Walk the sign

Ever wonder how some shaggy teenager donning headphones and holding a sign that says $5.99, two topping pizza, standing near the corner of a busy intersection, got suckered into doing such a mundane job. Or what about that guy in the hot gorilla costume dancing around the entrance to the Halloween store parking lot urging you in. Most times - It does catch my attention whether it be annoyance, sympathy for the sign holder or the actual impulse to buy something from the message on the sign.

It seems like recent years it has become more and more popular, but I had no idea it had blown up into such a big industry. Its called “sign walking”. Millions of dollars invested in research of consumer behavior shows that the majority of Americans are impulse buyers. Sign walkers feed right into this. Sign walkers are designed to attract attention and interest from impulse buyers like you and I driving around.

Essentially, sign walkers are uniformed event staff members waving 8 foot “sales themes signs” at business entrances and on the major corners of high traffic intersections surrounding your area. Sign walkers are a very strategic way to communicate to potential customers and draw the attention from every passer by for hours and hours each day. Other industry common names used to describe sign walkers include sign wavers, street signing, human directionals, sign twirlers, sign holders, sign guys, walking billboards, human billboards and directional signwalkers.

There are many promotional companies that specialize in sign walking – some to a level that they professionally train their employees to complete hundreds of animated tricks to attract the passer by’s; including spinning, kicking, dancing and tossing six-foot custom made signs.

After doing some research, I come to find out that “sign walking” isn’t such a new thing. Its been around since the 1800’s. In 19th century London, the practice began when advertising posters became subject to a tax and competition for wall space became fierce. The banning of posters from private property in London in 1839 greatly increased the use of human billboards or “sign walkers” as they are more modernly known.

Overall, sign walking or sign spinning is an interesting guerilla (no pun intended) marketing tool. It's a definite niche in the outdoor ad market, an alternative to permanent signs or billboards, but it’s not for everyone or everything.

October Doesn't Have to be Scary

October Doesn't Have to be Scary

Can you feel the chill in the air? The foreboding feeling of things to come? Yes, it's planning season...

But planning for 2011 doesn't have to be scary. Just take planning in bite-sized chunks.

1. Build a knowledge-base. I know you have a smart management team and Board. But unless your target is old dudes in suits, you may need to talk to your market before planning. This can be as fast and cheap as branch intercept surveys (you know, like the clip-board-toting folks at the mall) or as robust as statistically relevant, quantitative research that's cross tabulated across multiple data fields ... or anywhere in between. The key is to try to understand what you want/need to know and research accordingly. Click here for more information about research strategies.
2. Gather before you hunt. In many cases, the most prudent planning starts with your existing customers/members. Understand how your customers use you and why. What do your most profitable customers look like? Where do they live? What makes them profitable? We often recommend starting with customers with 2 or 3 products with you already (as opposed to targeting single-product households). These folks have started building a loyalty with you. Often times single-product customers are single-product for a reason and hard to convert. The bottom line is that you will get the biggest bang for your marketing buck if you focus on building share-of-wallet instead of acquiring new customers.
3. Don't forget your Halloween night strategies. When I was a kid, I had a 3-pronged approach to trick-or-treating: 1) First hit the houses that knew me. They were more likely to throw in a little extra. 2) Go to the bigger, more expensive neighborhoods, they usually had the full-sized candy bars (remember when people used to give those away?!?!) 3) Before calling it a night, hit the houses that knew me again - they often would dump whatever was left in my bag. Who knew, at 7 years old, what a great marketer I already was!?! 1) Target by proximity to those who are most likely to be aware of you and have a positive perception - they will be more open to your message. 2) Target those that have the highest propensity to be most profitable. In banking, this isn't always the biggest houses. You can analyze by census-tracts where the opportunity lies. (If you can't, we can do it for you!) 3) Keep talking to those that know you best. They're more likely to give you more.
4. Go into planning thinking about ROI. Too often, institutions only use ROI as a follow-up -- like a report card of sorts. It is a powerful planning and budgeting tool. Demonstrate how your department and your efforts will add to the bank/CU's bottom line.

Take care,

Eric

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Strategic Planning & Accountability Go Hand-In-Hand

As strategy planning is just around the corner (if not already here), do you find yourself digging out your 2010 Strategic Plan to see what you have accomplished, or is your strategic plan routinely referenced to ensure your strategic objectives are being met?

If your strategic plan is dusty or even hard to find and you are wondering why ½ of the tactics are not yet implemented, there clearly may have been a breakdown in accountability and follow-through. Strategic Plans fail all too often because leadership does not hold employees accountable.

