Give your top ten a good massage

I’m a dedicated motorcyclist, so winters are the time when I catch up on all the home and garage projects I neglected in warmer weather. However, I’m out of moto-projects right now. My bikes are all running great for once, and I organized all my tools and spare parts last winter. So this winter I…

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MX is the new brand marketing

For an industry based on the idea of People Helping People, why aren’t more credit unions laser-focused on Member Experience (MX)? Don’t they know that all those little annoyances add up? Isn’t less hassles supposed to be one of the CU advantage over banks? For example, my CU apparently decided to switch service providers that…

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it's time for some new ways of thinking

It’s a new decade, and it’s time for some new ways of thinking. We sat down and made a list of 20 Monster Ideas we’d like credit union marketers to ponder as we head into 2020. Here are the first ten ways to pump up differentiation, connect with the next generation, break out of your…

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it's time for some new ways of thinking part 2

It’s a new decade, and it’s time for some new ways of thinking. We sat down and made a list of 20 Monster Ideas we’d like credit union marketers to ponder as we head into 2020. Last week, we shared the first ten ways to pump up differentiation, connect with the next generation, break out…

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A website can even the playing field faster and at lower cost than anything else.

When a credit union is considering a shiny new website with all the bells and whistles, they’re naturally concerned about what it’s going to cost.* Sure, you have to be careful with your members’ money, but it’s also important to factor in what that lame old website might be costing you every day: 1. A…

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Tough times (and yes, Weird times) are exactly what credit unions are made for.

Whatever your personal, political, or economic beliefs, we can all agree on one thing: things are Weird, with a capital “W”, and they’re getting Weirder. Any way you slice it, 2020 is going to be one wild ride. In this series of “Weird Times” articles, we’re going to explore how credit union marketers can shape…

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Sometimes you just have to rip that band-aid off the elephant in the room (truth).

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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People are much more aware of what they purchase and from whom.

You’re a world-class marketer (even if still waiting on the world to recognize that fact), and a new client walks in your door. You ask how you can help, and they start talking about their business. Seems they’ve been around for over 60 years, with a decent customer base. Unfortunately that base is starting to…

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Marketing needs clout and resources

I’m just going to come right out and say it for all the credit union CEOs and Boards out there: If the person in charge of Marketing and Brand is not at least a Vice President level executive reporting directly to the CEO, you’re doing it wrong. We’ve worked with hundreds of credit unions over…

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This should be a long-term relationship. Hire for your future.

A good fit between your credit union’s culture and your agency’s culture is the single biggest factor in success – far more than pricing. In fact, compatible cultures will minimize your costs and maximize marketing and brand effectiveness. There are lots of good companies out there doing great work for credit unions. While none of…

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