together, they form a whole greater than each individual part

The epic battle between Marketing and Accounting

Some things just don’t mix:  Light and dark. Fire and Ice. Marketing and Accounting. But why has there always been this constant struggle between the two sides? Why does Marketing see Accounting as a miser with an iron grip on the budget, while Accounting sees Marketing as a wasteful spendthrift with no sense of ROI?…

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No one gets the toxic title until it becomes a pattern

Taming the toxic client

In my last two articles, I discussed iDiz Inc’s perspective on Building the ideal credit union marketer and Helping the not-so-ideal credit union marketer. Now it’s time to dish up some dirt! With some people, it’s almost impossible to develop a productive business relationship. I’m sorry to say we’ve encountered all the red flags below,…

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It's just easier to be honest.

I could never lie as a kid

I could never lie as a kid. At least not successfully. I was so bad at it, all you had to do was take one look at my face and you’d know. Every time I tried to cover something up, all I managed to do was get deeper in trouble. So I gave it up.…

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Running a Marketing Department is a bit like remodeling a kitchen.

Are you DIY dizzy?

Credit unions have a strong DIY (do-it-yourself) ethic. It probably comes from the early days — every credit union started as a home-grown effort. The cigar box in a desk drawer became a shoebox in a closet, then the CU moved into an unused office near the break room, and, well, the rest is history. For…

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every organization needs to build a healthy brand culture within their own walls.

Would you work at your job for free?

This very question was posed to a large group of Southwest Airlines employees who responded by giving their boss a standing ovation. That shows their dedication. Their belief in their boss. Their love of the company. What if you posed the exact same question to the employees at your CU? Over several anonymous surveys (CUCheck)…

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The credit union you imagined is the one you should be working to build right now.

Blow it up and start over

Let’s do a thought experiment. Close your eyes and imagine getting  everyone out safely of the building. Hustle them down the street and issue big bags of popcorn, party hats, confetti, and kazoos. All set? Count backwards from ten and then… Imagine blowing up the credit union. Now imagine how you would build a new credit…

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The point is to break out of the usual thinking about the tiny scraps you can shave off the corners.

The $50 question

It’s easy to think of things to give away (free online banking, free bill pay, free overdraft protection, free checks, lower rates), but it’s a lot harder to add a large amount of value. (It’s even harder to actually ask for money.) So I’d like to propose a simple thought experiment: What could you add…

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80% of CEOs don't trust Marketers.

When is the last time you heard CFOs whine about being misunderstood?

It may be disheartening to hear, but 80% of CEOs don’t trust Marketers. They believe that Marketers “are too disconnected from the…financial realities of companies.” They think that Marketers spend too much time “in their creative and social media bubble”, and when Marketers start trying to justify marketing expenses, they get sucked into the processes…

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It doesn't matter what you say your brand is.

Your brand is a collection of stories told by others about you

There are two basic branding lessons that every credit union needs to learn: It doesn’t matter what you say your brand is. It matters what everyone else says it is. You can talk about how wonderful, caring and helpful you are to your members, but no one will believe it until they hear about it…

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