Thanks, as always, to Bankwatch, for finding this from Doc Searls: Amazon and other excellent online retailers have improved the online shopping experience as far as a retailer can. Yes, there is always room for improvement, but there is only so much improvement you can carry out only on the sell side, even if you’re […]
Most of my blog posts are expressions of my opinion about something. Not this one. Instead, I’d like to get your opinions (well, it’s not that I don’t want your opinions on other posts, that’s not what I meant). After seeing the list of credit union employees who blog on the Currency Marketing site, I […]
In order for your brand to thrive, employees must be on board. Here's 5 ways HR can do to help instill a branded culture and get staff living the brand.
“Welcome to Blingola,” an imaginary world where everyone has “all the happiness in the world,” courtesy of their Virgin Money credit cards. With headlines like “The land of milf and honeyz,” you’re probably thinking this campaign is a joke. It isn’t. These ads are fo’real cuz. (Click to enlarge) Apparently in South Africa, where these […]
William Azaroff recently blogged about Vancity’s new Wilki. According to William: I am pleased to announce the new wiki Vancity has launched. It is for the Microfinance community in Canada, and lives at microfinance.ca. Why did we launch a wiki? Well, in short, we are a longtime Microfinance practitioner wanting to expand knowledge amongst those […]
When Currency Marketing started planning the rollout of TDECU’s Young & Free Texas campaign, the agency’s media team was looking for non-traditional options to reach the 19 to 25 crowd. That’s when they found GoMobile Advertising based in Kent Washington. The two firms hatched the idea pitting Guitar Hero players against one another in a […]
Please Note: This article contained survey polls that are no longer available. Our apologies.
Emily Riley of Jupiter Research recently wrote a blog post titled Getting Started With Social Marketing. Among her suggestions: Start listening, tap your own databases to understand what customers think of you, integrate social media with existing marketing campaigns, align goals with measurement, and start small on your own site. My take: This is good […]
Click on these ads to enlarge them. Then soak it all in — the planning, the set, the items, buying the items, casting, makeup, photography, art direction, copywriting, design, layout and typesetting. The ads are fun and extravagant. FYI – BPay is a bill payment service unique to Australia. Key Question: What do you think […]
Financial marketers should keep these four myths in mind when creating taglines for banks and credit unions.
Slogans, taglines, mantras, catchphrases, positioning statements, rallying cries. Call them what you will, but countless financial institutions have them. Banks, credit unions, insurers and credit card companies — all of them vying for a small piece of consumers’ minds with a (hopefully) pithy piece of language. Here is the largest collection of financial slogans you’ll […]
Fifth Third’s “Unlock Your Dreams” campaign, which started yesterday, centers on a scratchcard and a $250,000 sweepstakes. Anyone can enter by stopping at a branch to pick up their game piece, or you also can request game pieces by mail (as is legally required, but who does that?). In addition to the $250,000 grand prize, […]
If I ran a bank that had a Customer Experience department, the first thing I would do is fire everybody in the department (I would, however, keep all the Web site designers). Here’s what spurred that comment: Adweek recently ran an article title Rethinking The User Experience, in which the author writes: In the interactive […]
Bank of America’s Morris on Campus,™ Life According to an Upperclassman™ is designed to “educate and empower students to take control of their finances and bank with confidence in this new academic year,” the bank says. Unlike other Gen-Y online promotions, “Morris” is not the product of a “spokester contest,” but is instead a 23-year […]
Hearing about how one Missouri bank changed it’s name to Tightwad Bank (named after the town of Tightwad, MO), got me thinking about other banks that should change their name to reflect the towns they’re located in. Below are the top 10 bank names and slogans that — I’m afraid to say — you’ll probably […]
WSECU takes 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. The campaign’s central creative hook centers on a playful-yet-derogatory portrayal of banks. For starters, the credit union has shortened the word “B-A-N-K-S” down […]
Filene just released an interesting study called “Who’s Joining Credit Unions.” Of particular interest is data that suggests a paradox between how people feel about branches and how they actually use them. While credit union members think they need a branch nearby, the data tells a different story. According to the report, the majority of […]
These brand TV ads from Alabama Credit Union are terrific. They are brimming with personality and look nothing like any other financial institution’s ads. (Well okay, they may look a little like the recent Telly Award-winning spots from Truliant, but they are still very cool and fun to watch.) Take a look, and enjoy the […]
Check out this interesting article that came out yesterday, 10 Things Your Bank Won’t Tell You. It’s a candidly cynical perspective on financial marketing, and attacks many of the common messages financial institutions use in their advertising. Here’s the list: 1.) “Our branches are there to sell you, not serve you.” 2.) “Our fees will […]
“Make your money multiply.” Banco Matone Ad Agency: DCS, Porto Alegre, Brazil Art director: Gregory Kickow
Member Growth: +1.3% to 88 million Savings: +7.0% to $676.9 billion Loans: +3.7% to $546.4 billion Investments: +17.3% to $167.0 billion Assets: +6.5% to $802.5 billion Net Worth: +5.62% to $88.6 billion First Mortgage Loans: +10.1% to $198.1 billion Other Real Estate Loans: +1.7% to $92.8 billion Used-Auto Loans: 3.3% to $92.0 billion Credit Cards: […]
American Banker ran an excellent editorial (subscription req.) yesterday written by Steve Johnson and Joe Depa, claiming that it’s a good time to time to start a bank. The authors argue that now is a good time because: 1. Banks are pushing out customers because of liquidity issues. 2. Displace bankers are on the street. […]
It’s no secret. Michigan’s economy is all doom and gloom these days, or so it would seem based on what you read in the news. Chemical Bank isn’t hiding from this fact in its latest brand ads. Recently, the bank unveiled a brand campaign addressing Michigan’s economic malaise. The campaign kicked off in July with […]
Dear Mr. Bezos: You know how Gillette gives away the razor to get you to buy their blades? You should do that with the Kindle. If you gave me a Kindle, I’d buy more books than you could imagine. And I bet I’m not alone. Thanks for listening, Ron Shevlin
The title of this article in DM News caught my attention. A study conducted by Meredith Corp. found that: Gamma women [are] everyday women with a large circle of friends who enjoy freely sharing information within their social networks using multiple media. Though many marketers have yet to tailor their messaging to Gamma women, this […]
Fight looms, confusion inevitable as two Texas banks now share ‘Vista’ name “We changed our name to soar above the crowd…to set ourselves apart.” – Security State Bank A new website for Security State Bank & Trust says the bank changed names to “soar above the crowd” and to “set ourselves apart.” But there’s a […]
“The culprit? Mountain America Credit Union. Check out the site, but don’t sign up to do business with them. At least if I lived in Utah I wouldn’t. Not after hearing about this horror story.” – Joseph “Dear Bank of America, your credit line is a scam!!! Bank of America will screw you, hide behind […]
With the christening of its latest branch, Augusta Metro Credit Union, introduced a new retail prototype boasting a more open and spacious floor plans and a wide range of the latest features. Four paired teller pods, something Augusta Metro calls “dialogue banking” pods, have replaced the traditional row of tellers. Instead, customers are met by […]
Human beings, as intelligent and sophisticated as we like to think we are, are actually highly emotional creatures. 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.” If you think about it and you’re really honest, what’s truly […]
Over the past few years marketers — financial services marketers, in particular — have increasingly recognized the importance of emotional factors in how consumers make decisions. Especially when it comes to products that they believe should be evaluated on rational factors, like the interest rate on a checking or savings account, or on a loan. […]