Accountability and follow-through are imperative in making your strategic plan a living, breathing document that truly guides your organization to fulfill your vision. To transform your organization through the strategic plan, leadership must build and sustain personal accountability starting with management and continuing through to frontline employees. The process is simple, but it makes a world of difference…simply determine who is responsible by when, set priorities for each person, and monitor progress.

This year, when you begin the Strategic Planning Process, assign accountability to the strategic objectives and then monitor your plan on a regular basis. Plans are monitored on a regular basis help to ensure personal accountability and organizational progress.

Lessons From Weekend Football...

Good morning...

We all know how the game went on Saturday and Sunday...depending on who you follow-- College or Pro.  My Buckeyes romped and the Bengals limped, but still won!

The greatest part about this time of year?  Mondays!  We ALL get to be the best coach and GM around...by analyzing what did or did not happen in the game.

Take the same logic and become a Monday Morning QB for your team...follow these simple steps:

• Calculate ROI for EVERY measurable marketing activity
• Review your strategic plan for gaps, changes, and Plan B's
• Review the week's results, by branch and product, to determine what worked and what did not
• Talk to the team...and hear 1st hand the feedback from the front-line-- and then incorporate what you learn into the planning for next week
• Review the other "teams" and so how they progressed...or failed...and bring that learning into your planning for next week, too!

Being the Monday Morning QB is the safe place to be...but ONLY is you implement the changes and take the learning from the week/weekend and bring them to life in your planning for next week/weekend.

Cheers!

Bruce Clapp

Groupon and Mass Discounting Strategies

Spurred in part by an excellent article written by Chris Jones of the Chicago Tribune, in the past month, there has been a lot of talk about cultural organizations using Groupon (an online, mass discount website). Just like any mass discounting method, using Groupon should be a well thought out strategy. Used correctly, and it can work very well. Used incorrectly, and it can be very costly.

Things to remember about Groupon:

• It is out there for the world to see and it was designed to be used by social media, so that it is picked up and passed along at a very rapid pace. From some of my previous posts on this blog, you probably know that I am a fan of what I call "ninja discounting." Very rarely do I use mass communication to advertise and promote discounts, preferring instead to use one-to-one direct marketing techniques aimed at very strategic recipients. If I need to discount, then I want to make sure that I can control who gets the discount so that it flies under the radar of full price buyers.


• Groupon generally rewards a pattern of behavior that isn't desired--namely, last minute ticket purchasing. Before turning to a mass discounting strategy like Groupon, performing arts organizations will wait to see how their standard campaign is doing. If they are on goal, most won't discount. If they are off, time to throw out the offers. But this usually happens pretty late into a campaign. Let's use the Joffrey Ballet that Chris cites as an example. Their programming begins in October, as does Arena Stage's, so I would guess they launched their subscription campaign last spring. How do you think a subscriber who purchased early and at full price will feel when he sees that if he waited several months he could get a subscription at 50% off? and what do you think his purchasing behavior will look like next year? and trust me, he will get the offer because as my first point illustrates, it goes to everyone.


• Groupon is a for-profit company, and operates like one. They take a significant cut of each sale made. Using the example from the Joffrey Ballet, subscriptions were offered at 61% off regular prices. However, the cut that the Joffrey gets is significantly less than that, so they most likely sold those subscriptions at 75-80% off. Larger organizations can negotiate better splits with Groupon than their smaller counterparts, but I haven't heard of anyone keeping more than 60% of the full sales price.


• We must always remember that discount buyers behave differently and you must budget for that. Full season subscribers at most organizations renew at a rate between 85% to 90%. However, I have found that full season subscribers that purchase their subscriptions at a drastic discount renew at a much lower rate (around 60%). Additionally, because they spent significantly less amount of money per ticket, the no show rates are also substantially higher, sometimes leaving large empty holes in your house.

Instead of putting subscriptions on Groupon in order to attract thousands of new subscribers, I would do the following:

1. Using your database, compile a list of the tough holdouts that you have hit up seven to eight times already during your subscription campaign (usually includes single ticket buyers and non-renewed subscribers from the past 3-4 years).


2. Next, trade lists will all the other arts organizations in town.


3. Then possibly consider purchasing lists from a list broker.


4. Combine all the names into one master document, and suppress your current subscribers, donors and full price ticket buyers.


5. Using the exact same deep discount offer you were going to give to Groupon, develop a cheap, but effective mailer and send to your list. Make sure it is an offer that is impossible to pass up, and that the offer leads in design and has a deadline. (note: if you don't have a large box office staff, then make sure the offer is online only, or you will be swamped). The key is to keep production and mailing costs low--send using non-profit postage and use a discount printer/mail house.

