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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connect the dots between the things you are already doing

Your marketing flow starts with your website

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…

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

What’s your Mission?

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…

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to stand out, you have to take a stand.

Sex, Brands, and Rock & Roll

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…

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

You need to be social to grow Social Media

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…

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Build the culture and walk the talk.

Your best social media marketing tool

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…

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