Posts by Kent Dicken
Rebranding: partial polish or total transformation?
Once the Board is on board with rebranding, the question soon becomes “how far should we take it?” For some, a rebranding should be more about refinement than reinvention, a partial polish over a total transformation. Others would prefer the more extreme approach, looking for a new name and a new beginning in order to create something fresh and amazing. How do you…
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Rebranding: throwing Baby out with the bathwater?
Rebranding is all about getting to the core of who you are. When you strip away all the products, branches and systems, the underlying purpose, heart and soul of the credit union is an optimist’s belief in people helping other people, making the world a better place. There is an emotional connection there that other businesses just…
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There is an option to The Slow Fade.
Day after day after day, too many credit unions have kept doing the exact same thing they always have, for members they have always had. As a result, too many end up focused on trying to stay afloat with an aging membership and rising overhead costs, spending less and less money and effort on anything that can improve their future…
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Explaining the CU Difference. Again.
Every time I begin to think that people understand the difference between credit unions and banks, I keep getting reminded that it isn’t as obvious to the average person. Of course you know why CUs are great — you’re soaking in CU goodness. But you simply can’t assume that consumers have any idea what a credit…
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Five Big Ideas for transforming your CU
It’s a tough time to be on the smallish side as a credit union. It’s getting harder to compete with larger FIs of all stripes, and it’s tougher to stay in the black while offering the same things everyone else does. Maybe THAT’s the problem. You don’t need to offer everything to everybody, especially what…
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Your approach to problems: Caddyshack? Or Whack-a-Mole?
Some days you have one problem that just won’t go away. No matter how hard you try, how determined your approach, the problem always slips away at the last moment, which can leave you as crazy as Bill Murray’s character in Caddyshack. Other days, problems seem to come up one after the other, another popping up immediately…
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Always pleasantly surprised
One of the great things about working with so many different clients all over the country is the variety. I am always pleasantly surprised by the talents of new clients, mostly because I never know what to expect. Some are very outgoing people, others not so much. She is very logical and analytical, he is…
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Sometimes shorter is better.
International Harvester Employees Credit Union faced a problem many credit unions have; their founding SEG no longer existed under the same name. SOLUTION: iDiz was hired to research staff and member feelings on the existing name and collect suggestions for new names via an online survey. Even with favorable survey results and name suggestions, many…
Read MoreEveryone has an opinion
Ask for an opinion and most of the time you’ll get one. As a creative person, you are probably used to getting opinions all of the time — from your boss, coworkers, possibly even clients. Sometimes you’ll get useful, constructive insight that gives you the chance to improve, that helps you turn what you are…
Read MoreHave a confession to make?
Confession of your sins is good for the soul, and an important part of Catholic tradition. And confession of your financial “sins” is a great way to start a conversation, learn from mistakes, and become more financially savvy. Catholic Federal Credit Union, based in Saginaw, Michigan, decided to have a little fun with this tradition. We created a…
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