By doing this, you get to keep the entire purchase price of the discounted subscription, and you minimize the possibility that your dedicated and loyal patrons will see that you are heavily discounting late into your campaign after thousands have already purchased.

I find that Groupon is most useful when trying to fill large sections of an empty house on dates that are less desirable. Full price ticket buyers don't seem to mind because they didn't want those dates anyway, and most companies budget low percent paid capacities on those dates so it is additional revenue that wasn't anticipated.

8 ‘Insider Secrets’ to Profit Acceleration

Many people often ask me, "How did you do it?"

That is, how did I leave the comfort of a nice, corporate job (and salary, I might add) -- as Vice President of Marketing and Business Development for the Internet's top online publisher -- and launch a new business during a tough economy. And … on top of that … launch a new business on the heels of becoming a mom and taking care of my newborn son and busy household.

Well, in all honesty, starting my own business wasn’t the initial plan. Shortly after my maternity leave was over, my husband and I soon realized that daycare was not a viable solution for us.

You see, I loved my job and didn’t want to leave, making my decision all the harder. But there was no other option, since working from home two days a week wasn’t something being offered. However, as luck would have it, on my last day in the office when I was emailing many industry friends to tell them I was leaving, several people started emailing me back asking me now that I was “available” would I be interested in freelancing for them? “Heck yea!”, I thought. These folks all worked with me over the years in one capacity or another and were all aware of my outstanding reputation for honesty, integrity, timeliness, results, and most importantly: nearly 20 years of direct response marketing experience.

Hence, my “second birth” … the “birth” of my new consulting firm.

Now, launching new business always lends itself to some apprehension. But launching a business during a volatile economy makes it a tad bit more intimidating. However, my business didn't only survive, it thrived. And going on almost two years later, it is still flourishing with several long-term clients (in excess of 6 - 12 months, which in consulting time is almost unheard of), many new clients, and lots of client referrals.

My company has also expanded: from a single person operation to a team containing some of the brightest and most talented individuals in the industry.

In a nutshell, I had taken a company with $0 cash flow and catapulted it to more than a six figure revenue generator in only 10 short months after start up. And you know what … the revenues are still coming in strong.

So, back to the original question, "How did I do it?"

Well, timing sure wasn't on my side. However, I owe the success of my business to a few critical drivers that I'm going to share with you. You can take these principals and apply or adapt them to your own business efforts as you see fit.

1. Market Smarter, Not Harder. This is a no-brainer. Any start up entrepreneur will tell you they have little to no marketing budget. So how do you build your brand and create awareness? It's being a strategic AND creative thinker. And it's also taking something most companies have (that's content) and leveraging it. Using a systematic approach I developed called the SONAR Content Distribution Model TM. SONAR is simply taking your content and disseminating the release of it on the Web in a strategic and synchronized manner. The platforms you're releasing it to is targeted, highly visible, and free. This helps create a momentum in traffic, buzz, and then you help monetize that traffic though lead generation (or sales) via your website. I’ve mentored many clients and former employers of this strategy; written several articles about this; as well as held a 2-day teleseminar; and a book is on the horizon. The main reasons: it’s easy, it’s cheap, it works!

2. Relationship Cultivation. Networking, and tapping into your network, is key when launching a new business OR gaining market share with an existing business. I happen to have a very strong Rolodex of friends, colleagues, and professional acquaintances that helped create a good foundation for my launch efforts. They either hired me, referred me to their colleagues, or advertised my services to their newsletter lists. Always keep relationships open. Touch base with your network. Offer assistance (gratis) if they have questions – not just to those that can be advantageous to you, but anyone in your network that seeks guidance. There are many people that only help out those they feel can do something for them in return, something they see immediate “value” in. Keep an open mind and see the bigger picture. Share your knowledge. People will reciprocate the gesture and it could lead to a multitude of benefits.

3. Strong Work Ethic/Reputation. People that know me ... that I worked for ... or worked with me know my experience – they know what I bring to the table. They also know that I am easy to work with and am committed to virtually any project on my plate. I can multi-task without missing a beat or deadline. It's a strong work ethic that helps people remember you and helps build your reputation in whatever niche you're in. My reputation speaks for itself. And that doesn't just help with new business or referrals, but also helps with getting testimonials from those I've worked with. Those testimonials are invaluable as a marketing tool on your website and in collateral material. Prospects can get a good idea of what to expect from those few "sound bites" about your work. To check out what people are saying about me, click here.

