting tools like lookalike audiences or detailed demographic segmentation.

The impact is clear: compliance-heavy messaging disrupts engagement, creativity is stifled, and marketing costs rise as cost-per-click (CPC) and cost-per-lead (CPL) escalate. For many regional banks, this combination of constraints makes reaching their ideal customers a frustrating and costly endeavor.

Props: A New Approach to Financial Advertising

Props offers a transformative way for regional banks to overcome these challenges through a unique combination of creator-driven storytelling, strategic paid media promotion, and robust compliance solutions. Instead of promoting financial products directly, Props shifts the focus to authentic, lifestyle-oriented stories that resonate with audiences and inspire them.

These stories are published on the bank’s website (or a special landing page) and, critically, promoted through the creators’ social media handles. Publishing lifestyle content through creators’ handles bypasses the restrictions of “Special Ad Categories,” drives more engagement and click-throughs, and unlocks advanced targeting options. This allows banks to connect with high-intent audiences more effectively while reducing costs.

For example, rather than running a traditional ad for a home equity line of credit (HELOC), Props might collaborate with a creator to share a story about how homeowners can fund renovations—building trust and engagement without triggering compliance-heavy disclosures.

The Power of Storytelling Without Compliance Overload

One of Props’ greatest advantages lies in its ability to sidestep disclosure requirements by avoiding direct product claims. Instead of advertisements laden with legal disclaimers, Props content centers on engaging narratives that educate and inspire. These stories provide value to audiences without overwhelming them, creating a cleaner, more effective path to engagement.

A creator might share how they used home equity to remodel their kitchen, illustrating a real-life application of financial tools while staying free from the burdens of compliance-heavy messaging. This approach not only eliminates the need for complex disclosures but also keeps content relatable and audience-focused, fostering trust and credibility.

Authenticity as a Competitive Edge

Audiences are more likely to trust people over brands, and Props ensures this trust by selecting creators based on their expertise and storytelling ability, not their follower count. Creators are chosen for their ability to craft genuine, relatable narratives that resonate with specific audience segments.

Whether it’s a business owner sharing entrepreneurial insights or a parent discussing family finances, Props focuses on the quality of the story rather than the creator’s popularity. By publishing these stories directly on the client’s website, Props ensures that the bank owns the engagement and benefits from first-party data collection. Paid media promotion guarantees that these stories reach the most relevant audience with precision and scale.

Ollie: Setting a New Standard in Brand Safety for Banks

Brand safety is paramount for financial institutions. Strict regulatory standards and a heightened need to maintain trust often prevent banks from collaborating with creators. Recognizing these challenges, Props developed Ollie—a proprietary AI-driven brand safety tool that ensures campaigns remain compliant, transparent, and aligned with institutional values.

Ollie reviews years of creator content history, continuously monitors posts in real-time, and flags potential risks using advanced AI. Its capabilities include detecting if a financial offer is being made or if financial advice is being given—two critical triggers that can complicate compliance for creators in regulated industries. By categorizing flagged content as low, medium, or high risk, Ollie empowers banks to avoid pitfalls while enabling creators to craft compelling yet compliant narratives.

This innovative approach ensures banks can confidently embrace creator storytelling, knowing that campaigns will uphold their values and meet regulatory standards. By bridging the gap between brand safety and creative freedom, Ollie empowers financial advertisers to connect authentically with audiences while navigating one of the most regulated industries in marketing.

Proven Results Across the Financial Industry

Props has consistently delivered impressive results for its financial clients across consumer banking, mortgage lending, credit cards, secure cards, life insurance, auto insurance, and wealth management. Props takes responsibility for delivering actual, measurable business outcomes—a key reason for its rapid growth.

A Winning Formula for CMOs of Regional Banks

For regional bank CMOs, Props offers an unparalleled opportunity to navigate advertising regulations while driving measurable results. By avoiding restrictive ad categories and using creator-led storytelling, Props enables access to advanced audience targeting tools that improve reach and engagement.

Its compliance-friendly strategies reduce advertising costs and create cleaner, more effective campaigns. With Ollie’s oversight, banks can run creative campaigns confidently, knowing that regulatory standards are being met. Props’ focus on authenticity builds trust with audiences, while its full-funnel strategy ensures seamless progression from awareness to conversion.

By leveraging paid media through creators’ handles, Props ensures that each story achieves both the reach and relevance needed to deliver measurable results. For CMOs seeking to transform their marketing strategy and connect authentically with their audience, Props offers a proven path to sustainable growth and success.

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