US Bank steals page from credit union playbook
July 30, 2010 – Want to know why there isn’t a Dell Credit Union? Or Kohl’s Credit Union? Maybe it’s because US Bank has a program that puts branches inside the corporate HQs of these (and other) large employers. READ ARTICLE
In Brief: Cut the crap, shark fin soup, HelloWallet…
July 29, 2010 – Goldman Sachs bans swearing in emails… USAA takes in $900 million in mobile deposits in one year… Citi lands in hot water over shark fin soup promo… HelloWallet integrates a Twitter feed into its blog… and six other stories. READ THE BRIEFS
Datahead: Returning to normal?
July 28, 2010 – Subprime loans down 50%… Delinquent loans down… Consumers no longer focused on savings, but still concentrating on paying down debt… And more stats, data and infographics. SEE THE STATS
What BofA’s new $8.95 fee for eBanking isn’t
July 27, 2010 – If you believe the obnoxious, twisted and inaccurate headlines from mainstream media outlets, “BofA is killing free checking, telling customers to stay out of its branches, and charging them $9 to read a statement.” Wrong, wrong and wrong. READ ARTICLE
56 Sage Street
July 26, 2010 – Barclays’ 56 Sage Street is a free, online money-management game targeting Gen Y consumers. It’s a big, well-built game and a bold strategy. The Financial Brand played it for 5 hours. Are you ready? READ REVIEW
3 credit union microsites – the pros and cons
July 23, 2010 – GTE Federal Credit Union’s Mystery Monkey Tour Contest, the Best Staycation Ever promotion from Orange County’s Credit Union, and Legacy Community FCU’s Do Something Good Today project. READ ARTICLE
Who’s first? First Michigan? Or Michigan First?
July 22, 2010 – Earlier this year, Michigan First Credit Union slapped a lawsuit on First Michigan Bank for trademark infringement. If you’re tempted to dismiss this article as having little relevance to you, think again. READ ARTICLE
Name change review: Salal, Quest and 6 others
July 22, 2010 – One credit union’s choice of “Salal” raises eyebrows… Two credit unions pick Quest as their new name at the exact same time… And four other interesting name changes by banks and credit unions. READ ARTICLE
ATM 2.0: The future of self-service
July 21, 2010 – Spanish bank BBVA teamed with global design consultancy IDEO to develop the new super ATM of the future, with increased privacy, a simplified touch-screen interface and just one slot for all media. SEE MORE
Money grows on trees in RaboDirect PR stunt
July 20, 2010 – RaboDirect wanted to see how Aussies would react to a tree full of money, so they loaded one with $5 notes, put it in a park, then used hidden cameras to record a fascinating range of human behaviors. READ MORE
Creative Showcase: Rate illusions, hairy car, cloning
July 19, 2010 – A visually dizzying way to promote bump-rates… The hairiest car you’ve ever seen… Free samples from Chase Manhattan’s vault… and 11 other creative projects from banks and credit unions around the world. Includes 15 photos and 8 videos. SEE CAMPAIGNS
In Brief: Shut that barn door, Reg E video, BECU, more…
July 15, 2010 – Shut the barn door on attrition… Don’t make promises you can’t deliver… Reg E whitelabel video explains OD changes… BECU tries to be “better than a bank”… and 11 other stories financial marketers should check out. SEE THE BRIEFS
Don’t let those promotional microsites become porn
July 14, 2010 – When TIAA-CREF didn’t renew one of its promotional URLs — powerof.org — a pornographer snatched it up and turned it into a sex chat portal. Don’t let this happen to you. READ MORE
Meet PAT, FirstOntario’s remote video teller
July 13, 2010 – PAT (short for Personal Assisted Teller) has a number of features you won’t find on your typical ATM, most notably a live video-teller interface. The credit unions says PAT is a first in Canada. READ MORE
Wanted: Vice President of Unbanking
July 12, 2010 – Connex Credit Union in Connecticut, whose slogan is “Unbank With Us,” is hosting a contest for a paid internship with a grand title, “Vice President of Unbanking.” READ ARTICLE
Datahead: Profit, promotions, NSF and more…