4. Leveraging Social Media. I have fully utilized social media. It's cost effective and casts a wide net. Where else can you get your message out to community of like-minded individuals for zero advertising cost? I've had the most success with LinkedIn.com and other social networking sites, as well as social bookmarks, user generated content sites and doing free press releases (that get picked up by bloggers and online news aggregators). For LinkedIn, which is a professional networking community, I joined several "groups" where my target client would be and started writing relevant and useful articles. Soon, people started contacting me (on average 5 per week) with requests for proposals. I actually had so much success with LinkedIn I spoke on the subject matter at the SIPA Mid-Year Marketing Event in Miami. If you're interested in a copy of that presentation, please contact me.

5. Contribute Content. I happen to enjoy writing and enjoy sharing my knowledge on my blog and newsletter, Precision Marketing. In addition to syndicating my blog's content on the Web, I also reached out to relevant marketing newsletters and magazines and asked about being an editorial contributor or guest author -- providing strong, valuable editorial. I also speak at industry conferences. From these efforts I've gained exposure for my business, built credibility, and got leads.

6. Business Basics. Create a strategic plan. Determine where you want to be in 1 or 2 years and what tactics you're going to do to achieve your goal. Go over your break-even point per month and how many clients/customers it will take to maintain or exceed that point. Keep little overhead. Establish a "true" home office. Share office space. Rent space or time at a business office center. Or get a "virtual office". When you're just starting out, cash flow is vital. If you need to outsource work, look into college interns related to the field you're in or bid out jobs in places like elance.com or ifreelance.com.

7. Confidence is Crucial. I don't just talk the talk, I walk the walk. I can back up everything I say by my experience. Bottom line: I'm extremely good at what I do and I make people money. I know it and the people I've worked for know it (at least the ones that take my advice and implement my recommendations). Confidence comes, however, with being in the marketing world (mostly in New York City) for nearly 20 years. It also comes with being an accomplished professional. Once you have several successful tenures under your belt you know your worth and can set a value for your time. Find your inner strength, but remain humble. Also, realize that there's a fine line between being confident and cocky. Confidence is self assured. Cocky is obnoxious. Be tactful, not tacky. Know the difference and become your own advocate. This is conveyed in all that you do and is transparent to your customers, subscribers and prospects. Despite the oxymoron, you can be “powerfully subtle”.

8. Balancing Act. Any start-up business can be a drain on your life and family. A lot of time and effort goes into launch, maintenance, and client relationship management. Then of course there's the administrative functions like daily accounting, record keeping, and invoicing. Many entrepreneurs try to take on the full weight of the business and burn the candle at both ends. But it doesn't have to be that way. Make sure you set specific time for your work and time for your family. When work is done, leave it in the office (even if your office is another room of your house). Make sure you find balance in mind, body, and soul. The business will be taken care of during business hours. Enjoy time with your loved ones and soon you all can reap the rewards of a successful company.

After all, you work to live, not live to work!

Shout it from the rooftops!

How often do you share the good news that's happening within your branch? Whether it's bank related or not, product specific or people specific? Many times customers get to know your employees on a personal level and would be happy to hear good news in their lives.


Print a flyer and put it at the teller line, create a poster and place it in the lobby. Run it on your outdoor marquis sign, if it's a big deal place a small ad in your local newspaper. Not only will the person celebrating the good news know they are appreciated so will the community. Talk about showing value in your employees.


MarketMatch has some good news to shout! We have an employee that is running an "Ultra Marathon" tomorrow. That's a 50K race run on trails...31 miles in layman's terms. You better believe that everyone at MarketMatch is proud of him! We've been talking about it for weeks and now the day is finally here...WISHING HIM THE BEST OF LUCK FROM HIS MARKETMATCH FAMILY!


Whether it's an award they have received, a goal they have accomplished, a new baby, a promotion...you name it, let people know about it. Get that "feel good" feeling in your branch, not only from your employees but from everyone that walks in your front door.

Celebrate those who work hard and before you know it everyone will be working towards something.


Make it a great Friday. Enjoy your weekend and until we talk again.

Debbi

Color your market, market your color...

Where do you begin when choosing colors for your marketing materials? What were your reasons for making that particular choice? Was it because you liked those particular colors? What did the colors you chose, say to you? Do you know what your choice of colors say to your audience.

Yes colors do talk! In fact they say more than you might think. The choice of your color palette not only enhances the appearance of a poster, website or brand mark, but in fact they also influence our behavior.

Take for instance a hospital. Hospital walls are usually covered in colors such as white, green and blue. White is the most common color to be seen on a hospital wall due to the peaceful and calm mood it provides as well as denoting cleanness. It implies sterility, which has the effect of making patients feel reassured. Blue and green are considered to be the most relaxing and refreshing colors, promoting peaceful atmosphere, which encourages concentration and healing.

Another example…fast food restaurants are decorated with vivid reds and oranges... Studies have shown that reds and oranges encourage diners to eat quickly and leave - and that's exactly what they want you to do.

