Content marketing lessons for financial institutions
March 11, 2010 – Luke Owen from Truebridge Financial Marketing breaks down three case studies and share important insights on financial education programs. READ ARTICLE
ANZ promises it isn’t rude and cranky
March 10, 2010 – Australia’s #1 bank debuts a pair of spots with “Barbara,” the rude, cranky, deceptive and dismissive bank manager used to parody ANZ’s competitors. SEE SPOTS
Portfolio: Marshmallows, dog opera, deer violence
March 9, 2010 – Money can buy marshmallows, a dog sings opera out a car window, a guy wearing a deer suit gets run over and much more in this showcase of creative marketing initiatives from banks and credit unions around the world. READ MORE
Is Gen-Y really any different?
March 8, 2010 – Financial marketers act as if Gen-Y is an alien species. But aren’t Millennials driven by the same things that preoccupied generations 10 years ago, 30 years ago, and maybe even 300 years ago? READ MORE
Ally irritates kids (and bankers) with more spots
March 3, 2010 – Ally Bank continues poking bankers by adding two more TV spots to its wildly popular ad campaign whereby kids are subjected to the evil whims of a fictional market researcher. Consumers love the campaign. Bankers hate it. SEE SPOTS
No ROI on social media? Here’s why
March 2, 2010 – Banks and credit unions often launch Facebook pages and Twitter accounts before they even know why. Most dive into social media for the wrong reasons and track the wrong things.READ ARTICLE
Hackers embarrass trio of financial firms on Twitter
March 1, 2010 – Within a span of 48 hours, two credit unions and one bank had their Twitter accounts hijacked by hackers who started sending porn and sex spam tweets. READ ARTICLE
Sunova’s ‘bank brighter’ brand and big D.O.G.
Feb 24, 2010 – In the two years since a Canadian credit union rebranded itself as ‘Sunova,’ their assets have swelled from $480 million to over $600 million. Maybe it has something to do with their four-legged Director of Greetings (D.O.G.)? READ ARTICLE
The power of what your brand isn’t
Feb 23, 2010 – It can be easier to find your brand’s focus when you dismiss things that fall outside your field of vision. That’s why defining what you aren’t can be as valuable as defining who you are. READ ARTICLE
Bank streams live rock concerts in its banner ads
Feb 22, 2010 – See how Dexia Bank streamed live rock concerts over 6.8 million banner ads to promote Axion, its standalone Gen-Y bank brand targeting those ages 12-25. It’s one of the most cool and innovative promotional ideas you’ll ever see. READ MORE
10 Things Youth Marketing Should Involve
Feb 18, 2010 – What does it take for a financial institution to execute a comprehensive youth marketing program? Here’s a list of what financial institutions need to do to execute a robust, productive youth marketing program. READ ARTICLE
Branch Portfolio Showcase – Winter 2010
Feb 17, 2010 – Enjoy this huge portfolio with 28 photos of innovative facilities and branches from banks and credit unions around the world. SEE BRANCHES
Turning bank failures into golden opportunities
Feb 16, 2010 – When a bank fails, most competitors are unsure how to react. Not Goldenwest FCU. They responded with a well-coordinated battleplan that included opening a branch across the street from the failed bank’s HQ within 72 hours. READ MORE
What would you find if you went ‘Undercover?’
Feb 15, 2010 – The new reality show Undercover Boss Sunday is an eye-opener about the cultural disconnects between senior leadership and staff on the frontlines. When was the last time you were on the teller line? READ ARTICLE
Kansas credit union says ‘We’re not Wall Street’
Feb 12, 2010 – The Financial Brand sat down with Bancography to talk about the new ‘Mainstreet’ name and brand they developed for the Credit Union of Johnson County. READ INTERVIEW
SunTrust’s holistic life lessons at LiveSolid.com
Feb 11, 2010 – LiveSolid.com takes “a holistic approach” to people’s “overall well being,” offering advice on personal and financial matters. The website has hundreds of tools, calculators, guides, videos, tips, etc. READ ARTICLE
Your brand is a tool…for consumers
Feb 10, 2010 – If you think your brand is a tool that only you can use to build your stature and reputation, think again. Consumers use strong brands as tools to send messages about themselves. What does your brand say? READ ARTICLE
Big bank brands, big consumer contradictions
Feb 9, 2010 – Three studies suggest major contradictions between how big bank brands are valued, what consumers feel about large financial institutions, and where consumers put their deposits. READ MORE
Aussie banker caught on TV ogling semi-nude pics
Feb 8, 2010- See how a live TV interview turned into a PR tornado for Macquarie Bank, watch the YouTube video that has already been viewed 3 million times, and see how rival HSBC responded. READ MORE
What Gen-Y knows about financial institutions
Feb 4, 2010 – If you want to know how Gen-Y feels about banking and financial institutions, just ask them. That’s what these three vendors in the financial industry did. They grabbed their cameras and hit the streets. WATCH VIDEOS
Whack a Fee, Bingo Credit, Praise Singer, More…
Feb 3, 2010 – Here’s a creative showcase of financial marketing materials from banks and credit unions around the world — 13 projects and over 20 photos and illustrations. SEE SHOWCASE
ANZ’s ‘uncomplicated’ brand strategy
Feb 2, 2010 – Australian banking giant ANZ felt its brand was fragmented and inconsistent across 32 different countries, so it’s pouring $15 million into a new brand strategy and identity that “uncomplicates” things. READ MORE
What does the iPad mean to financial marketers?
