A Cheat Sheet to Perfect Creative

Give your creative the FREEDOM of a tight strategy.

What I love about what we do is that there are infinite ways to address the same problem.  There are few rules and usually, the crazier the idea, the better.

You want your creative to stand up and take notice.  You need it to be clear and concise.  To get there, you have to be focused!  

That's the job of the creative brief.  In one to two pages, describe exactly what needs to happen.  A great creative brief can lead to killer creative.  It's also your sanity check to know whether the creative is simply entertaining or on strategy too.

Here are the 5 areas to focus on when you're focused on creative:

1. What do you want to do?

Why are you spending this money?  What do you want the effort to accomplish?  How will you quantitatively know if it worked or not.

• What does the advertising do for the brand?
• How will the objective be measured?

2. Who are you talking to?
It's easier to write to a person than to a nameless group.  Who do you want to talk to?  Give them a name, a face, a personality and needs:

• What do they look like? What do they like to do? What is their economic standing?  What makes them tick? (be as specific as possible)
• What motivates them?  Why are they making this purchase decision? What's going on in their life?
• When they buy, why do they choose you?
• When they don't buy with you, why not?
• How do they FEEL when they make the decision?  How do you WANT them to feel (tone)?

3. The ONE Big Thing

Let's face it, we're lucky if anyone ever sees our work ... we're blessed if they care ... and if they take away ONE message, we've done our job.  What is the ONE big thing that you want them to know?

• How does it make you different from the competition?
• So what? (Benefit) What problem are we solving?  Why should anyone care?
• Prove it (3-5 supports - Prioritize) Why should they believe you?
• Who's voice is telling them?  Are you the trusted old uncle or the hip young friend or the crazy granny?

4. What do you want them to do?
How will the audience help you achieve your objective?  Do you want them to feel something?  Pick up the phone?  Go to a URL?  Run to your location?

• Is it easy for the target to do what you want?
• Who answers the Call to Action?  Are they prepared?

5. Thou Shalts and Thou Shalt Nots
What are the rules? The must and must nots.

• Budget
• Schedule and duration
• Media options: Print? Broadcast? Web? Direct Mail? SEO? Point of Sale? Outdoor?
• What does the staff need to know or do?
• Mandatories (logos, icons, legals, etc)

Now go back and start crossing words out.  Keep the brief ... well, BRIEF!  The more focused you are, the less sidetracked the creative ideas will be (You know creatives ... show 'em something shiny and you lose them for hours!).

From the brief, try to come up with at least 3 good ideas:

• The safe idea
• One that scares the hell out of you
• Something in between

Finally, when the work is complete, go back to the brief and start checking off each item.  If the work addresses each element of the brief, then it should be on strategy ... focused ... and ready to generate business.

We bring these marketing philosophies to credit unions and community banks nationwide, and would love to bring them to your institution too.  Contact us to see how.

Nearing 230,000 visits worldwide, we hope that you enjoy this blog.  If you find it helpful, please share it with your colleagues.  Also, check out our YouTube Channel for short video blogs about financial marketing.  

MarketMatch is also a nationally and internationally requested speaker.  Contact us to bring our marketing ideas to your next conference.

Here are the conferences where you can find MarketMatch.

See our story here. (click)

Chat with me LIVE! (click)

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937-426-9848

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Never give up in the first mile.

This morning, I rolled out of bed, laced up my New Balance, zombie-walked through the hotel lobby and started yet another self-guided tour of a strange city. And, like so many runs lately, I had no idea how far I would go.

You see, I have hundreds of track and cross country miles on a young, energetic body and on my less-young, less-energetic body, I have multiple marathons, ultra-marathons, a triathlon and countless trail races. I've trained to injuries and through injuries and, after 41 years, I've decided it's finally time for my body to have a loud vote in my training.

I, of course, had a minimum and a stretch goal in mind heading out the door, but there was nothing serious driving either. After 3 minutes, my body's loud vote was screaming that the minimum goal was looking pretty darn good. My legs were heavy, I was still waking up and I was ready to bail on the run.

Luckily, I have a basic rule ... 

Never make any significant decisions in the first mile.

The same holds true for your marketing plans and campaigns. You should go in with a minimum and stretch goal, but don't ever bail in the first mile. Just as you need to give your muscles and chance to warm up, you also need to give your plans a chance to take root.  

Budgets are limited and time lines are tight. But if you've done your upfront homework and your strategy is sound - give your plan time to work. You should monitor and tweak where necessary to hit or destroy your goals, but never bail in the first mile.  

This morning, I adjusted my pace, fell into a good stride and easily passed my stretch goal ... and you can too.

Run on my marketing friends.

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With more than 180,000 visits worldwide, we hope that you enjoy this blog.  If you find it helpful, please share it with your colleagues.  Also, check out our YouTube Channel for short video blogs about financial marketing.  