Keep in mind - Not all colors mean the same thing throughout the world. Different cultures have different meanings. In Brazil purple signifies death or a loss, Yellow signifies sadness in Greece, and red in Asian cultures, is a traditional color for celebrations or weddings. So they key is to know your audience and know the culture before finalizing any color choices.

“Color is an intense experience on its own.”

Jim Hodges

Here is a listing of the most common colors and their meaning according to North American mainstream culture:

Red --excitement, strength, passion, speed, danger.
Blue -- trust, reliability, belonging, coolness, calming.
Yellow --warmth, sunshine, cheer, happiness
Orange -- playfulness, warmth, vibrant
Green -- nature, fresh, cool, growth, abundance
Purple --royal, spirituality, dignity
Pink -- soft, sweet, nurture, security
White --pure, clean, mild.
Black --sophistication, elegant, mystery
Gold -- prestige, expensive
Silver -- prestige, cold, scientific

“Colors, like features, follow the changes of the emotions.”

Pablo Picasso

What do you want your message to say? Do you want to calm your market and let them know you are stable and secure? Do you want to scream in their faces and tell them that you have the best rates around. Color can be a huge factor, in so many ways, it is sometimes overwhelming and can make or break a response. If you need some advice or information on how to put this information to use, just give us a call.

Banking is Not Social

Banking is not social ... in fact, it's quite private.

Money is private too ... but it allows you to do social stuff.

So, if you want your Social Media program to work, you're going to have to focus on the social stuff.

Determine what your target likes to do. You can do this as simply as asking them in a questionnaire or you can use tools like P$ycle to segment your customers and determine their lifestyle preferences.

Consider focusing your Social Media messages on the social things that your customers or members like to do - then spin the message to discuss how you can better help them save/borrow the money to do those things.

What cool things are you doing with your Social Media program. Brag about it by leaving a comment below.

Take care,

Eric

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5 Steps to Engaging Gen Y

Many financial institutions have acknowledged the fact that Gen Y is a unique audience with untraditional communication preferences and they will have a long-term impact on the success of their financial institution.

A 2009 Grunwal Associates National Study predicted Gen Y will outnumber Babyboomers that in 2010 – well, it’s here! And if you have not started a plan to attract Gen Y customers, then give us a call to get started today! However, if you already have a Gen Y Marketing Plan that you are implementing, consider these tips to keep content fresh and customers engaged...

1.) Educate.
 Educate your Gen Y audience with general financial education, product functionality, financial tools, and other news and events. Keeping content fresh is key. Provide content in various contents to expand reach and deepen relationships.

2.) Expand Communication Channels.
 The more interaction your customers have with your financial institution, the deeper you make your connection to them. Communicate with your customers via social media, targeted newsletters, emails, podcasts, videos and blog, online chat etc. to make Gen Y customers more engaged.

3.) Encourage Interaction.
 Your communication schedule should consist of information messages, tools, tips, events, and news…each can elicit interaction. Also encourage interaction by offering contests, scholarships or challenges or starting a Gen Y Advisory Board.

4.) Tailor Products. Review your product line to ensure you have a complete package to offer Gen Y customers to fulfill their loan, deposit, and access needs. When communicating to them, focus on the product benefit rather than a typical product feature description.

5.) Provide Functionality. Financial Planning and Budgeting Tools, Website Enhancements, iPhone Apps and Financial Management Software are just a few ways you can bring functionality to Gen Y customers. Gen Y has high expectations for technology, and they expect for useful information to be at their fingertips. If you aren’t providing it – someone else will.

Keeping Gen Y engaged is key to successfully capturing this market segment. Make the most of your Gen Y communications!

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Question? Answer!!

Greetings and Happy Monday!!

Today is about asking questions and seeking the answers!

Most of you are in the Q&A portion of your year...

• What worked? 
• What didn't? 
• What budget do I have remaining?
• What is changing about our market?
• What new initiatives are coming down the path?

All great questions...and many answered by information that is within your grasp and some outside of your grasp.

The key?

Knowing what you DON'T know and what portion of that you NEED to find an answer.  You can spend all of your time finding answers to each and every question...but analysis paralysis will undoubtedly set in!

You need to know the GO-TO information factors that will drive you plan, your budget and your success!

What are they??  Great question!  The answer...it varies for each of you!!

Call us to find out... for your bank/CU!

We can provide the answer...and more importantly save you the time and effort!
Come on...give us a call! We can help...

Has your get up and go...gone?

Do you feel like your get-up-and-go, has got up and gone? Then a little lesson on positivity may come in handy.

