Posts by Kent Dicken
Does Marketing drive or go along for the ride?
There are two types of marketing departments: those that drive and those that are passengers. Those that drive understand that Marketing revs the growth engine. Those that simply ride along only go where the driver takes them. Unfortunately, most marketing departments seem to fit in the second category. How about yours? Where do you sit? If you aren’t sure, see if…
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Five signs I might actually be growing up
Does anyone really think of themselves as a grownup? I’m definitely an adult, but I still see myself as a kid. I still make dumb mistakes, I still say stupid stuff, and I still wish I had more social finesse. I sometimes wonder out loud what I’m going to be when I grow up. And…
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Too many home banking sites, too little time
Between the business, our personal accounts, my mother’s finances, and another organization, I work with accounts at 2 credit unions, 3 large banks, and one regional bank. Which means I have the pleasure (?) of bouncing between SIX different Online Banking websites. I’m a graphic designer by background, not an accountant, so I’ve found the experience challenging,…
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If everyone hates stock photos, why do we see so many of them?
I see three reasons why “shiny, happy people” stock photos are so prevalent: 1. Because they solve a problem quickly. You need a visual image that helps to communicate an idea, there seem to be mass quantities of them available, and if you ignore the time it takes to find the “right” one, they are a speedy way to complete your layout…
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Why is the destination more important than the journey?
I spent part of last weekend walking the Freedom Trail in Boston. It’s a double wide red brick trail that leads tourists through many of the highlights of historical Boston where our national history was made, including the site of the balcony where they read the Declaration of Independence to the townsfolk (as well as…
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How to turn your CFO into Marketing’s BFF
Be honest. Are you BFFs with your CFO? Or do you have to fight for every penny and justify every expenditure? Ever been blindsided by a budget cut? The struggle between Marketing and Finance goes back to the days of cave painting, but it doesn’t have to be that way. It’s not that CFOs are bad people.…
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United by a single shared interest
We always encouraged our boys to be true to their inner nerd. Why? Because nerds rule the world. More importantly, nerds also use their imagination in creative ways, often becoming absorbed in thoroughly exploring one interest after another. Growing up, my boys went through multiple phases where they were obsessed with one thing or another, from collecting Beanie Babies, to Pokemon…
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Is Free just another word for Not Worth Paying For?
Credit unions have long championed giving certain services away for absolutely nothing: free checking, free bill pay, free ATM access, free shared branching, etc., etc. But are free services appreciated, or pretty much just expected? As designers and marketers, we get hit up all the time for free work. This charity needs a logo and this non-profit…
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How to control deadlines instead of letting them control you.
You know that you have that one project to do, and it needs to be done NOW. It’s there, hanging over your head like the black cloud that always followed Joe Btfsplk* around Li’l Abner strips. But you don’t really want to do that project. Maybe it’s too difficult, looks like it will take too long, or you just don’t…
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Why do so many CU websites look like garage sales?
Advertising banners squeezed in everywhere, blinking, flashing, rotating, and screaming for attention. Dire warnings about phishing and hacking appear but never seem to go away. Hundreds of words crammed into every banner and every available space. An urgent notice about last year’s annual meeting. It’s enough to shock anyone into clicking through to home banking as fast as possible,…
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