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The comprehensive guide to financial slogans

Sept 4, 2008 - A look at the types of financial slogans out there, and four myths people commonly apply when picking a financial slogan. READ ARTICLE

The Biggest List of Financial Slogans Ever

Sept 3, 2008 - Here is the largest collection of financial slogans (both past and present) you’ll find anywhere. SEE THE LIST

Fifth Third launches its biggest promotion ever

Sept 3, 2008 - Fifth Third’s “Unlock Your Dreams” campaign, which started yesterday, centers on a scratch-off game piece and includes prizes worth almost $1 million dollars. READ MORE

B of A targets college crowd with ‘Morris on Campus’

Sept 2, 2008 - The campaign includes a microsite with7-8 video webisodes, some tips, tools and a glossary. Morris will also be making stops a college campuses around the country. READ MORE

“B@%k” is a four-letter word in this promotion

WSECU is taking the fight to banks in a small but brave online initiative targeting college students called “What the B.” The campaign includes a microsite, blog and visits at college campus events. READ ARTICLE

The “convenience” paradox

Aug 28, 2008 - Filene just released an interesting study called “Who’s Joining Credit Unions” that suggests a paradox between how people feel about branches and how they actually use them. READ ARTICLE

Alabama Credit Union is 79.3% better than a bank

Aug 28, 2008 - Terrific TV ads from Alabama Credit Union that are brimming with personality. Very cool and fun to watch. WATCH ADS

10 things your bank won’t tell you

Aug 27, 2008 - An interesting article from MSN/SmartMoney takes a candidly cynical perspective on financial marketing, and attacks many of the common messages financial institutions use in their advertising. SEE THE LIST

Clever origami brand ads from a bank in Brazil

Aug 27, 2008 - Beautifully crafted ads using ten-, twenty- and fifty-dollar Brazilian bills. Banco Motone makes little baby origami animals to support the headline, “Make your money multiply.” SEE THE ADS

“Save Michigan,” cries Chemical Bank

Aug 26, 2008 - Billboards scattered throughout Michigan bore only two words on a green background — the mantra “Save Michigan.” Nothing else. No logo. No website. Ten days later, the real purpose of the campaign was revealed. READ ARTICLE

Will the real ‘Vista Bank’ in Texas please step forward

Aug 25, 2008 - A potential fight may be brewing over the inevitable confusion resulting from two Texas banks who now share the ‘Vista’ name: Vista Bank of Texas and Vista Bank Texas. READ ARTICLE

The good reason vs. the real reason

Aug 21, 2008 - Every decision we make is made for emotional reasons. Those are the real reasons. We then back-up those decisions with logical justifications - the “good reasons.” READ ARTICLE

The Top 50 Most Distinctive Credit Union Names

Aug 20, 2008 - Names selected for this list were based on their uniqueness within the credit union industry. SEE THE LIST

Ohio bank learns hard lesson about trademark law

Aug 19, 2008 - For 120 years, people in Ohio knew their bank simply as “OV.” Not any more. The bank was forced to change names by one of their competitors. Could it happen to you? READ MORE

Rates aren’t as important as you think

Aug 19, 2008 - There’s an old adage in financial marketing: “It’s all about the rate.” Recent evidence from two different case studies suggests that’s wrong. READ ARTICLE

Don’t use orange circles or ING may sue you

Aug 18, 2008 - If you’re using anything similar to an orange dots in your marketing, ING may take you to court next. Last Wednesday, ING Direct filed a trademark infringement complaint in U.S. District Court against PNC Bank over use of orange balls. READ MORE

Are you ignoring Gen-Y? Parents? Gen-Z?

Aug 13, 2008 - There’s a lot of talk in the financial industry about “growing relationships” with a Gen-Y audience. Here’s two things you should be doing, and why now is the time to start worrying about what comes after Gen-Y. READ ARTICLE

Flagstar Bank’s “we’re different” brand ads

Aug 13, 2008 - Flagstar Bank’s new brand campaign has people with boxes on their heads who need to “open their eyes” to Flagstar’s products and services. The spots say Flagstar is different without really defining how. READ ARTICLE

Frost Bank’s brand-building ads

Aug 12, 2008 - “Frost Bank understands the value of focusing advertising communications on the brand.” That’s how Pam Thomas, CMO/Frost Bank, put it in an interview with The Financial Brand about the bank’s latest brand campaign. She wasn’t kidding. READ ARTICLE

Dallas credit union to launch Young & Free knockoff

Aug 8, 2008 - Resource One Credit Union in Dallas is launching a competition for a “spokester” on August 13. The campaign is identical to the Young & Free Alberta initiative launched up in Canada a little less than a year ago. READ STORY

Credit union checking promo exploits ‘LOL Cats’

July 28, 2008 - In this promotion from Arizona State Credit Union, college students “can has free cheezburger” with a new checking account. READ MORE

Gas for $1.99 per gallon, courtesy of Digital FCU

JULY 22, 2008 - A Massachusetts credit union teams up with a local gas station to offer discounted gas for six hours. A lively discussion ensues in the comments following the article. READ MORE

The ‘Community Credit Union’ fallacy

Aug 7th, 2008 - A credit union’s first reflex after getting a community charter is to think about adding the word “community” to its name. But in most cases, it doesn’t work. READ ARTICLE

Vowels in, consonants out as bank renames

JULY 23, 2008 - Folsom Bank of Commerce is changing its name to Sierra Vista, in part
because the old name has “too many consonants and too many syllables,” says the bank’s president. READ ARTICLE

Most common words in credit union names

JULY 1, 2008 - Nearly half of all credit unions use at least one of these ten words in their name. Here’s a look at the trends. READ STORY

STRNLE

JULY 15, 2008 - The financial industry could learn a lot from how the TV gameshow Wheel of Fortune revamped its final round and dealt with six predictable letters — S, T, R, N, L and E. READ ARTICLE

Banks: Less differentiated than a bar of soap

JUNE 17, 2008 - A research company studied brands in 75 different categories to measure the degree of differentiation among them. Banks had zero differentiation while soaps had 100 percent. READ STORY

How To: Avoid legal cow pies when rebranding
Text for Tix:
Chase gives away US Open tickets via texting promo
Cash Cow Gets Plugged:
Banks put stopper in home equity spigot
DeNovo:
Investors pick strange time to launching Britain’s first new bank in 100+ years
School CU:
200 credit unions have student-run branches, a 27% increase
Dude, Where’s My Caveman: Farmers Insurance puts ad account up for review
Crashing the House Party: Home equity bacchanal comes to an end
Interview: Former Four Seasons exec runs Wachovia service
Thumbs Down: Branding consultant pans Citi brand ads
Texas Twins: Similar Gen-Y programs raise tough questions
Reaping Rewards: Bancvue checking product boasts $5.5 billion on deposit
What’s Behind All This Growth?
Credit unions add 1.6 million members
How To: Advice on making a powerful financial brand
Op Ed: LA Times bemoans loss of marble and mahogany branches
Bee Good: Credit union serves free ice cream to save the bees
Your People Aren’t My People: H&R Block sues American Express over TV Ad
Failing Grade:
Branding expert gives banks an ‘F’
Hacia Adelante:
BofA targets Hispanics with “Way Forward” ad campaign
Cost is a 4-Letter Word:
Compass Bank to add ‘BBVA’ to 585 branch signs