We bring these marketing philosophies to community banks and credit unions nationwide, and would love to bring them to your institution too.  Contact us to see how.

MarketMatch is also a nationally and internationally requested speaker.  Contact us to bring our marketing ideas to your next conference.

Here are the conferences where you can find MarketMatch.

See our story here. (click)

Chat with me LIVE! (click)

Or email me directly (click)

937-426-9848

Winning the First Mile Means Nothing in a Marathon

They say you should write about what you know, so … here it goes.

It’s cliché, but if you consider our annual marketing plan is like a marathon, then running a campaign only because it is “really cool” and may win you an award is the equivalent of sprinting to the front of the pack to lead the first mile.

You may get some short-term recognition, but you’ll likely not accomplish your overall goal.

If that really cool idea is rooted in strong strategy, has a tightly defined target and is designed based on your annual plan however, then you'll be able to beat the competition.  You might even beat your personal record!

This sounds very basic, but we've seen a lot of very random campaigns run with very "original" ideas.  Heck, I may have even been sucked in by the coolness once or twice.

Stay on plan and finish the race.

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MarketMatch is a full-service marketing firm, dedicated to the credit union and community banking community.  We utilize knowledge-based strategies to help you FOCUS on the right story that will generate the greatest  MOMENTUM and prove the best RESULTS with our written ROI Guarantee.

See our story here. (click)

Chat with me LIVE! (click)

Or email me directly (click)

937-426-9848

The Great Storyteller Gets the Audience.

What if there was a tiny building in a budding town that valued INTEGRITY over profits?

What if that building assembled all of the community’s brightest and most COMPASSIONATE people?

What if those individuals made a PROMISE to help everyone obtain the treasures they desired … the items they could afford – and better set aside riches for the future? 

What if they offered a PLEDGE to allow you access to your wealth, when and how you wanted, without seizing a ransom to do so?

Wouldn’t that be something?  Wouldn’t that be (Your Institution Name Here)?

  

Or …. You COULD say:

"We care."  "We have great loan rates."  "We offer convenient services."

Which would you rather read?  Which evokes emotion?  Which will stand out from what the other local banks and CUs are saying?

Even in our overly-busy lives, people are drawn into a great story.  We long to sit down and be entertained by the yarn of a gifted bard … to imagine our own lives through the well-scripted prose of another.

Think of your brand as an epic tale ... Your staff and customers are the characters ...  Each ad is one short story from it's chronicles.

Be the great storyteller and you'll get the audience's attention.

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MarketMatch is a full-service marketing firm, dedicated to the credit union and community banking community.  We utilize knowledge-based strategies to help you FOCUS on the right story that will generate the greatest  MOMENTUM and prove the best RESULTS with our written ROI Guarantee.

Want to learn more?  Enroll in the MarketMatch eCollege!  Smart online sessions delivered with CFMP credits, tactical advice and a game plan for success!

See our story here. (click)

Chat with me LIVE! (click)

Or email me directly (click)

937-426-9848

Selling Great Creative is a Joke

A Marketer, a CEO and a Board member walk into a bar…

Have you ever presented a campaign in a meeting and heard,

“It just doesn’t speak to me.”

After 18 years as an ad agency AE, Credit Union Marketing VP and now Consultant, I’ve pitched a million ideas and I can testify that selling a creative idea is like telling a masterful joke.

Set Them Up

Every memorable joke spends more time on the set up than on the punch line.

• Define the problem to be solved
• Detail the target (what they look like, what they do, how they use our products)
• What differentiates us to the target
• Outline the objectives
• How is this worth the investment 

Tell a Great Story … Briefly

A good joke tells a short story and evokes emotion.  It is meaningful enough to make you care and quick enough to not lose interest. 

As you plan your presentation, think about the last great standup routine that you’ve seen.  Terrific comedy is equal parts delivery, timing and material.  Keep your delivery tight, don’t rush through your delivery and save the creative material for the end.

Save the Punch Line for Last

“To get to the other slide.”

“I rang the doorbell, didn’t I?!?”

A punch line without the set up and background isn’t too funny. So how can you expect everyone to go crazy about your campaign if you just jump right into the ads? 

Unfortunately, too many marketers step up to the mic and start spouting off punch lines alone and wonder why no one’s laughing.

A great punch line is also impactful and a bit edgy ... your creative should be too.

Game changing campaigns that will set your institution apart are no joke!  But selling the idea internally needs to be thought of that way.  

*** This blog is for you right-brained marketers.  For the left-brain 

take on this topic check out our video blog: 1+1+1=100 ROI. ***

Shameless plug: We bring this level of detail to every project and you'll have fun as if you're in a comedy club.  Call us today to help out your marketing department and ask about our ROI Guarantee.

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Want to learn more?  Enroll in the MarketMatch eCollege!  Smart learning online sessions delivered five consecutive Tuesdays with CFMP credits, tactical advice and a game plan for success!

