Save Hard. Spend Smart.
August 19, 2009
“We believe in the idea that retirement, vacations and optimism are still very doable, and we’re
initiating the ‘Save Hard, Spend Smart’ movement to prove it.”
– Umpqua Bank
The centerpiece of Umpqua’s “Save Hard, Spend Smart” initiative is a sprawling, multifaceted website that the bank describes as “a virtual financial support group for you, and an online documentary for our featured savings heroes.”
The microsite — if you can call it that — is about as robust as any you’ll see, with (1) plenty of things to do, (2) lots of ways to engage, and (3) generous servings of product specials. There’s so much going on, it’s a little mind-boggling.
- “Savings Heroes” – Follow along with three different savers as they try to reach their goals. They share their progress in separate blogs.
- “Click 4A Cause” – People vote for their favorite community organization — YWCA, Boys & Girls Clubs and KidsUnlimited — where one vote = $1. The winning charity gets $15,000. Each of the three participating charities tell their stories in separate blogs, complete with an RSS feed.
- “Savings Tips” – About 40 supershort blog posts with money saving advice.
- “Pass the Cash” – Umpqua’s name for the “refer-a-friend” component of the promotion. If you get someone to open an account, they can get a $10 savings bonus.
- “Pass the Cause” – Umpqua will give $5 to the participating charity you choose if a friend you refer opens an account.
- “Register” – People can register and create an account with personalized user-profiles so they can share their own savings tips and stories with the “Save Hard” community.
- “What’s Your Savings IQ?” – A series of questions that makes you think about the different ways in which you could be saving money.
- “Educational Events” – Educational workshops and community events on topics ranging from FDIC coverage to first time home buying.
- “Spread the Word” – Embedded social media networking tools that make it easy to share the “Save Hard” promo with others online.
There are three separate offers showcased at the microsite, what Umpqua has labeled “Save Hard Specials”:
Product offers are omnipresent throughout the microsite. There are constant reminders to “Put $10 In Your Pocket,” and “Open an Umpqua Bank Sweet Saver Account.” There is a banner ad for finding an Umpqua store. And there’s another one linking to Umpqua’s online e-SwitchKit.
Reality Check: This site is massive. Huge. Ginormous.
The overall tone of the microsite is playful, but not at the expense of brevity. All the copy is kept crisp and focused with a refreshing voice that is decidely unbanklike. For example, in the refer-a-friend section, it says, “Help out a friend, a long lost friend—or even that cute neighbor you just met.” It’s lighthearted and pleasant without trying too hard.
Overall, it’s an excellent promotion, and one worth studying if for no other reason than it’s sheer ambition. Go check it out. Just leave yourself enough time to really explore.
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Previous related stories from The Financial Brand:
- Get $1 for each Facebook friend from TD Canada
- Wachovia ties new automatic savings product to debits
- Regions Bank hopes consumers LOVE to SAVE
- Credit union introduces three new branded savings products
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Filed Under: Community Involvement, Marketing, Social Media
September 16th, 2009 at 4:30 pm
[...] A good example of a recent social media initiative that was talked about at the conference is Umpqua Bank’s Save Hard Spend Smart initiative. The microsite allows for the Bank to engage with customers and people in the community, and it does so without relying on Facebook or Twitter. Read more about the Save Hard Spend Smart initiative here. [...]
November 24th, 2009 at 4:24 am
[...] should receive monetary support. This year, Umpqua Bank included Click 4A Cause as part of its Save Hard, Spend Smart campaign, where every vote equaled a $1 donation to one of three charities, each competing for a [...]
January 11th, 2010 at 4:23 am
[...] campaigns have ballooned into massive undertakings. Look at the monstrous scale of Umpqua’s “Save Hard, Spend Smart” website or GTE Federal Credit Union’s “U-22” site. These are major undertakings with multiple [...]