Feb 1, 2010 – For most financial marketers, Apple’s iPad is only going to have limited potential…and not much else. READ MORE
DVD: Deterring & Responding to Robberies
Feb 1, 2010 – Convicted-bank-robber-turned-branch-security-expert Troy Evans shares his knowledge, advice and insights on branch security in this 45-minute training video. READ MORE
In Brief: Deposits grow, Loans 2.0, ‘Savers Tweetup,’ more…
The first time U.S. big banks grow deposits since 2005… Lenders use Web 2.0 social networks to evaluate borrower’s credit worthiness… A credit union is hiring a ‘Director of Brand Innovation’… 27 CIBC employees tell what they did… ING DIRECT hosting ‘Savers Tweetup’ in Chicago… And more… READ BRIEFS
Rebranding United Heritage Credit Union’s identity
The credit union’s brand image was “disjointed and lacked credibility,” according to the agency that came up with the new visual look. Article includes 21 photos and illustrations. SEE MORE
Your brand isn’t what you say it is
You can have a brand strategy, ads on TV and radio with a snazzy slogan, but it’s all meaningless if the actual experiences you deliver don’t align with your brand’s messages. READ ARTICLE
Can credit unions afford a national campaign?
If credit unions put 5% of their marketing budgets towards a national campaign, they could build a $50 million war chest…but they probably won’t. READ ARTICLE
GEICO’s crazy ad strategy breaks the rules
The insurance giant runs 6 different ad campaigns concurrently, each with its own unique tone, style, flavor and message. Branding experts say this shouldn’t work, but what do you think? READ ARTICLE
Addison Avenue + Wesabe Groups = PFM + Online Q&A
Addison Avenue Credit Union partnered with personal financial management firm Wesabe to create an online initiative where people can answer each other’s questions and offer advice. READ MORE
Umpqua unveils new ‘neighborhood store’
Umpqua Bank opened its first neighborhood “boutique store” last month, a 1,385-square-foot branch offering “banking, innovation and a place to connect with the community.” SEE BRANCH
From the editor: Please welcome our 2010 sponsors
The Financial Brand is honored to welcome three annual sponsors as advertisers here on the website in 2010. Please extend a warm welcome to L9, Momentum and Weber Marketing Group. LEARN MORE
Sustaining social media success with marketing muscle
American Express is doing something you don’t see often (if ever): ads for its social media project 6 months after it was launched. See how they are keeping their ‘OPEN’ forum open. READ MORE
Analysis of financial name changes in 2009
In no other industry do companies voluntarily choose to change names as often as banks and credit unions. Here is a review of some recent name changes in the financial industry. READ REVIEWS
ING Direct’s ‘Planet Orange’
ING’s Planet Orange website is 180° from the dull, dry financial education programs most financial institutions offer. It gives kids a truly engaging and entertaining way to learn about money. READ REVIEW
Why social media is a fulltime job
Many financial institutions delving into social media simply shovel the additional workload onto the marketing department. But you can’t just put a few hours into it and expect any kind of success. READ MORE
12 technology trends shaping financial marketing
Here are some of the major innovations and significant online/technology trends that financial marketers should watch in the coming years. SEE THE LIST
Portfolio: Marshmellow rocks, Swap a Solid, Mr. HIV
Union Bank is as solid as a “marshmellow.” • An excellent elevator ad. • Suntrust wants you to “Swap a Solid.” • Standard Bank makes a mini-movie with Mr. HIV, and much more… SEE THE WORK
‘Find Me a Banker’: Like Match.com for banking?
The site includes profiles of Bank of Utah’s business bankers, listing basic experience, areas of specialty and contact information. There are also personal factoids about family life, hobbies and interesting “fun facts.” READ MORE
Westpac resurrecting dead brand for online direct arm?
A big Aussie bank’s plans to revive and relaunch a dead brand as on online internet direct bank raises a lot of big questions. READ ARTICLE
The Top 10 Most Popular Stories in 2009
Articles about Virgin launching a bank, a scare over a credit union junket to St. Kitts, a bank robber’s branch security insights and Twitter top the list of most viewed stories here at The Financial Brand. SEE THE LIST
Fighting axe grinders and their online vendettas
Someone is pissed off at your financial institution, so they launch a hard-hitting online vendetta against you. How do you respond? And can you prevent this in the first place? READ MORE
Members help members in USAA’s online forum
At its website, USAA is letting members ask and answer questions, share their banking experiences with one another, and rate/review the company’s products. READ MORE