Time to Panic? There will certainly be some lunch-nibbling.

Is it time to panic about alternate financial providers?

As Kent mentioned last week in his post-Financial-Brand-Forum recap, there seems to be a certain amount of indecision about whether it’s time to panic, and exactly what we should panic about. Should credit unions panic about Walmart sticking their very large toes into our personal financial services turf? Or Amazon, Apple, or Costco? All the…

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Play nice now, and you may get more playdates in the future.

Before trying “latest and greatest” in marketing tech…

Credit union marketers are being bombarded with so many options for the “latest and greatest” in marketing tech (marketing automation, AI, personalization, big data, chatbots, biometrics and more), that it’s hard to keep up. But we certainly pay attention. After all, the “next big thing” is always fascinating, isn’t it? Especially when it is wrapped in shiny…

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CUs need to be involved in blockchain from the get-go, or they risk being frozen out.

What I’d like to know about blockchain

Like everyone else in the credit union world, I’m a little tingly these days about Blockchain technology. It’s also, and possibly more properly, known as Distributed Ledger, but I suspect the short punchy term “blockchain” has already won. I’ll skip yet another explanation of what blockchain/distributed ledger is — there are many definitions and imaginative…

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A more accessible website is better for everyone, not just people with disabilities.

Web Accessibility? It’s Not So Scary.

Accessibility is on everyone’s mind lately — we’ve fielded a lot of questions recently from our credit union clients about web site accessibility and ADA compliance. It’s a big and technical topic, but where do you start getting a handle on it? Check your Attitude Accessibility is not a “yes” or “no” question, a switch…

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What is the fashionable website wearing these days?

What will your next website look like?

Several trends in website design are drastically shaping how sites are experienced by users. It’s no wonder why so many Credit Unions are updating their sites – even those that are only 2-3 years old. And if yours is older than 5, well, you probably already know how out-of-date it feels. What IS the fashionable website wearing these days? Or, for…

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Because internet years move even faster than dog years.

Year end web site checklist

Before you launch into all the exciting stuff you have planned for 2017, it’s worth taking a few minutes to make sure your web site is ready for the new year. Do you know where your domain names are? Make sure you have a list of all the domain names your CU owns and that…

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She glances at the flexible holo-phone wrapped around her wrist...

Fitting in is the future of financial tech

Pardon me just a moment while I don my wizard hat and polish the ol’ crystal ball… yes, the swirling images are getting clearer, the clouds of possibility coalesce… I see… an average, mild-mannered credit union member. She glances at the flexible holo-phone wrapped around her wrist, smiles, taps twice, and continues with what she was doing.…

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Disruption train: hop on or try to stop it?

Disruption tattletales

You generally see one of two reactions to any disruption: people who want to find out more and maybe get on board, and what I call “tattletales” — people who want to find any reason the disruption violates some principle or law, and they just want it to go away.

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After all, someone has to fill all that space.

Content Marketing is all about the conversation

Everyone loves a good story. Numerous studies have even shown that our brains respond more to stories than cold, hard facts. That’s probably why stories have been a primary Branding & Marketing tool since, well, forever, and why they became a priority once content marketing and social media took off. After all, someone has to fill all that space. It’s not…

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The care, feeding and maintenance of a website should be the responsibility of marketing. 

When it comes to budgeting for web sites, you’re doing it wrong.

When it comes to budgeting for web sites, you’re doing it wrong. Here’s why: Your website is more visible than your branches. Your website gets 10 times more traffic in a month than any branch, with members logging in multiple times to pay bills, check balances, and transfer between accounts. Even non-members check your site before coming in…

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