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How Raising a Puppy is Like Branding
“We’ll never get another dog.” Those were the words my wife and I shared after our two Cavalier King Charles Spaniels passed away earlier this year. As you can imagine, that pledge lasted less than four months. After researching, researching and researching some more...
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Three Words For Every Financial Marketer Today
After visiting with different credit union and bank marketing executives and discussing their challenges, it’s clear many are facing the same frustrations. Not enough time in the day. Overloaded with data. Can’t keep up with industry changes. And as a former credit...
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Why Consumers Don’t Trust Financial Institutions
My spouse and I are considering refinancing our home to see if we can lower our monthly payment before interest rates rise. I made the mistake of filling out an online form which sent my information to what seems like every financial institution in the country. I...
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How To Consistently Engage Employees With Your Brand
Branding your credit union or bank does not work without your employees. No matter what you say your brand vision is, if your employees don’t live it every single day it doesn’t matter. Raddon, a Fiserv company, found that 55 percent of financial institution employees...
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Three Negative First Impressions Your Website Can Help Avoid
If your credit union or bank’s website were a dating profile, what first impression would you be giving prospects? Are you the hip, attractive guy who runs five miles a day with his golden retriever, or are you the disheveled old guy with a broken tooth? First...
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How to use charity involvement for positive market awareness
If your credit union or bank marketing strategy doesn’t include community involvement during the holiday season, then you’re missing the mark. Consumers today—specifically millennials and Gen Z—are increasingly cause-driven. They buy from and work with brands they...
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Come Inside, We’re Awesome
There's a little boutique in the small town where I live. It sells mostly clothing, jewelry, and scented candles, but it has a unique sign above the main entrance reading, "Come Inside, We’re Awesome!" That’s a bold statement coming from any retailer, let alone a...
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Zombies, Hardware Stores and Your Brand
Our family has always gone all-in for Halloween (think the Griswold house from “Christmas Vacation”). Spooky lights, tombstones, fog machine—the works. We've also added, over the years, several animatronic zombies. Unfortunately a few weeks ago, one of our first...
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Owning Your Brand
While en route to facilitate a member engagement training this month, I spent some time in the Syracuse airport. The airport has been under construction for the last several months and can be a little confusing, especially for a traveler late at night. While trying to...
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Do You Have A Journey Map Or A Journey Dart Board?
One of the most talked about trends in financial services today is journey mapping. The term is commonly used to reference what it’s like—from beginning to end—for the consumer to “experience” doing business with you (i.e. your credit union or bank). The journey map...
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Five video tips your credit union or bank can use today
As we’ve been traveling the country conducting strategic planning sessions and marketing audits, there’s one thing we’ve said until we’re blue in the face: credit union and bank marketing strategies for 2019 must include video. You simply have to use video if you want...
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Three Things You Must Know Before Taking a Marketing Risk
When I think of brands with a reputation for taking marketing risks, financial institutions are not at the top of my list. Most aren’t on the list at all. That’s unfortunate because marketing risks, when executed well, can effectively differentiate your credit union...
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