MarketMatch is a full-service marketing firm, dedicated to the credit union and community banking community.  We utilize knowledge-based strategies to help you FOCUS on the efforts that will generate the greatest  MOMENTUM for your organization and demonstrate RESULTS with our written ROI Guarantee.

Learn more here. (click here)

Chat with me LIVE! (click here)

Or email me directly (click here)

937-426-9848

Banking's First Life Stage Ad. An Inspiration. A Warning.

In 1970, Crocker Bank in San Francisco was an old fashioned bank with old fashioned customers who had one foot in the grave (sound familiar?).


They were facing competition by other banks who had exactly the same products and exactly the same "traditional" service. If you think we're all a commodity now ... look at banking in the 60's and 70's! This was the age where the biggest toaster won the business.


In short, Crocker had NOTHING of note to offer or advertise. So they turned to Hal Riney and Partners, a local ad agency who decided to focus solely on a younger demographic. They got the Carpenters to write and record a song ... not a JINGLE, but a song ... and created a TV campaign around it. This song, We've Only Just Begun, turned out to be a #1 hit.

The concept was elegantly simply, monumentally groundbreaking and tragically flawed.

You've got a long way to go.

We'd like to help you get there.

Simple: All the campaign did was reflect on the target's lives in a way that touched them. No old white guys in pinstripes, no handshakes, no branches, no rates.
Groundbreaking: Crocker Bank differentiated itself from rates and toasters. The target was drawn to the bank in swarms.  
Flawed: The bank needed deposits and the 20-something crowd had none to give. What the demo needed were loans and the bank was too conservative to lend to them. The campaign was pulled - but they franchised the campaign to other banks all over the country.


The Lessons:

• Life stage works!
• Banking is 2 parts emotion and 1 part commodity
• Real value can win over price
• Differentiate, differentiate, differentiate
• If you're going to work with an agency, make sure they understand your balance sheet.

In 42 years, little has changed in our industry.  Most banks rely on rates - or the best Free Checking ... we've moved on from toasters to Gas Cards ... and few financial institutions seek to differentiate themselves.  I truly believe that if you updated the look of this ad for 2012, it would work today in most markets. 

How are you differentiating and adding value?

Learn more here.
Chat with me LIVE!
Or contact me directly (click here).

MarketMatch is a full-service marketing firm, dedicated to the credit union and community banking community.  We utilize knowledge-based strategies to help you FOCUS on the efforts that will generate MOMENTUM and yield the greatest RESULTS for your bottom line.

The Easiest Cross-selling Method

Everyone knows the importance of cross-sell and what this does to the bottom line of our financial institutions, but do you know the first place to start in putting an effective cross-sell program together? It begins with every employee within your company.

The best way for your employee to know and promote your products and services is if they themselves use them.  Other ways to encourage employees to get excited about cross-selling are:

• Start with internal campaigns to encourage and educate your employees well in advance of your external campaigns.
• Be sure to offer as-great or greater incentives for your employees than you offer your customers. After all, it’s your employees that take care of your customers.
• Make the internal campaigns fun and exciting - friendly competition among coworkers, branches, and/or departments can really get people fired up.  If your company has ‘silos,’ mix up the silos with team members competing on different teams. (For an example – everyone with birthdays in January on one team, February another team, etc.)

Make it your goal that each employee is your financial institutions’ best customer. I promise you, if every employee uses each of the products and services your financial institution offers, your cross-sell ratios will be greatly impacted!


Best,
Melissa

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People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing - that's why we recommend it daily.  - Zig Ziglar


MarketMatch is a full-service marketing consulting firm, dedicated to the credit union and community banking community.  We utilize knowledge-based strategies to help you FOCUS on the efforts that will generate MOMENTUM and yield the greatest RESULTS for your bottom line.

If It Ain't Broke...

Each time you run a new checking campaign, do you have the urge to sharpen your pencil, whip out a blank sheet of paper and START creating a new ad?

       Yeah, me too…

Here’s another valid questions:

Have you EVER run a successful checking campaign?

       Yeah, me too…

If it ain't broke … why do we have a constant urge to fix it?   Yes, the creative process is exciting and fulfilling and fun. 

Here are some very successful campaigns that companies have fought the urge to change for years and years…  Can you name the companies?

• We’ll leave the light on for you (1988)
• We try harder (1963)
• Good to the last drop (1959)
• Melts in your mouth, not in your hands (1954)
• Snap, Crackle, Pop (1940’s)
• Breakfast of Champions (1930’s)
• When you care enough to send the very best (1930’s)
• When it rains, it pours (1912)

MarketMatch is a full-service marketing consulting firm, dedicated to the credit union and community banking community.  We utilize knowledge-based strategies to help you FOCUS on the efforts that will generate MOMENTUM and yield the greatest RESULTS for your bottom line.

Learn more here.

Chat with me LIVE!

Or contact me directly (click here).