We are a team of people who know credit unions inside and out— and who definitely know marketing… from the creative side, the strategic side, the results side.

Our consulting connection with credit unions actually began back in 1976. We’ve worked extensively with most Leagues, with the national associations— mainly CUNA and CUES— and with credit unions of every size in almost every state.

We helped pioneer a number of powerful industry ideas in a number of critical dimensions:

From “Member Education” To “Marketing”

Our first major Credit Union involvement was with the Washington League. Believe it or not, there was a time when credit unions DID NOT DO MARKETING! We were asked to figure out what “marketing” should be for credit unions, when everybody was afraid of the word. We created a state-wide marketing support program for league members that evolved into a multi-state effort (with other Leagues) that presented simple, useful, effective promotional practices to hundreds of credit unions…most for the very first time!

The National Share Draft Program

This one was a biggie! We were asked to be part of the development team, along with Chase Manhattan Bank and CUNA's R&D section, that introduced checking account services to the world of credit unions. Our particular role was the design of the “Great Leaps Beyond Ordinary Checking” national marketing program. We followed this up with design and production of three additional generations of marketing materials for use by credit unions throughout the country. And CUNA then hired us to do a year-long program of What/Why/How (to start your checking program) workshops in conjunction with almost every League in the country.

Three Books On Credit Union Marketing

For CUES we wrote the first-ever book that established the dimensions of marketing and promotion for the national credit union community. We followed-up with two additional books focusing on helping credit unions gain an expanded role in the consumer banking market. The last one— “How To Get More Of Your Members To Do More Of Their Banking With You!” is available here: (a free download!)

National Checking Account Study

For Harland, we conducted a national market survey on the use of checking accounts…that provided some tremendously revealing insights about “packaging” this critical service. It was published in 1992, but to our thinking, those findings and conclusions are still totally relevant today. A copy of this study is also available for download in our Reference Library.

The Annual “High Performance” Standard

We developed the annual “High Performance” standard that measures the achievements of credit unions throughout the country in terms of their positive connections with members. Each year we gather, analyze and review statistics (drawn directly from year-end NCUA 5300 reports), and publish the annual “High Performers” list of credit unions (see the “HP Solution” elsewhere on this website!)

Online Employee Surveys

We developed and introduced the first CU-only online employee survey program…and now conduct annual surveys for almost 50 regular survey clients. It's all here!

Market-Based Strategic Planning

We pioneered a unique “Market-Based" approach to strategic planning, one that held to the premise that “No, you don’t get to plan whatever you want. Rather, you MUST develop strategies that the market calls for, if you hope to be successful in the current retail banking environment." Check it out here!

As you see— we try to push the envelope at every turn! Our professional objective always has been to help the national credit union community achieve and maintain market prominence in the world of consumer banking. We don’t do things just because they are fun, or clever, or something different. We work with ideas that will have a positive impact, based on the wiles and rules of the marketplace.

The Team

 

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