Life in the fast lane can take its toll on anyone! People are turning to helpings of positivity to give them inspiration to face everyday.

Where do you draw positivity? Read a positive article, inspirational quote, or a spiritual passage. Visualize something that makes you happy, your smiling child, a deep belly laugh, or a funny story. As you notice one positive action you will begin to experience more positivity around you. As you become more positive you will be amazed at what starts to happen around you.

Have you ever watched a fish come to the surface on a still pond? It surfaces and sends ripple after ripple across the water. What if you were to do that? Do something positive, something good in your "still" day and watch the good of your deep ripple over and over. Your good deed, good attitude will become contagious. Contagious with something that someone will want to catch.

Positive actions matter!

Make it a great Friday. Enjoy your weekend and until we talk again.

Debbi

Make it personal...

I think its pretty cool when I get something in the mail that has a message specific to me. For example, a reminder oil change postcard; It has a picture of the kind of car I have, an image of a family that is similar to mine in demographics, a little map of the closest oil change facility to me, a personalized greeting using my name, and to top that off, a website I can visit to set up an appointment. But wait a minute… How do they know all of this information and how did they make this postcard speak specifically to me? Its easy… its called Variable Data Printing (VDP) or more broadly known as Variable Marketing.

Pretend you are just an average consumer with no marketing background, no idea how data works, no knowledge of print processes or mailings and never heard of variable marketing. When you receive this type of material in your mailbox you would think, “Man! - I feel kind of privileged…this postcard was printed specifically for me, has a detailed message specifically to me and it gives me an address to visit a webpage designed specifically for me. I must be their most important customer.”

That's what they want you to think…that is the beauty of variable marketing. It’s powerful stuff.

Variable marketing can vary from a postcard/letter, personalized URLs (PURLs), email campaigns, or even a text message. It all really depends on the campaign budget and the amount of information (data) you have for the target audience (which can literally be whittled down to what brand of dog food a household uses and where they bought it).

In this day and age with all of the cutthroat competition out there we want our members and customers to feel important. They need to feel like they mean something to us, and they do. It all plays a part in customer retention, making that relationship stronger, more trustworthy and building a confidence that no matter what happens in your life, we're here for you. A happy birthday mailing, a welcome to the neighborhood message, the possibilities, messages and creativity are endless.

For more information on using variable data, setting up any kind of mailing or just questions about how personal you can make it, give us a call.

What if...?

What Do You Like To Do?

Last weekend I presented at the Texas Credit Union League's Leadership Conference and met some great people.

On Friday night, I met and went out to dinner with two of the brightest young minds in the credit union movement (and one of the most connected League people you'll ever meet!) and had some of the best pizza I can remember having. While we were chatting it up and getting to know each other, Brent Dixon asked me a simple question,

"I know what you do, but what do you LIKE to do?"

I went blank!

I know that I CAN do anything that the marketing role demands ... strategy, branding, creative, analysis, sales process development, you name it. But what the heck to I like to do ... what am I BEST at?

It took a few days to soul search and it comes down to 2 simple words: What if...?

My gift in financial marketing is problem solving ... in finding the least traveled but most direct road to any solution and around any problem. And it all starts with asking What if...?

• What if we focus on the customer's lifestyle needs, rather than our product features?
• What if we made banking fun?
• What if we measured the customer's mood when they walk in and walk out of our branches ... and improved it?!?!

"What if...?" can be your key to differentiation. "What if..."" could be the two most important words you ask in your planning sessions this Fall.

What if ... you attended a free webinar on differentiation this Friday? Click here to learn more.

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Take care,

Eric

What’s the Internet Saying About You?

It’s no surprise that one of the first places consumers go to get information about your financial institution is an Internet search engine, but do you know what they are finding?

If you haven’t searched your financial institution in awhile, it's time. Searching your financial institution on Google, Yahoo, Bing and other popular search engines should be a regular step in managing your reputation. Also, it's important to search more than just the name of your financial institution. Keep in mind that when consumers are searching your financial institution, they’ll poke around for information on your services, locations, staff, and even complaints.

When searching your financial institution, it's the first page of results that's most important. Click each link on the first page to understand how your financial institution is being presented on the web. Results will vary:

• If you find only your website and great praise… congratulations and keep up the good work! 


• If you find only your company website… expand your presence by submitting press releases or getting your social media noticed.
• If you find negative comments… do something about it. 
If possible, take it down or move the negative content down the list by adding positive content. 

• If you don’t find your bank… look into Search Engine Optimization (SEO), which can get your financial institution to the top of the list.

You can also take it one step further and set up your search as an alert. A search engine alert will send you automatic updates and keep you informed of current search results about your financial institution.

