Big Ideas for Credit Unions
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…
Read More
Credit Union CEOs need CMOs ASAP & PDQ
One of the great things about working with credit unions of every size all over the country is that they’re all so different. Every CU has its own interesting culture and unique way of doing things. And one of those very telling differences is the role of marketing in the organizational chart. What’s the title…
Read More
What young people actually want (part 2)
A few weeks ago I started asking the young people I know about the things they want from a financial institution. I received a flood of opinions and wrote up some of their main ideas, but now it’s time to get specific: Credit unions have an awareness problem, particularly with young people. Credit unions and…
Read More
It’s never too soon to think about your legacy.
In life, there seems to be an innate human desire to make a lasting impact. Sure, your ego wants to be remembered, but you also want to accomplish things that will truly help others in the future. It’s both selfish and unselfish. And that’s OK. Legacy thinking is one way to think longer term. While…
Read More
How small credit unions can start thinking big
Small credit unions have a special set of marketing and brand challenges. Budget and time limitations are pretty obvious, and keeping up with technology is always challenging. If you’re a one-person marketing department, or even a part-time marketer wearing a few other hats, here’s how to start thinking about your growth strategy, marketing, and brand…
Read More
Free product idea: Digital Life Accounts
Just handing over paper money is sooooo 2010, and it’s honestly just a little icky these days. Like most modern humanoids, I live a more digital life. But it’s a little like speaking multiple languages; everyone needs more than one payment method on hand in order to have the best odds of aligning with another…
Read More
Would YOU buy from you?
Online shopping has exploded this year, for obvious reasons. But because people have more time available, they are also doing a lot of online research, making sure they buy products from companies they like. They also apply that same process to other decisions – such as deciding where to get a loan, or determining which…
Read More
3 millennial misconceptions that I’m going to kill, right now
There are a lot of think pieces, blog posts and even news articles out there about millennials and how different we are. Some are more successful than others, but an unfortunate number of them are just plain wrong. I call these millennial misconceptions, mostly for the alliteration. But why do people seem to care about…
Read More
Will Robots Take My Job?
In the movies, robots are sometimes pictured as benevolent assistants to help humans in futuristic settings. After all, they tend to perform specific tasks faster and more accurately than their human counterparts. But will they take over everyone’s jobs? Carl Benedikt Frey and Michael A. Osborne published a report titled “The Future of Employment: How…
Read More
Tell us WHY you exist
It is, at worst, an open secret that younger consumers like purpose-driven companies. Values-based organizations. Conscious Capitalism. You get the idea. People view companies more favorably when they have clear goals that are not just “make a profit.” This works particularly well with Millennials and Gen-Z, but it’s pretty strong across the board. But, what’s…
Read More