The best advertising is done by satisfied customers

Word-of-mouth referrals are the best marketing tool.

My dad wasn’t exactly all that handy in the area of home projects when I was younger. In his defense, though, he had no internet, YouTube, or Google to lean on back then. So, when he started a home project, there was a high degree of probability that he’d need help to finish the job…

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ICYMI: In case you missed it

In Case You Missed It (Vol 3)

We recently decided to stop sending each other “Did you see this?!” emails, and start sharing them with all of you, just ICYMI. If you like this kind of thing (or don’t), feel free to let us know or join the conversation. In the meantime, here’s what we’ve seen lately: Want an honest, if inebriated, opinion of your…

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Take a stand. You'll be surprised at how many stand with you.

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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Credit unions and young people should be a natural fit, BUT...

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…

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Is your credit union trustworthy?

Building trust helps business. In fact, many consumers will overlook higher costs if they think they can trust you.  With large tech companies’ identity theft and data breaches uncomfortably too common lately, faith in online business has taken a beating. Savvy credit unions should see this as an opportunity to stand out. By taking the…

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Legacy thinking is one way to think longer term.

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…

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small CUs have a secret weapon

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…

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We can all learn a few lessons from what they did

Big Brand Updates: Fix or Fail?

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…

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The sludge you tolerate screams loud and clear

Is your sludge unintentional or intentional?

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…

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we’re looking for something to believe in

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…

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