Branding Archives

We can all learn a few lessons from what they did

Most brand updates happen for a reason. Something has changed that needs to be fixed for the brand to grow in the future. Recently, several major companies have updated their brands, and of course everyone had an opinion. Some were applauded, while others were panned. Some were a strong Fix, while others were a surprising…

The sludge you tolerate screams loud and clear

Sludge in an organization is anything that gets in the way. Sludge creates friction and frustration, slows things down, and makes it harder to get things done. As I’ve said before, the Sludge Monster is a dangerous beast infesting far too many credit unions. Since I’m something of a sludge scholar, I was very interested…

we’re looking for something to believe in

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…

connect the dots between the things you are already doing

Your website has never been more valuable. If nothing else, the last few months have proven how important your website is to your credit union. It’s the one branch that never closes, the public face that everyone sees. The source of information and access that your members need on a daily basis. It can also…

Make it bold. Simple. Outrageous. Dangerous and disruptive.

I have quite a few tools from a company called iFixit. They sell parts and tools for fixing lots of things (mostly cell phones) you’re not supposed to fix. They don’t just sell teensy weird screwdrivers and spudgers, though; their mission is nothing less than “Teach the world to fix every single thing.” And part…

Don’t you just love to see marketing that’s, you know, good? There were a couple of examples of fun, interesting, and ultimately effective marketing that we picked up on this past week. The first was a bottled-water alternative called Liquid Death. The second was a racy, definitely cheeky (excuse my dad pun), and likely NSFW…

You need to nurture your social media audiences if you want them to blossom and bear fruit.

You’ve done it. You created accounts for your Credit Union on every social media platform, picked your social media management tool, and started planting some custom content. You post at the recommended times, and answer your followers’ and fans’ messages. In short, you’ve planted your social media garden. Congrats! Good job! But your engagement, the…

Social media is based on people sharing ideas and information, creating online communities and conversations. We’ve already told you about a few of the social media management systems we’ve tested, and the importance of maintaining your presence on social media. But, to let you in on a little trade secret, you already have access to…

NOW that you have had the chance to rethink, reorganize and re-prioritize, the next step to take is to decide what to do NEXT. Of course, what you do next will depend a lot on what the economy does. Depending upon which “expert” you listen to, the economy will likely mimic one of two classic…

The last few weeks have been rough on some people, while others seem to be taking it stride. For every person that is reasonably keeping a social distance, wearing a mask while out in public, or having their groceries delivered, there’s another person flouting the guidelines and loudly complaining that they can’t go out to…