ICYMI: In case you missed it

In Case You Missed It (v14)

Why GA4 is worth learning about. What science can teach us about emotional intelligence. Plus plastic that is stronger than steel, and FREE resources! Here are the items that caught our eye, in case you missed it: How a CU can live up to its true purpose “Someone’s financial well-being is as much about how…

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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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Go ahead, get weird

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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Don't be in too much of a hurry to offer that shiny, slick experience.

I’d rather have the dirt shower

If you’re a motorcycle enthusiast, MotoGP weekend is a great time to be in Indy. In case you didn’t know, MotoGP is the premier international motorcycle race series, similar to Formula 1 for cars. MotoGP means the absolute best riders in the world and the absolute latest and greatest in motorcycle technology. And since 2008, one of…

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Remember to create marketing for humans, not logical economic units.

Those pesky misbehaving humans

I’m currently reading a very interesting new book called Misbehaving: The Making of Behavioral Economics by Richard Thaler. Thaler is an economics professor who became inordinately interested in those curious, messy, illogical, maddening creatures called “Humans” sometime in the ’70s. Economists then – and now – prefer to deal with the far more predictable actions of rational, logical beings.…

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Make sure you consider their emotional level, and meet them at least halfway there.

Emotional escalation

Long ago (but not so far away) I worked at a mental hospital while I was finishing college. And I loved it – the job was incredibly interesting and challenging. Endless variety every day, and a lifetime of great stories. Of course, I learned a lot of things doing that job that I still use today, one…

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As long as they feel they're getting some real benefit in return.

Would your members pay a premium?

We’ve written before about the idea of charging for CU membership – what you’d have to do to make yourself feel like an exclusive club worth joining, a la Costco and Sam’s Club. We know people will pay club membership fees – AARP, AAA, social clubs, professional associations – as long as they feel they’re…

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What will you always do, no matter what?

Mission Statements are boring. What’s your Manifesto?

When we start on a branding project, one of the first things we usually see is the credit union’s “Mission Statement”. About 99.999% of the time, a committee has very carefully stripped it of any concrete meaning or use and it says the exact same things as every other mission statement. What I’m more interested…

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next time you want to "teach" your members, try being a storyteller instead. 

Are you telling stories or storytelling?

My brother-in-law tended to exaggerate things a bit when he was a kid. From what I hear, there was always some truth behind his tales, but it was the embellishments that made everyone grin and shake their head. His family knew he wasn’t lying, he was “telling stories” – which, of course, isn’t the same thing…

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poor quality creative can waste money and seriously damage your brand.

Are you investing in high quality marketing or just throwing money away?

Are you investing in high quality marketing or just throwing money away? With creative work (concepts, copy, and design) it’s sometimes hard to tell the difference until you count the results. But creative quality is vitally important – excellent creative multiplies results, while poor quality creative can waste money and seriously damage your brand. So…

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