Posts Tagged ‘CU Culture’
Why we need to help start more new credit unions
It seems that while we and everyone else in the credit union movement were busy growing existing credit unions, it slowly became incredibly difficult to start a new credit union. At the same time, it has also become easier and far more common for credit unions to disappear via mergers. The stats are staggering: over…
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The truth will set you free
Some of our favorite “shop talk” with fellow credit union marketers over relaxing beverages are tales of losing clients because we told them the truth. You might say that one of our traits as a company (and, honestly, as individuals) is bluntness; we’ll say and ask about things that make people uncomfortable. It’s a gift.…
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What’s your best crazy CU idea?
Crazy ideas are a great way to stretch your thinking for any project or problem. When we’re building a shiny new credit union website, my favorite question to ask is something like this: “What’s your biggest, craziest, blue-sky, out-of-left-field idea for your credit union’s new website?” Sure, sometimes you get some tacky ideas, like a…
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What the Jeep Wave can teach credit unions
Until this past weekend, I had never heard of The Jeep Wave. Of course, that may be because no one in my family has ever owned a Jeep, but apparently it comes as standard equipment with most models, according to my good buddy Mike, who proudly drives an ’04 TJ. What is the Jeep Wave,…
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Five ways marketing can spread that CU infection
Members and employees who understand, believe in, and can live out your brand and your mission are pure gold. Part of your job as a marketer is to attract these people and make sure they catch the CU bug. It’s not just an HR or membership thing; it’s being a good brand steward. Wear your…
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Five reasons meetspace matters
Ideally, your credit union’s in-person and virtual experiences complement and reinforce each other; they’re different sides of the same brand. “Meatspace” (or should we call it “meetspace”?) connections cement a brand in a member’s mind, and create important lifelong connections in ways that “screenspace” can’t. We build a lot of websites for credit unions, but…
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Is it time to panic about alternate financial providers?
As Kent mentioned last week in his post-Financial-Brand-Forum recap, there seems to be a certain amount of indecision about whether it’s time to panic, and exactly what we should panic about. Should credit unions panic about Walmart sticking their very large toes into our personal financial services turf? Or Amazon, Apple, or Costco? All the…
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Do what the competition won’t
Walmart recently unveiled a new website, built around online shopping. Probably not earth-shattering news, but what’s interesting is that the site is designed and built specifically to be the anti-Amazon. Every aspect of the look, the interface, the processes, and the entire experience is carefully massaged to be different than Amazon. (And hopefully better from…
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Your brand reputation should make your Mom proud.
The life lessons your Mom imparted hold as true for brand reputation as they do for you, which means you need to share her wisdom with everyone. Wait a minute, what’s my Mom got to do with our brand? Your Mom wanted you to grow up to be happy and healthy, with plenty of friends…
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Eating the Elephant: Economic Upheavals
There’s a silly old joke that goes something like this: “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” In this series, we’re talking about taking a bite out of some of the “elephants in the room” – big, obvious, uncomfortable problems that everyone’s trying to ignore. We’re hoping to inspire credit union people to…
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