Big Ideas for Credit Unions
How to Brainstorm for Results (and get something good)
It’s time to bring in the troops for a brainstorming session. Because you need ideas. You might need ways to solve a big ugly problem or keep a small problem from growing. Or maybe you need a dose of fresh, deep thinking about long-term strategy. Ordinary, obvious ideas won’t do. You need so-good-they’ll-instantly-be- recognized-as-amazing ideas.…
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Why your brainstorm sessions need to work like your brain.
If you’ve ever been part of a brainstorm session that boomeranged from over-the-top-zany ideas to more-practical-but-not-quite-boring concepts, then you have a pretty good idea how your brain works. Which isn’t how everyone thought brains worked, not that long ago. Everyone used to think there were two sides to a brain, and two types of people,…
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First you have to know what you don’t know
What you don’t know can hurt your credit union’s future. Because the world has been changing even if you haven’t. Your 3-car garage in the suburbs isn’t even on the radar of young, potential members that prefer to live in a city where they won’t ever need a car, not to mention a space to…
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Why CU Marketers should quit their jobs in 2018
Quick, what would you say you do? If one of the first few words out of your mouth is “marketing”, you likely need to quit your job in 2018 — and immediately start your new career as “VP of Member Experience”. Or maybe even “Chief Experience Officer” (CXO). The title “Experience Officer” may be new,…
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Career lessons from the watermelon farm
I had a strange career before getting mixed up with credit unions, including a few years working at a mental hospital and 12 years in a busy rock band. But the one thing that makes people stop and ask questions is my time as a watermelon farmer in southern Indiana. I spent every summer when…
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Making the world a better place, one tomato at a time
We’re big on making the world a better place, and we’re even bigger fans of those that actually do it. A few days ago, we ran across this link to a fascinating National Geographic article on how the Netherlands, a country with 1/270th the area of the US, has become the world’s #2 exporter of food. (Take…
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Just one of these obstacles is enough to keep you from growing
Ignorance, inertia, and inattention. Just one of these obstacles is enough to keep your credit union from growing. And your credit union needs to overcome all three if you are ever going to thrive. IGNORANCE As CUNA President/CEO Jim Nussle told attendees at the Southeast Credit Union Conference, credit unions have a perception problem, which…
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Peace, love, and credit unions
“Hippie” values are back, and it’s time for credit unions to dig out those old tie-dyed tees and headbands and get ready to group-hug a whole new generation. Millennials (approximately speaking, people 18-35 years old) are absolutely starving for a “what’s in it for everyone” message, and they’re in their prime buying and borrowing years.…
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Bread and butter car loans don’t have to be boring
Here’s a product idea for car loans I’ve had kicking around my head for years. It’s yours, free of charge. (Of course we’d certainly love to help with marketing strategy and creative.) The plain old car loan is every credit union’s bread and butter. It’s also kind of boring. No wonder your members look at your…
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8 AHA! Moments from Austin | #CUatMAC
Those AHA! moments — quotable lines by interesting and unique speakers — that make a conference worth attending. Add in smiling, friendly marketers, vendors that actually get along, and a city that is known for its live music, a social conscience and being a bit weird, and you might just have the perfect combination for a credit union marketing conference.…
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