Posts by Kent Dicken
What good is a marketing budget that never changes?
It’s budget season once again. Time to dust off last year’s marketing budget, tweak the product promotions to match what lending wants to focus on this year, push the numbers as much as you think you can get away with, turn it in and hope that it doesn’t get trimmed too far back. Sound about…
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Is it time for Credit Unions to go Virtual?
The labor market has had 20 consecutive months of sustained job growth. The unemployment rate has been hovering around a 50-year low. It’s really no wonder that employers are having to boost hourly and salaried pay just to compete for workers. Credit unions are in the same boat. It’s harder-than-ever to find new, qualified personnel.…
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How credit unions can be much more than loan retailers
Lots of people make bad decisions about their money simply because they were never taught how to make good ones. Which often gets blamed on their parents, since 83% of US adults say that parents are the most responsible for teaching their kids about finances. Yet 40% of parents claim they talk to their kids…
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Legends don’t just happen, they’re built.
Despite its name, New College (part of Oxford University) isn’t exactly new, having been built in the late 1300s. And with that kind of history, it isn’t surprising that even some of its buildings have their own stories and legends. Take the New College dining hall, known for the enormous oak beams that span across…
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Monster Problem: How can I get more out of my Marketing Department?
Regardless of the credit union’s size, someone always seems to be asking this question. This is often because Marketing is too-often seen as an expense rather than an investment, and numbers people tend to worry about costs more than growth. But that doesn’t mean the question isn’t worth asking. So how do you get more…
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Why you should offer Loans for Oddballs
Loan season is right around the corner, i.e., your credit union’s bread and butter. So if you haven’t already started working on your spring and summer auto, boat, home equity and mortgage loan campaigns, then you better get in gear. If you can get excited about one more loan campaign, that is.* I mean, I…
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To become a CEO, think like a CEO
For most of us there is a process to career success. First we need to establish our footing, then learn the ropes, demonstrate our talents, and gradually move up the corporate ladder until we reach the very top. After all, becoming CEO is the ultimate goal, isn’t it? But only so many people can make…
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Data Cooperative: Big Crazy or Not-So-Crazy Idea for CUs?
While many credit union boards and C-Level staff still appear stuck in traditional ways of thinking about who they are and what they offer, at least a few CUs seem to be in an all-out sprint toward a new digital future. My only concern is that this particular race to the future is going to…
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Why should I care about social responsibility?
Every time you turn around it seems that another company is taking a stand on social issues, or using part of their profits to support charitable groups and causes. Doesn’t that divert attention away from making more money? After all, isn’t that the true purpose of capitalism? It’s all about the common good. Social responsibility is…
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Rebranding: why it’s all about your “why”
It’s human nature to name things to make them easier to understand. We name things in order to identify what they are, organize them into some sort of system, and describe them to others. And once named, that thing then becomes a bit more real to us; we start to feel ownership, more of a…
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