Best,

Jamie

Monday, Monday...

Its Monday... normally, that word brings dreaded feelings to a lot of people. Work starts, the schedule resumes, early mornings arrive...

However, would our Friday's be as sweet without Mondays?  Would the weekends be as restful and relaxing with no Monday?  I think it helps to sometimes touch the four corners of our world (with Monday being one!) to really know how big and exciting our world really is!

Think about your customers/members, too, in this way.  Have they been with you a while and maybe have not had the excellent new account experience for a while, been wowed by the speed of your loan approval process, seen the care and attention of problem resolution? Sometimes, we have to remind our customers of "why" they selected us...and NEVER let it go stale!

Reach out, call out, invite them in...whatever it takes, but reintroduce the bank to them and remind each customer of "why" they chose you above every other option in the marketplace!

Its about ensuring that the normal days don't feel less than important...that the customer feels that important, connected feeling.

How?

A million ways....but the best starting point is with the customer in front of you or in front of your staff.  Of course, we can help develop a communication program and outreach that helps guide a concerted, connected, consistent program...but simply start somewhere...TODAY!

Cheers!

Bruce

"B" Successful Today and Tomorrow

Do you ever wonder what makes someone successful? Here are 5 qualities that I often see in successful people.

1. Be smart - know what you need to do and get it done. Put the time in to complete the project, meet the deadline and your work will show your effort.

2. Be responsible - be trustworthy. Keep your obligations, stand for what you believe in, know when to apologize. You will become a confidant for those around you.

3. Be positive - look on the bright side. Find the positive in every situation. Before you know it your attitude will begin to rub off on others.

4. Be pro-active - make things happen. Know the facts and be willing to take the first step. Others will start to look to you when decisions need to be made.

5. Be kind - to everyone. It doesn't matter if they are in the mailroom, the call center or the corner office. You will need their help at some point.

Find your purpose in life. Once you have found that purpose you can work towards fulfilling it. This is something that sets successful people apart.

Some people dream of success... while others wake up and work hard at it. - Author Unknown

Make sure to follow us on Facebook.

Turn back time!

Often as a “creative type” I am asked where I come up with ideas. Well that is an easy one to answer...Everywhere.

Inspiration comes from all over the place, the things we see, the things we hear, heck, even the things we smell. Inspiration may also come from deep within you. You may find it has been there the whole time. You just need to turn back time and think back to being a toddler. Ok I know if you are anything like me, you can’t think back 2 weeks ago, but try anyway. A toddler is oozing with imagination, all you need to do is watch them play and remember what its like for inspiration.

Its amazing to think that toddlers are unlimited in their thought process. Take an empty cardboard box for example, they’re not limited by what’s been done before with that box – they just look at the possibilities on how they can play with that box. Toddlers have the ability to turn that plain old cardboard box into a fort, an airplane, a mountain, a giant building, a ship, a dollhouse. They can kick it, climb on it, roll around inside of it. They don’t look at what its “actually” made for they look at it with a completely open mind. They ask themselves what could I do with this? What could this be used for? And they are not afraid to try it out and see if their ideas work.

Since we were all toddlers once, we’ve all got the potential to see all those possibilities and reignite that inspiration and imagination again. As always, if you need a hand turning that cardboard box into a spaceship give us a call.

Until next time,

Jeremy

Buzzworthy: Wanna have fun AND earn profits? Then this is for you!

My friend and colleague, Bob Bly, has a new book coming out titled, How to Write and Sell Simple Information for Fun and Profit: Your Guide to Writing and Publishing Books, E-Books, Articles, Special Reports, Audio Programs, DVDs and Other How-To Content.

And the timing couldn’t be better. Many people nowadays are looking to either change careers or start earning a second income. Bob’s book covers in detail how you could make serious money writing and selling information … even better … this could be done in your spare time and in the comfort of your own home.

You’ll discover how to:
· Come up with ideas for saleable how-to books, articles, reports, and seminars.
· Research, write, and publish effective, practical how-to instructional materials in a variety of formats.
· Build your reputation and a loyal following in your field.
· And earn $100,000 a year or more!

But don’t just take my word for it. To read FREE book excerpts, click here now: http://howtowriteandsellsimpleinformation.com/excerpts.php

This is definitely worth checking out. Happy reading!

Competing With Internet Banks

We recently completed an RFP to rebuild a website for a prominent internet bank. Folks, if you're not including these banks in your competitive review, you should be. In a 2010 Forrester study, 2 major internet banks (USAA & ING Direct) ranked 2 & 3 (only behind credit unions) in "trust" when 4,500 banking customers where asked to rate institutions against, "My financial provider does what's best for me. not just the bottom line."

