by Mark Arnold | Strategic Planning
Strategic planning—now there are two words that can strike cynicism and frustration into the hearts of any bank or credit union executive. And with good reason. Financial institutions spend a great deal of time, money and energy on strategic planning, all too...
by Mark Arnold | Strategic Planning
“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” —Gandalf We are officially at the halfway point of 2021 (depending on when you read this post). July 1. Start of quarter three. 181 days. 121 working days. To some, that may seem like a lot....
by Mark Arnold | Marketing
“Slump? I ain’t in no slump….I just ain’t hitting.” —Yogi Berra We all have them from time to time: slumps. Personal slumps. Professional slumps. Emotional slumps. And if you’ve worked at a financial institution for any length of time, then you’ve certainly had...
by Mark Arnold | Marketing
“You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.” —James Clear, author, Atomic Habits Marketing is creative. Marketing is branding. Marketing is sales. While all those are true, marketing is also something else. ...
by Mark Arnold | Marketing
When you think about how to make your marketing stand out, it’s tempting to want to use every marketing channel available: social media, outdoor advertising, event sponsorships, direct mail. Marketing platforms will tell you their solution is the...
by Mark Arnold | Branding
Pizza. Wings. Chips & Guac. Tom Brady. Those are the words that typically come to mind when you think of the Super Bowl. And the commercials. You can’t forget about the commercials. Although I’m an avid football fan (especially fantasy football), I honestly...
by Mark Arnold | Strategy
If you look at current economic downturn data and projections for too long, you’ll get depressed quickly. McKinsey & Company is projecting it will take most business sectors more than five years to get back to their 2019 GDP levels. Bancography recently...
by Mark Arnold | Strategy
How do you grow business during a pandemic? Not to mention sinking oil prices, rising unemployment and a trade war with China. It’s enough to depress every credit union or community bank executive. As Jerome Powell, Federal Reserve Chair, said recently, “This...