July 6, 2010 – Half of all checking accounts are unprofitable… 3 out of 4 banks lack an effective social media policy… The news media mentions “credit unions” more than people Google them… And much more… SEE THE DATA
In Brief: Citi’s innovation Lab, Indinero, Bling, more…
July 6, 2010 – Citi’s Innovation Lab… SunTrust’s CMO talks branding and social media… Opting in… Opting out… ‘Indinero’ The Mint.com for small businesses… With Bling mobile, you can tap, pay and go… Plus 8 other articles financial marketers can’t miss. SEE THE BRIEFS
Online scavenger hunt nearly doubles website traffic
June 30, 2010 – In Belvoir FCU’s virtual scavenger hunt, contestants had to find 9 “slice of life” icons hidden throughout the website. First prize was a high-interest CD. SEE PROMO
Bank bashing ads tell people what they don’t get
June 29, 2010 – TruMark Financial Credit Union’s new commercials make it very clear what you shouldn’t expect — no bailouts, hidden fees, hassles, double talk, etc. — but makes no mention of what Trumark does or offers. READ MORE
RBC launches ‘myFinance Tracker’ PFM platform
June 28, 2010 – RBC is offering a white label personal financial management (PFM) solution from Yodlee, which the bank has dubbed myFinance Tracker. READ MORE
In Brief: Trust, The Death of Free Checking & More…
June 25, 2010 – A great presentation on trust and how it’s built… WSJ issues death watch on free checking… 4 ways social media is improving banking… Banks to give unprofitable customers the boot… And 10 other articles for financial marketers. READ MORE
Retail banking loyalty, image decline 4 years straight
June 24, 2010 – Customer loyalty and perceptions of brand image among retail banking customers continues to decline. Results of a J.D. Power & Associates study show that poor customer service is the most common reason customers switched banks in 2010. READ MORE
Free checking not dead yet at credit unions
June 24, 2010 – 39 of the 50 largest credit unions in the U.S. still offer free checking… but how many will be offering it in 2011 and beyond? READ ARTICLE
Big banks roll out 14 promises in ‘Customer Charter’
June 23, 2010 – To repair a brand image tarnished by bailouts, RBS and sister bank NatWest launched their “Customer Charter,” a set of 14 promises created by- and for customers. READ ARTICLE
Creative Showcase: Sign spinner, bank bashing, more
June 22, 2010 – A portfolio of 18 unique, unusual and noteworthy financial marketing projects, many of them bashing banks: “Bank” is a 4-letter word… You should break up with your bank… Banking should be less bankish… SEE CAMPAIGNS
25 Bank Mascots
June 21, 2010 – Harris Bank’s Hubert the Lion. US Bank’s Captain Shield. Commerce Bank’s Mr. C. Are mascots like these a wise brand investment? Or do they just make banks look stupid and hokey? SEE MORE
TD introduces mascot, but what the heck is it?
June 16, 2010 – TD Bank wants you to say hello to its new mascot. Named “TD,” the foam character is intended to support the bank’s retail branding efforts… but what the heck is it? SEE MORE
DBS Bank to crowdsource Gen-Y branch concepts
June 15, 2010 – A bank in Singapore is crowdsourcing concepts for a “youth branch” concept with a cash prize contest. The contest seeks Gen-Y’s help designing branches that will specifically meet the unique financial needs of young people and their lifestyle. READ MORE
In Brief: Reg E, bank bashing, big CU campaigns
June 15, 2010 – Striking fear for opt-in. Have bank bashing ads created the Durbin Amendment? Aussie credit unions launch $2.5 million campaign, while Michigan CUs top that at $4 million. And 7 other stories financial stories financial marketers can’t miss. READ MORE
Datahead: Opt-in, Reg E, Innovation, More…
June 14, 2010 – 70% of all bankers think they are more innovative than the competition. Will consumers opt-in to overdraft programs? 26% say yes, but only 1 in 4 people know about Reg E changes. More… SEE THE DATA
Death panel for America’s smallest credit unions?
June 8, 2010 – Credit unions are widely celebrated for their smallness, but leaders in the credit union industry have been debating what role — if any — America’s tiniest credit unions should play. How small is too small? READ ARTICLE
What’s that? A calculator on your credit card?