(I'll touch on this again in our FREE Brown Bag webinar on Friday, Sept. 17th)

For the internet banks, the website is everything ... it's their entire branch network, their sales force, their marketing material, etc. You need to be looking at your website in a very similar manner:

• Is your site easy to navigate? Can a customer get to where they need to be in 1-2 clicks?
• Do you make it easy to transact business?
• Does your site allow for an engaging customer conversation? You can accomplish this with online chat, but also with well thought out FAQs, Benefit oriented product bundles, video learning, electronic or personal follow-up to online triggers or forms, etc.
• Is your product information benefit oriented? How can you take product information beyond being an electronic brochure?
• Does your site cross-sell?

In 2010 and beyond, customers are looking more and more to easy, online access. Especially if you're looking to diversify your 50-60 year old demographics with some 20-somethings.

Take a closer look at your website as it relates to the questions above. How does your site stack up against the major online banks? 2011 may be a time to invest in some web enhancements.

Take care,

Eric

Follow MarketMatch on Facebook

The Little Things Matter...

In today’s economic climate, many financial institutions have reduced or even slashed their marketing budgets. That’s why, now more than ever, it’s imperative that we make the most of every customer communication to ensure customer retention and cross-sell.

When it comes to customer retention and cross-sell, many marketers immediately think “On Boarding.” And while On Boarding is and essential step, we also need to review ALL customer communication messages (including operational messages) that our customers receive…because, as you know, every customer touch point makes up the customer experience.

If you haven’t reviewed your operational communications in a while, it may be time to take a second look. Make sure they reflect your brand and see how you can leverage the communication to encourage customer retention or cross-sell, instead of sending a strictly operational message. For instance, a simple message confirming that a new account is set up for Online Banking can transition into a cross-sell opportunity for Bill Pay or Mobile Banking.

A good place to start would be to review the following:

• Dormant Account Letter
• Loan or CD Renewal Letters
• Overdraft Communications
• Debit Card Communications
• Online Banking Confirmation Communication

Remember to get creative! By adding a marketing perspective to these letters, you can create a large impact on customer retention and cross-sell without incurring additional costs!

Best,

Jamie

Remember to Test even the "Sacred Cows"

I think I have always been attracted to arts marketing because it allows me to use both creative as well as scientific talents. To this day, I might be the only person to graduate from Missouri State University with a major in speech and theatre education and a minor in mathematics. So it should come as no surprise that I take a very scientific approach to marketing.

In every campaign I lead, I constantly manipulate variables and note outcomes in an attempt to continually improve upon previous results. The easiest variables that marketers turn to are design and pricing. How many times have you tested a carrier package? an offer? pricing strategy? Probably quite a few times. Now think about how many times you have tested different timing schemes for putting products on sale.

This was the first year in my tenure at Arena Stage where we experimented with using timing as a variable. For almost as long as we have had mini-subscriptions, we have put them on sale at the exact same time as our full season subscriptions, fearing that instead of waiting or upgrading, our potential mini-subscribers would opt to go elsewhere for their entertainment. The fear of losing potential mini-subscribers was so strong that for many years timing wasn't even considered a possible variable to test.

As a leader, you have to always remember that the fear of a potential loss will always be significantly more powerful than the possibility of a probable gain. By nature, we are risk averse, and if given a choice to pursue status quo or trail blaze, we will choose status quo each and every time unless there are overwhelming odds. But you have to be mindful of "sacred cows," and be willing to test even the most concrete of assumptions. In my career, the testing of "proven strategies" has led to some pretty remarkable results.

For our inaugural season in the new Mead Center for American Theater, we experimented with exclusively putting full season subscriptions on sale for the first four months of our subscription campaign. In addition, we developed a pricing strategy that encouraged full package purchases, and new exclusive benefits for full season subscribers, such as the ability to purchase parking in our onsite, underground parking lot. It was a test of timing as a variable--would potential mini-subscribers upgrade to the full season, wait until mini-subscriptions were available or leave Arena Stage entirely.

As we are eight months into our subscription campaign, we have some pretty interesting results:

• we exceeded our projections for full season subscribers both in number of subscribers as well as revenue by almost 60%
• we had three times as many subscribers upgrade their packages when compared to those that downgraded
• full season subscriptions weren't just for renewals and upgrades--we more than tripled our projections for brand new subscribers to Arena Stage at the full season level. At this moment, 11% of our entire subscription base are patrons who have never subscribed to Arena Stage and did so in their first year at the full season level.

As our full season subscribers renew at a much higher rate than our mini-subscribers do, I anticipate that the growth that we have seen in our number of full season subscribers will benefit us for many years to come.