Knowing yourself is key
Aristotle famously said, “Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.” Do you know your credit union or community bank? What Aristotle refers to is self-introspection. It’s the exercise of looking at yourself from [...]
On The Mark Strategies News Archives
Marketing assessment: Go out and get busy
Famous author, lecturer and sales guru Dale Carnegie once said: “Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go [...]
Planting trees and strategic plans at your credit union
An old adage goes, “The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago; the next best time is today.” You could easily say the same for strategic planning (although we certainly hope the [...]
The one leadership mindset for growth in change
GROWING PAINS Growing Pains. Or…growing pains. Ah, now didn’t those two things bring two very different visceral responses? The former was a beloved, if not a bit cheesy in retrospect, sitcom chronicling the [...]
The importance of credit union employee brand ownership
Credit unions love to talk about (and rightfully so) the member-owners that make our industry so unique and differentiated for consumers. Having member-owners is a distinction upon which our industry must never lose focus. However, [...]
Don’t let coronavirus deliver a knockout blow to your strategic plan
Boxing legend Mike Tyson once famously said “Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” Sound familiar for your community bank or credit union strategic plan? For most credit unions and community [...]
How to adjust your strategic plan with the Four S’s
Your strategic plan created last fall is more than likely in a trashcan somewhere. Thank you, COVID-19. Strategic plans are one of the many casualties left in the pandemic’s wake. While situations have certainly [...]
Post-pandemic growth opportunities: Don’t miss out
In many ways, society is now looking at the curtain rising on a post-coronavirus environment. Most states are in some stage of gradual reopening, retail entities (restaurants, shopping, financial institutions, etc.) are following suit and [...]
Your CFO’s best friend during budget cuts
CFOs are, understandably, making budget cuts across the board right now. As the economic downturn following COVID-19 takes its toll on the market and on individual consumers, credit union and community bank leaders are looking [...]
Expressing gratitude key in communicating your brand post-coronavirus
Expressing gratitude is a key differentiator between those who are succeeding right now and those who are not. More and more states are relaxing lock-down protocols. The “curve” appears to have flattened and the economy [...]
Credit union marketing veteran: “We don’t want to go back to normal”
Mindy Uitterdyk is a credit union marketing veteran. She’s currently the VP of Marketing at UniWyo Federal Credit Union, where since 2011 she’s led their team through major strategic marketing endeavors including a [...]
Three ways to help turn member and employee coronavirus stress to positives
If the 24/7 news cycle before the coronavirus wasn't stressful enough, it certainly is now. Seemingly every news outlet, both traditional and online, is filled with a steady stream of bleak and depressing news. [...]
Three keys to thrive during economic downturn
One of the funniest memes I saw recently was this one: Funny. Sad. True. When we were planning for 2020 in 2019, no one could have foreseen the pandemic or its devastating economic impact. But [...]
Be deliberate, not desperate, with your marketing
“We’re in a recession—we’ve got to cut marketing!” “Since our income is down we need to cut our expenses. So let’s start with marketing.” “We’re going to pause our marketing [...]
10 ways leaders help teams learn while they work from home
Hey guess what? Stuff — a very precise word, as you know — has indeed changed. This is without question breaking news, no doubt worthy of chyron placement. Leaders know this. Teams know this. No one’s [...]