Amish vs CU Marketing: Is Their Budget Outpacing Yours?

Not too long ago I was talking to a marketing friend of mine who was extremely excited about doing creative for her client, the Amish.  She was getting ready to do a series of billboards, and ads to promote Amish businesses and tourist locations in Lancaster County, PA.

Can you believe it?  The Amish are embracing marketing!

Over the years I’ve had plenty of conversations with credit unions about their marketing efforts.  Historically credit unions see marketing as a pure expense rather than an investment or cost of doing business.  Certainly not every credit union feels this way, but those who do think it fiscally conservative to cut back on this expense when the budget gets tight instead of viewing as reinvesting in tools to grow their business.

Frankly, I’ve never understood this position.  I think you can be fiscally conservative, but still recognize that you have to spend money in order to make money.

No one can claim that the Amish aren’t conservative when it comes to spending money.  They are nothing if not frugal to a fault.  Not a penny is spent unless there is a clear business purpose, and the expectation that the investment of those funds will generate positive financial results.

So why in the world are the Amish spending money on marketing?

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