The Story

You hear a lot of talk in the bank marketing and credit union branding about differentiation. And much of it sounds like this:
“What differentiates us is our _____ (choose one: people, service, community commitment).”
Now, this isn’t inherently a problem. But when that same statement (or a close variation thereof) comes from nearly […]

So the funniest thing happened during my last lunch outing to New Seasons. As I received my almost-daily sustenance of roast beef and swiss on whole wheat, I noticed that the edible goodness that was presented before me was not what I had scribbled hungrily on the order form.
What my aching stomach, and fiscally concerned […]

We’ll go ahead and assume so. 
Check out the NY Times’ article covering the Umpqua Bank Lemonaire program: The Lemonade Stand That Umpqua Bank Built

I recently came across an eTrade ad that struck me at first simply as a funny bank advertising campaign. Clever. I liked it.

But the more I thought about it, I realized that it was more than just a great headline–it was an example of great positioning.
Think about it. With this headline, eTrade […]

When we at CBC recommend our bank marketing or credit union marketing clients develop some sort of unique, non-traditional program that may employ some experiential tactics or viral media, they often ask “can you give me an example?” Thanks to Umpqua Bank, one of my newer examples will be the Lemonaire program.

Take a moment […]

I heard a great speaker the other day at the Washington Bankers Association/Washington Financial League Annual Convention - Clint Swindall, of Verbalocity, spoke to the audience about Engaged Leadership (coincidentally the title of his new book). One point he made really stood out for me, and seemed very relevant to our philosophy on bank […]

…is hereby banned from client mouths at Creative Brand Communications. Here’s why.
I can appreciate that “I’ll know it when I see it” seems like common sense. We’ve all said it before, I’m sure. And sometimes it’s valid…like when you’re buying pants.
Unfortunately, though, credit union branding and strategic marketing for banks is not about common […]

I walked into a Washington Mutual the other day and was pleasantly surprised to hear a doorbell chime. As I smiled to myself, I thought “Could this be true? Is WAMU purposely inviting me to feel at home?” Are they really building brand equity into the sense of sound? Have they quietly mastered bank marketing […]

Arkadi Kuhlmann — President and CEO of ING Direct — is an ideal client, that’s who.
As the banking industry is now aware, ING Direct is the largest Internet bank, with more than half of the country’s $90 billion in online deposits. But that’s not necessarily why he’s an ideal client — but it doesn’t […]