June 8, 2010 – It may look like a calculator, but it isn’t. It’s Visa’s CodeSure — fraud-fighting technology with an alpha-numeric display, a microprocessor, a 12-button keypad and battery good for three years. READ MORE
Making banking easy isn’t easy
June 7, 2010 – Financial marketers grossly underestimate what it takes to engineer an “easy banking” experience. Making banking easier for consumers means making things harder for yourself. You must be prepared to retool everything. READ ARTICLE
In Brief: Vanity firing, Reg E opt-in, ING social media
June 6, 2010 – Banks find no joy in credit unions’ pain. Citibank fires woman for being too hot. The deer now have guns. And 9 other articles financial marketers shouldn’t miss. READ MORE
Survey proves value of online banking, bill pay
June 4, 2010 – 49% of those using online bill payment said they were less likely to switch to another financial institution. Sadly, 1 in 5 people don’t use the service because they don’t know how it works. READ MORE
Reinventing ATB Financial’s brand through branches
June 3, 2010 – ATB was ready for a transformation. They wanted to return their innovative roots by engineering a new branch concept that includes features like a Dream Centre and Wow Wall. SEE BRANCH
Santander’s HQ: tech wonderland with robotic butlers
June 2, 2010 – It’s called Santander City. This sprawling corporate HQ for one of Europe’s biggest banks is a visually stunning concept integrating advanced robotics, interactive design and LED-based art murals. SEE HQ
Capitec pays $5,000 bounty for crowdsourced ad
June 1, 2010 – In less than a week, the South African bank saw nearly 600 concepts after posting a creative brief for a print ad on Idea Bounty, a crowdsourcing site for ad ideas. SEE THE AD
Case study: Fitzsimons Credit Union rebranding
May 28, 2010 – Read The Financial Brand’s Q&A interview with ad agency Art + Business ONE about the strategy for rebranding Fitzsimons Credit Union. SEE MORE
Checking study confirms trends, raises questions
May 27, 2010 – A comScore report validates some widely accepted beliefs among financial marketers but also begs some tough questions about issues like customer service and interest rates. SEE RESULTS
Apparently they think you’re all liars
May 26, 2010 – Researchers at Harris decided to go out and quantify the level of distrust in financial institutions. They found that bank credibility is suffering, and few Americans find statements by financial firms believable. SEE THE DATA
Datahead: Online, mobile & internet facts
May 25, 2010 – Data shows the number of online banking users grow, but they are still using other offline channels. Most people have internet-capable phones, but don’t know their bank has mobile banking. MORE STATS
Defending BofA’s embattled brand
May 24, 2010 – Bank of America’s brand is in the toilet. At least that’s what every journalist and blogger in America would have you believe. But is this fair? Does BofA deserve this negative image? No, not really. READ MORE
Citizens says ‘Good Banking’ = ‘Good Citizenship’
May 21, 2010 – The bank plays off its name with a new brand theme in a massive ad blitz. If you want to know how “Good Banking is Good Citizenship,” read the bank’s manifesto. READ MORE
Guest Column: BHAG Branding
May 21, 2010 – Guest author Sean Tracey, Brand Strategist/Creative Director at Sean Tracey Associates, examines how “Big, Hairy, Audacious Goals” apply to financial marketing. READ ARTICLE
6 reality checks about credit union community charters
May 20, 2010 – Most credit unions pondering a community charter dwell on starry-eyed possibilities without acknowledging some very big branding issues. READ ARTICLE
First Tech gets even more squirrely
May 19, 2010 – Chuck and Leroy are back. The two spokesquirrels that have returned in a new trio of TV ads, along with a complex microsite built around a squirrel crib. SEE MORE
Beneficial decorates branches with books
May 18, 2010 – The bank built two new education-themed branches (it calls them “campuses”) incorporating a “Financial Learning Library” with rows of shelves stocked with books. SEE BRANCH
Cool App: ATM finder with augmented reality
May 17, 2010 – Addison Avenue FCU has created a free ATM locator for iPhones. The service uses augmented reality, the first of its kind in the U.S. SEE HOW IT WORKS
In Depth: Fort Worth Community promotions
May 13, 2010 – Here is a selection of campaigns Forth Worth Community Credit Union has run using its new brand platform, “You’re Worth More.” SEE PROMOTIONS
Citi’s women of ‘Women & Co.’
May 12, 2010 – Women & Co., a financial resource for women backed by Citi, celebrates its 10th year with a new campaign that highlights the unique lives actual Women & Co. members. SEE MORE