Marketing lessons your credit union can learn from Snoop Dogg

He has never won a Grammy. In fact, he has never managed to receive a single nomination for Best Rap Album. Hell, Puff Daddy was able to win the damn thing! So why should we look to the “D-O-double-G” for marketing advice? Because awards aren’t everything. Success is.

At 44 years old, Snoop has about $145 million in the bank. He can charge upwards of $100k per concert. He is preparing to feature in his 36th (yes, 36th) feature film — a sequel to Straight Outta Compton. Unlike his rapper counterparts, he hasn’t sold any companies but he has managed to attain something much more impressive than a spot in the Billionaire Rappers Club— he’s attained permanent cultural relevancy. How has he done it? What can you learn from him?

Bringing it to Market

Strategy, mainly collaboration with different artists, is fast becoming Snoop’s go-to way to gain attention from followers. How often do you launch a new product or service, with little notice or fanfare, only to be disappointed six months later when members are still acting surprised about this great new thing you’re offering?  Smaller credit unions should pay particularly close attention to partnering with others, especially since “Snoop Dogg marketing” costs few dollars and only needs some elbow grease to get going.

An example of this is the “Great Gas Giveaway” we helped organize with about a dozen marketers and the South Carolina Credit Union League. We announced free gas to the first 100 people who showed up at a particular gas station. We tipped the media off the evening before to have almost every media outlet in town covering the event and talking about this great thing the local credit unions were doing. For $2,000 in gas money, we earned over $50,000 in free press for the Credit Unions of South Carolina. What new product or service are you offering that needs some free press, and a lot of it?

Leverage the Big Doggs

There is no other rapper better at leveraging other people for marketing than Snoop Dogg. After rapping for more than 20 years, nobody has been able to match his hustle or work with as many people. Snoop Dogg has been featured on more songs than any other rapper. By collaborating with other musical artists of various genres, Snoop can introduce his music to people who would have never listened to him in the first place. What a creative way to find new fans!

Often times, when we’re looking to increase member-growth at one of our credit unions, we’ll choose a well-organized non-profit organization with a huge following. Then we present a collaborative promotion to them. It could be as simple as “for every auto loan we do in X month, we’ll donate $25 to your organization.” The catch? We ask the non-profit to promote this to their followers and supporters as well. You could easily replace auto loans with new memberships, checking accounts, or debit card swipes. The important thing is to expose new eyes to your brand by associating it with something positive.

How can you sum up Snoop’s successful marketing idea? “The best marketing tactic is not to ask, but to give.” Stop begging for auto loans or new members. Start collaborating and giving. Soon you’ll start receiving.

Bo McDonald

Bo McDonald

Bo McDonald is president of Your Marketing Co. A marketing firm that started serving credit unions nearly a decade ago, offering a wide range of services including web design, branding, ... Web: yourmarketing.co Details